Car air conditioning works by taking out the heat from inside a car and putting it outside so that there is only cool or conditioned air left in the car. Hot air is put through an evaporator, which takes away its heat by absorbing the hot gases; this process also removes the heat inside of cars. The heated gas is compressed even more before going into another part of the machine called a condenser. In this section, liquid refrigerants are turned back into gaseous form for use again to remove hot gases from the system faster than normal. This means that when cooled, these gases turn back into liquids so they can move back up to carry away even more of those hot gases . All these parts work together to make sure there are fewer hot gasses coming off of things like seats and dashboards where you usually sweat!

A car air conditioner system is composed of four essential parts :

• A belt-driven pump known as a compressor to compress and circulate gas.
• A radiator like unit called a condenser to redistribute heat and condense gas to a liquid.
• An expansion device, which could be a thermal expansion valve (TXV) or an orifice tube (subject to the kind of air-con system used).
• Some systems have an accumulator before the compressor to remove moisture from the refrigerant while TXV systems have a receiver-dryer before the evaporator performs the same crucial task. Both of these parts also store refrigerant.

Yes! Your car air conditioning is using fuel. However, it's actually more fuel efficient to run car air conditioning than it is to have your windows down due to aerodynamic drag. If your air conditioning isn't performing its best, it may use more fuel to run. To avoid this, it's important that you have your air conditioning serviced regularly by professionals, like the ones at Port Macquarie Tuning & Mechanical.

The accumulation of moisture can lead to unpleasant odours and fungus growth which may not be good for anyone inside the vehicle. Modern evaporators do have improved efficiency, but they also carry more fins; meaning an increased tendency to collect humidity from the atmosphere, promoting microorganism development.

If you cannot remember when your air conditioning was last serviced, perhaps it's time to book in with the team at Port Macquarie Tuning & Mechanical. You should also book in if:

• Your air conditioning system is blowing warm air
• There are damp patches or water stains under your dashboard
• Your car air conditioning system smells funny
• Your car air conditioning system is making strange noises
• There is weak air flow from the car air conditioning system

Car air conditioning is designed to pull the heat from the air within the interior area of the car outside, leaving only cooled or 'conditioned' air to be redistributed. This is achieved using a special compound called refrigerant, capable of readily absorbing heat as a gas and quickly losing heat as a liquid.

The compressor needs the right amount of oil in the refrigerant to prevent it from seizing up. Should the air filters be jammed with dirt and bacteria, it will affect the entire system's performance, and it can even cause it to stop working altogether. On top of inhibiting air conditioner efficiency, dirty air filters can cause health problems.

Being exposed to the elements and very diverse operating conditions and being used intermittently rather than being 'Always On' can cause decay of the hoses, connections and seals. A vehicle air conditioning system should be examined regularly to ensure there are no problems or refrigerant loss due to failure or leakage from these points.

Simply by cooling the air in your car under normal running conditions, the air filters get dirty and intermittent use can cause seals to dry and crack, allowing them to leak. Even without leaks, the gas in a car air conditioning system will eventually begin to degrade or evaporate over time. It should be recharged as required to keep the air con system in peak running condition.

Your car’s air conditioning system needs to be checked out every year for any sign of a problem with the seals, hoses or connections. It also needs to be confirmed that the amount of refrigerant isn't reduced over time. Regularly servicing your car’s AC system makes sure it has enough refrigerant and will keep it running smoothly so it doesn't break down and you don't waste fuel unnecessarily.