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Offline seahorse513

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Air conditioning
« on: July 22, 2011, 09:38:36 PM »
Now mind you, I am not claiming to be an expert on automobiles, but,here goes:

This guy at work(who I don't think all the lights  are on upstairs, but there you are) said to me today that when he was driving , he had his window open and the heat was unbearable.

me: well, why don't you roll up your windows and turn on the ac?

Foster: no, because it runs off of gas.

me: oh....ok



I got to thinking, and this made more sense...that Ac runs off the coolant in a special compartment in the radiator which is then pushed thru the vents thru a fan. As I said I am not an expert...
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Offline Thor

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Re: Air conditioning
« Reply #1 on: July 22, 2011, 09:50:47 PM »
He's bought into the myth that running the A/C decreases one's mileage. What he doesn't understand is that the increased drag on a vehicle with the windows down actually decreases one's mileage even more than running the A/C. Mythbusters had a  show on just that.
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Offline seahorse513

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Re: Air conditioning
« Reply #2 on: July 22, 2011, 09:55:35 PM »
Quote from: Thor on July 22, 2011, 09:50:47 PM
He's bought into the myth that running the A/C decreases one's mileage. What he doesn't understand is that the increased drag on a vehicle with the windows down actually decreases one's mileage even more than running the A/C. Mythbusters had a  show on just that.

ok, but was I anywhere near right?? :???:
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Offline franksolich

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Re: Air conditioning
« Reply #3 on: July 22, 2011, 09:56:08 PM »
As far as I know, an automobile air-conditioner doesn't run off of gas.

There's an extra belt in the motor that spins only if the air conditioner's running.

That puts additional drag on the motor, and one has to give it more gasoline--that's where the lowered gasoline mileage comes into this.

I probably explained it incompletely, but that's the general idea.
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Offline Chris_

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Re: Air conditioning
« Reply #4 on: July 22, 2011, 09:57:13 PM »
Quote from: Thor on July 22, 2011, 09:50:47 PM
He's bought into the myth that running the A/C decreases one's mileage. What he doesn't understand is that the increased drag on a vehicle with the windows down actually decreases one's mileage even more than running the A/C. Mythbusters had a  show on just that.
I think the rule of thumb is that AC is a greater drag on the vehicle until you reach 50mph.  Past 50, open windows and aerodynamics result in greater drag.  My idle goes from 800rpm to about 1100 w/ the air on.  I'm not sure how much that changes during actual driving, so... whatever.

Then there's tire pressure, passengers, luggage/trunk capacity, etc... if he wants to save gas, tell him to leave his spare tire at home. :-)
« Last Edit: July 22, 2011, 10:01:24 PM by chris_ »
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Offline Chris_

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Re: Air conditioning
« Reply #5 on: July 22, 2011, 10:02:54 PM »
Other than passengers and luggage, I think gasoline is the heaviest thing your car carries.  At 8 pounds/gallon ,a 12-gallon tank weighs 96 pounds.  Almost a whole person.  Half a tank would be less than fifty pounds.  If you could talk him into keeping his car at half a tank or less, he could run the air all the time and never notice. :whistling:

But then you have increased wear and tear on your fuel pump due to the lower fuel volume when you get below 1/4-tank (your fuel pump uses gasoline to cool itself while it's running).  It's a vicious cycle.
« Last Edit: July 22, 2011, 10:05:17 PM by chris_ »
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Offline MrsSmith

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Re: Air conditioning
« Reply #6 on: July 22, 2011, 10:09:15 PM »
Our older vehicles get somewhat lower mileage with the A/C on, maybe 2 miles per gallon if we are in town a lot.  I don't notice much difference on longer trips.  Our newest car actually gets better mileage during the summer when I run the A/C, it goes up from 37 to 39 mpg.  I think most of the difference is from the reduced wind during the summer as compared to the winter.  I also turn the A/C off when I'm in town.
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Offline seahorse513

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Re: Air conditioning
« Reply #7 on: July 22, 2011, 10:11:02 PM »
Quote from: chris_ on July 22, 2011, 10:02:54 PM
Other than passengers and luggage, I think gasoline is the heaviest thing your car carries.  At 8 pounds/gallon ,a 12-gallon tank weighs 96 pounds.  Almost a whole person.  Half a tank would be less than fifty pounds.  If you could talk him into keeping his car at half a tank or less, he could run the air all the time and never notice. :whistling:

But then you have increased wear and tear on your fuel pump due to the lower fuel volume when you get below 1/4-tank (your fuel pump uses gasoline to cool itself while it's running).  It's a vicious cycle.

He has a pick up with a cab on it...so he doesn't get big gas mileage anyway
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Offline Evil_Conservative

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Re: Air conditioning
« Reply #8 on: July 22, 2011, 10:18:03 PM »
I don't care if my car only got 5mpg with the A/C on, I am using it because I hate sticking to my seats.
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Offline Chris_

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Re: Air conditioning
« Reply #9 on: July 22, 2011, 10:19:10 PM »
Quote from: seahorse513 on July 22, 2011, 10:11:02 PM
He has a pick up with a cab on it...so he doesn't get big gas mileage anyway
Then tell him to STFU and quit whining. :-)
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Offline Chris_

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Re: Air conditioning
« Reply #10 on: July 22, 2011, 10:19:50 PM »
Quote from: Evil_Conservative on July 22, 2011, 10:18:03 PM
I don't care if my car only got 5mpg with the A/C on, I am using it because I hate sticking to my seats.
Mmmm, sexy. :wink:
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Offline Delmar

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Re: Air conditioning
« Reply #11 on: July 22, 2011, 11:40:05 PM »
Older model cars are set up better than newer models for driving with the windows down.  By adjusting the wing vents on the windows of the front doors and opening the big floor vents you could get a pleasant breeze to draw through an old car with the windows partially opened.  Driving with the windows down in a late model car is noisy and stuffy, can't seem to get air to flow through the car.  I always use the A/C out on the open road.  About the only time I run the window down on my car nowadays is when I pull up to the McDonalds drive thru. 
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Offline Chris_

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Re: Air conditioning
« Reply #12 on: July 22, 2011, 11:40:58 PM »
I haven't seen vent windows since 1983.

They just don't make them like they used to.
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Offline Chris_

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Re: Air conditioning
« Reply #13 on: July 22, 2011, 11:43:37 PM »
I use AC when it's very humid outside.  I'll turn down the temperature dial because I don't care to freeze first thing in the morning, but I still can't manage to get more than 20mpg with it.

That's about what I got with the last Camry  I drove.  It's a heavy car with or without a V6.
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Offline compaqxp

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Re: Air conditioning
« Reply #14 on: July 23, 2011, 10:29:26 AM »
I use the air conditioning all the time in my car and I only notice a very slight drop in MPG. Without it I get an average of 49MPG and with it I get an average of 45MPG.

Mind you when using the AC you should also use set the car to recirculate the air as that helps a lot too.
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Offline thundley4

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Re: Air conditioning
« Reply #15 on: July 23, 2011, 10:53:01 AM »
Quote from: Evil_Conservative on July 22, 2011, 10:18:03 PM
I don't care if my car only got 5mpg with the A/C on, I am using it because I hate sticking to my seats.

Same here. Gas mileage is not a consideration for running the AC, personal comfort is.
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Offline rich_t

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Re: Air conditioning
« Reply #16 on: July 23, 2011, 03:58:14 PM »
Quote from: thundley4 on July 23, 2011, 10:53:01 AM
Same here. Gas mileage is not a consideration for running the AC, personal comfort is.

I kind of feel the same way about my household electric bill.

I'll pay the cost to be comfortable.
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Offline IassaFTots

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Re: Air conditioning
« Reply #17 on: July 23, 2011, 05:42:27 PM »
Quote from: compaqxp on July 23, 2011, 10:29:26 AM
I use the air conditioning all the time in my car and I only notice a very slight drop in MPG. Without it I get an average of 49MPG and with it I get an average of 45MPG.

Mind you when using the AC you should also use set the car to recirculate the air as that helps a lot too.


Recirc is the way to go, and if in town, and you run your AC full force, you will lose gas at a higher rate.  You won't lose it at enough of a high rate to not use it, however. 
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Offline JohnnyReb

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Re: Air conditioning
« Reply #18 on: July 23, 2011, 05:52:33 PM »
Air Conditioning: That's whats wrong with America.

 The late dem. Senator from N.C., Sam Ervin, once said that that was what was wrong with Washington D.C. and congress. Before airconditioning, Washington was just to hot for all the politicians to hang around with congress in session. So they would ajourn for the summer and go home. There they would meet with and talk to the people they represented...getting to know what they thought. But since the installation of air conditioning they stay in Washington and are out of touch with the folks they supposedly represent.
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Offline MrsSmith

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Re: Air conditioning
« Reply #19 on: July 23, 2011, 08:28:23 PM »
Quote from: JohnnyReb on July 23, 2011, 05:52:33 PM
Air Conditioning: That's whats wrong with America.

 The late dem. Senator from N.C., Sam Ervin, once said that that was what was wrong with Washington D.C. and congress. Before airconditioning, Washington was just to hot for all the politicians to hang around with congress in session. So they would ajourn for the summer and go home. There they would meet with and talk to the people they represented...getting to know what they thought. But since the installation of air conditioning they stay in Washington and are out of touch with the folks they supposedly represent.
There is some truth in A/C being a problem.  Before air conditioning, how many 400 lb people were there?  No one could get to that weight when they had to deal with the heat of summer. 
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Offline whiffleball

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Re: Air conditioning
« Reply #20 on: July 25, 2011, 06:27:29 AM »
Quote from: Evil_Conservative on July 22, 2011, 10:18:03 PM
I don't care if my car only got 5mpg with the A/C on, I am using it because I hate sticking to my seats.

No way I'll drive around Georgia in the summer without AC, no way.  If it uses more gas, so be it. 
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Offline whiffleball

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Re: Air conditioning
« Reply #21 on: July 25, 2011, 06:31:48 AM »
Quote from: rich_t on July 23, 2011, 03:58:14 PM
I kind of feel the same way about my household electric bill.

I'll pay the cost to be comfortable.

Yep.  The thermostat on our AC unit is set at 74 and I haven't touched it in a couple of months.  A few evenings last month the outdoor temp went as low as 67, but with the high humidity the unit still kicked on.  We'll just pay it to keep foodstuffs from getting stale in the cupboards, clothes and linens from staying damp in the closets and to be able to breathe inside our home.
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Offline seahorse513

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Re: Air conditioning
« Reply #22 on: July 25, 2011, 07:15:06 AM »
Out of the last three days, Friday was the worst!!! I had to work that day out on the patio at the register. The heat doesn't usually bother me, but I admit that day was rough...As an extended service I was offering ice water to our customers. We have a cooler loaded with ice and water, so I was able to do that at least!!! An ambulance came for an elderly gentleman who had medical issues and collapsed because of the heat the day before. Needless to say the store itself, ran out of ac's and fans, as well as other surrounding retail outlets..
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