How Automotive Air Conditioning Works You're stopped in traffic on an August afternoon. Sweat drips from your neck all the way down your back until your shirt absorbs it, making a damp spot between you and the seat. Your legs are either stuck to the vinyl upholstery or prickled by its cheap velvet. Your hands feel like they're about to slip off the steering wheel, and you're thankful your eyebrows are keeping the sweat from running into your eyes. What's missing from this picture? It's become nearly universal, with 99 percent of all new cars as of summer 2010 coming equipped with it. When it's missing, we notice. How Air Conditioners Work How Car Cooling Systems Work How Home Thermostats Work It's also been with us longer than you might think. Packard invented automotive AC all the way back in 1939, and in 1940 was the first car company to offer factory-installed air conditioning. Of course, this early system didn't have a thermostat, but it was better than not having anything at all.

The idea caught on, though, and by 1969, more than half of all new cars were sold with air conditioning built in. That's not including the aftermarket AC units that could be installed during the first heat wave of the year, when the new owner regretted his penny-pinching at the dealership in January. Eventually, it was determined that the refrigerant used for decades in automotive AC, known as R-12, CFC-12, or its brand name Freon, was damaging the ozone layer (it's a chlorofluorocarbon). It was banned from being manufactured in the United States and an alternative, called R-134a or HFC-134a, was required for all cars manufactured after 1996. Now, any car older than that needs to be retrofitted with a new system that can use the newer, safer refrigerant. Air conditioning has worked pretty much the same way for its entire existence: it cools and removes humidity from the air. There are three main parts to the system -- the compressor, condenser, and evaporator -- that achieve this, plus a few other parts to keep the system running smoothly.

Let's take a look at each.A construction crane in Midtown Manhattan dropped a colossal air conditioning unit onto Madison Avenue on Sunday, shearing the side of an office building and injuring 10 people, The Wall Street Journal reports. Officials say two construction workers and eight pedestrians sustained minor injuries from falling debris after the crane’s cable snapped at around 10:45 a.m and the 4-ton HVAC unit tumbled 30 stories down.split ac unit components “Thank goodness this occurs at this hour, on a weekend, when there were not many people around” Mayor de Blasio said at a press conference today. ac heat pump window unit“Obviously, this is a very serious incident. window mounted air conditioners brisbaneThere will be a full investigation.”

Multiple witnesses compared the accident to a train wreck.“It was like a train car fell off the side of the building,” a bystander told the NBC New York. “It sounded like a freight train,” another told the New York Post.> Your Online Garage A/C and Heat: Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC) System Service and Repair Your air conditioning system is part of your HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system, and one of the key components in your vehicle’s comfort-control center.  When your air conditioning is not functioning properly, driving can be miserable and, in some cases, even dangerous.   All modern cars have a heater, and most have an air conditioner.  These components help maintain safe and comfortable driving conditions, including visibility. The HVAC System provides proper in vehicle climate conditions.  It de-humidifies the vehicle interior (and helps to clear fogged windshields).  You must seal and contain refrigerant, lubricant, and coolant.

Symptoms of a malfunctioning HVAC System Improper vent air temperature Low or no vent air flow Smell or fogging of windshield during defroster operation Growling/grinding or squealing noise during A/C or heater operation May contain control valves for A/C pressure control Controlled by On-Board Computer Must be lubricated internally Allows heat removed from passenger compartment to be transferred tot he under hood area. Assists in removing heat generated by proper condenser and radiator operation. Electrically or hydraulically controlled Removes moisture from flowing refrigerant (desiccant) Moves air inside vehicle across evaporator and/or heater core Controlled by climate control panel Creates pressure differential allowing refrigerant to remove heat from passenger compartment Thermostatic or fixed orifice design Allows heat to be removed via refrigerant from the passenger’s compartment to be carried to the condenser

Substance that can be vaporized and condensed between certain temperatures Must be kept pure and free of contaminates and moisture 134a is approved refrigerant for today’s vehicles Are there environmental concerns with air conditioning? Because all refrigerants currently used in automotive air conditioning systems are controlled substances, it is important that it not be allowed to escape into the atmosphere during servicing.  Our technicians use a sealed, environmentally-friendly process that captures the refrigerant, cleans it, replenishes it and returns it to your auto air conditioning system good as new. What if my vehicle still uses Freon? Auto air conditioning systems built before 1995 use the refrigerant R-12 or (CFC-12), also referred to as Freon. The EPA determined that Freon was destroying the ozone layer and in 1995, all production ceased. Freon is now extremely expensive and difficult to find. Precision Tune Auto Care offers a retrofit service that enables your A/C system to use R-134a refrigerant.