AHH, summer. Warns days. drives ins die countesside. prontos an the beach. And road construction There vou are. stuck in traf fe and is a sweltenny 32°C. Fortunately, with vour aircon digening on, iCs a comtor: able 24°C inside the car, For nay people, air conditioning isa “must have” option, Air conditioning works on the principle that ev Aporating Huid takes heat out of the ai. ‘The refrigerant vapour is first compressed to liquef it, then it evaporates. This chills and dehumidities the air coming inco the car. The refrigerant that has been used with great success over the years has been Freon, or R-12. However, R-12, as a chlorofivorecarbon (CFC), has been partly responsible for depletion of the ozone layer. In the last couple of years, car manufacturers have converted to R-134a, a hydroftluorecar- bon (HEC). that is much fess harmful to the environment. If you have an older car, it may be possible to convert your air conditioning to R- 134a. Ask your car service provider about conversion kits. If not, you should be aware that R-12 is no longer being manufactured. While stocks are available, their use is tight- ly controlled and a great deal of care is taken to prevent leaks and spills to protect the ozone layer. A number of provinces completely prohibit the use of j i ( { NEWS photo Mike Wakefield KEN Kristensen of Apex Refrigeration checks out a car's air conditioning system. R-12. You should have your air conditioning system checked at least once a year to make sure it has no leaks, seals and belts are in good shape, and it's running efficiently. As it cools, the air condi- tioning system also takes mois- ture out of the air. The air con- ditioning is usually coupled with the windshield defrost so that it will clear the window more quickly. There is always a concern when you walk towards your car and see a pool of some- thing underneath. In summer, doen't panie — vour air condi- tioner takes water out of the air, and it drains onto the ground. So if you have been driving with the air condition- ing on, and then you park, you will probably sce the water draining from the air condi- tioner as you walk away and a puddle under your car when you return, If the puddle doesn’t look like water, then it’s okay to panic. Some people are concerned about the fuel economy penal- ty of air conditioning. It’s true that when you use the air con- ditioning at full blast in city driving, you pay a price — per- haps as much as a 15-20% increase in your fuel consump- tion. When you look at it over the course of a year’s driving, though, it’s much fess signifi- cant. The annual fuel con- sumption penalty is fess than 5%, probably more like 2%. Most people consider that a small price to pay for being able to chill our in’ the summer, Friday. 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