Petrol and diesel car owners can cut fuel use by pressing a switch located on every vehicle on the road. Experts at Eden Tyres and Servicing stress that the air-recirculation button can “reduce fuel consumption by assisting the AC system”.
Turning on the mode will simply cool the air that’s already inside the vehicle instead of taking it from outside. This will take the strain away from the air conditioning system, using up reduced power and therefore sucking up less fuel. The specialists say the re-circulation button is more effective in the summer and periods of hot weather, making it a good option for the spring and summer.
Eden Tyres explained: “If you’re driving in a heatwave, you should turn on your AC and your air-recirculation ON to ensure your air-con gets as cold as possible as quickly as possible.
“If you don’t switch the air-recirculation button on, then your air-con will be constantly cooling warm air from outside your vehicle and will have to work much harder, putting more stress on the blower and air compressor.
“It works by recirculating the cool air you get from your A/C when you first turn it on. The longer it’s on for, the cooler your vehicle will get!
Other tips included fanning the car interior, lowering the air vents and parking away from direct sunlight.
The RAC remarked: “Once the air conditioning is blowing cold, close all the windows and switch to (pre-cooled) recirculated air.
“You can now open the upper air vents and adjust the flow as required. More advanced ‘climate control’ air-conditioning systems allow you to set and maintain a constant temperature within the car.”
