/Why is your aircon not working?  

Why is your aircon not working?  

Long drives to holiday destinations and then around the area, admiring the scenery, are all part and parcel of a summer road trip. There is no doubt that the best way to make the most of wherever you are going on your holidays is to drive it. If nothing else, it means you have the freedom to get around at your leisure.

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However, your enjoyment of this can be cut somewhat if your aircon is not working. Travelling around while there is a lot of hot air trapped in the cabin of your car can be uncomfortable for drivers and passengers alike. It can make people in the car dehydrated more quickly, which could also raise the risk of travel sickness. What’s more, discomfort caused by heat can affect concentration while driving so that full attention isn’t on the road.

 

It isn’t just for keeping cool that the aircon is vital either. When condensation forms on the inside of car windows, switching on the aircon is the quickest and easiest way to get rid of it. This is because it blows dry air at your windscreen, which gets rid of the water that forms on it.

 

Your aircon is one of those car parts that it is worth having an expert take care of rather than trying to fix yourself. So, if yours isn’t working then book an air conditioning service to get yours sorted out.

 

Before that, however, it may be worth understanding why yours is not up to scratch. Look out for clues about what the cause may be.

 

One thing that drivers may notice is that their aircon is blowing out air but it is coming out warm, which is less than useful when you are driving on a hot day.

 

The most common reason for this tends to be that there is not enough gas in the system to keep the air cool. As the system tends to permeate gas over time, it is recommended that you have it recharged with gas and lubricant roughly every two years.

 

Yet there could be more serious reasons why your aircon is only blowing hot air. For example, there could be an issue with the refrigerant or the compressor. Where these are located and exactly how the system works tends to vary depending on the manufacturer so it is absolutely vital that you have it checked out by an expert.

 

Another issue that drivers may notice is that when they try to engage the aircon it does not come on at all. The first place to consider, in this case, is whether or not the fans are faulty as they are the end point for getting cool air through your vehicle. Even so, it could be a problem elsewhere in the system, such as a broken cable, that is stopping it from engaging.

 

Other problems that may be noted is that the aircon is working but that a pungent smell is coming through the vents. This would suggest that there is bacteria growing in the system, which you will want to have cleaned out by a professional.