A MECHANIC has revealed the three reasons that using you air con is actually better than opening a window during a heatwave.
As the warm weather rolls on, with temperatures of 32C predicted for tomorrow, this handy advice can help you stay cool and save money.
Expert mechanic Craig explained why aircon is better than opening a window during a heatwaveTiktok/@walsallwood_tyre
Craig, from Walsall Wood Tyre and Service in Walsall, West Midlands, explained how to beat the heat without ruining your fuel economy.
In a TikTok clip he said: “Air conditioning is always going to give you cooler air than opening a window, especially if the ambient temperature is higher than 5C or 6C.”
This means that using aircon is a far more efficient way to cool down, even if it does burn fuel to run the system.
However, Craig went on to say that opening the extra drag created by opening the windows consumes roughly the same amount of fuel as running the AC.
This means it’s actually more efficient to cool the air artificially as you can stay cooler for longer at about the same cost.
He added: “I’d rather sit in comfort and be able to listen to my radio without all the noise going down the motorway with your window open”.
Thirdly, opening the window lets pollution, dust and pollen into the cabin, all of which can harm your health.
It is true that the aircon does this too but the system will filter a lot of these fumes out while opening a window lets them flood into the car.
Not only that, but your aircon actually has a special feature to deal with this and make it even more efficient.
You can use the recirculation button to make the system pass the same air around the car again and again.
This means that it only has to cool the air once, and so uses less fuel, while also pulling in less air (and the pollution in it) in from outside.
Social media commenters were quick to back Craig up.
One wrote: “I’ve not turned my air con off in five years.”
Another added: “Never turn my climate control off. Can’t think of a reason why I would.”
It comes after another mechanic revealed a major issue that could void your new car’s warranty.
Meanwhile, experts at the RAC explain what it means when water drips out of your exhaust pipe and how to take action.