During the summer months its second nature to hop in the car and turn the AC up full blast. But did you know that you can and should use your AC in the winter as well? While this may sound contradictory, there are many times where using your cars air conditioning system in conjunction with the heat is beneficial. So, should you run the heat in your car with the AC on?
The answer is yes. The air conditioning system in your car is designed to be used in conjunction with cold air and warm air. When you have your AC on, it helps to dehumidify the incoming air which makes it dryer. This is ideal for defogging or defrosting your windows and for reducing the humidity inside your vehicle.
If you’d like to know more about how this works and when you should and shouldn’t use your AC with the heat, keep reading to learn more.
What does the AC button do?
Before getting into the benefits of using AC and heat at the same time, it’s important to explain what the AC button does. As mentioned above, besides the rapid cooling of your car’s interior, the AC button will also dehumidify your car.
When your press the AC button in your car, it activates your vehicles air conditioning system. This means that any air that comes out of your vents is first ran through your AC system where it is compressed and dehumidified. Depending on what you need, the air is also either cooled or heated prior to making its way to the interior of your car. This dehumidified air is much dryer than it would have been without being ran through your air conditioning system. Because the air is dryer, it enhances the cooling or heating effect your after and makes for a more comfortable interior.
When is it Beneficial to Use Both AC and Heat at the Same Time?
There are many benefits to using both AC and heat at the same time. Here are the most beneficial instances in which you’d use both.
Heat And AC In Cold Weather
Using AC in winter time (and any time you are experiencing cold weather) with the addition of your heater can be beneficial in a couple of ways. The myth of you damaging your vehicle by using heat and AC at the same time is false. Its perfectly OK to use your AC system in cold weather.
Interior Climate Control
As previously explained, using your AC and heat at the same time can control the climate of the interior. Instead of keeping your car hot and humid, you can use the AC to dehumidify the air while the heat then pushes hot dry air throughout your interior. You can adjust the heat higher or lower until you have your preferred temperature.
Avoid Cooling System Maintenance
If you don’t run your AC system periodically, it could cause problems in your cooling system. Refrigerant could leak when your AC unit isn’t used for a while and using your AC in the winter will keep your compressor seals lubricated. Using your AC in the winter months can help keep your cooling system maintained for when summer hits.
AC And Heat To Defrost Windshield And Windows
You may wonder why sometimes it takes a long time to defrost your windshield using heat alone. This is because while using heat on its own will eventually remove fog from your windshield, it does not dehumidify the air inside your car. Even when the heat removes the frost from your windshield, it will only fog up again because of the high humidity level inside your vehicle.
When you use your AC in conjunction with heat, magic happens. The AC unit will be dehumidifying the air, frost, dew, and fog on and around your windshield, and the heater will be sending not just hot air but DRY hot air which helps in moisture removal. The continued use of AC will keep dehumidifying the entire car interior, helping your windshield and windows to remain clear.
AC And Heat To Remove Moisture From Interior
In addition to removing moisture from your windshield, using AC and heat will also remove moisture from the entire interior. As mentioned before, your AC can be used solely as a dehumidifier. Whether you have a leak or left your window open that allowed moisture to enter your car, using your AC and heat at the same time will dehumidify your car and remove all the moisture from your interior.
Besides keeping the inside of your car dry for climate control and comfort purposes, there are also two huge benefits to dehumidifying your car with heat and AC.
Rust Prevention – It doesn’t take visible sitting water to make metal rust. In fact, a lot of times the metal parts of your interior will rust mainly because of the humidity, even if you don’t live in a humid climate. In the winter, using too much heat without the use of AC will cause a humid interior climate, and much of your metal interior will be just damp enough to begin rusting. Using your AC with heat can prevent this rusting from even getting started.
Examples of this would be the metal brackets your seat is bolted to or the tracks that it glides on. While most of these parts are typically out of sight, there’s no need to let them rust especially if it can be prevented.
Upholstery Protection – In many vehicles, a lot of the upholstery is held together with glue, at least partially. Glue, over time, will eventually lose its hold. Exposing it to excess humidity only speeds up this process. If or when this glue starts to come loose it can mean repair work to the interior of your car. And while this could take a very long time to happen, its best avoid this trouble as best as you can, especially if you plan on keeping the vehicle for a while.
Using the AC to dehumidify your car’s interior can play a huge rule in preventing rust and preserving the interior of you car. Its just something simple you can do to make in interior of you car stay in good shape for as long as possible.
In Conclusion
You don’t have to be afraid to use your AC and heat at the same time, and as you’ve learned there are huge benefits to using both.
Don’t go for long periods of time without using your AC, especially if you’re living in your car in the winter or the cold months. Save your money and avoid maintenance costs and fixes to your AC unit as well as rusting metal and unglued upholstery. And most of all, remember to use your AC not just for cooling your car, but also for removing moisture and dehumidifying the interior.