This is wrong based on the assumption that it works the same in all areas of the world, but I’m not sure if this is -10 votes wrong.
Especially considering some of the other posts I’ve seen on here and how they get voted on
Comment on Life is hard
ceenote@lemmy.world 22 hours agoIf it’s already cold, you don’t need to turn the AC on. The air will be dry once it gets warmer.
4am@lemmy.zip 18 hours ago
Reygle@lemmy.world 19 hours ago
This can be correct in northern winters, with very high humidity this will only fog the windshield much worse.
tomi000@lemmy.world 18 hours ago
You cant have high humidity when its cold, doesnt depend on the location.
100% humidity at 0°C is ~20% humidity at 25°, which is pretty dry.
Reygle@lemmy.world 12 hours ago
I guess cold is a relative term. I’m from Wisconsin- we can have 100% humidity at 65 degrees sooooo
tomi000@lemmy.world 9 hours ago
65°F so 18°C, and thats what you call cold? :D Then yeah, heater without AC will not clear your windshield up.
JcbAzPx@lemmy.world 22 hours ago
I’ve tried that. It only made things worse.
LORDSMEGMA@sh.itjust.works 22 hours ago
Defrost setting uses the AC unit. Helps pull moisture out of the air
ceenote@lemmy.world 20 hours ago
Air conditioners pull moisture out of the air by making it colder, reducing the amount of moisture the air can hold. Its not doing anything if the air is already colder than the air conditioner can go. The air conditioner will only help if it’s 55F/13C or more, where it will only fog up if you live somewhere very humid.
LilB0kChoy@reddthat.com 16 hours ago
I don’t have a side in this but both my ‘93 Ford Escort and my ‘01 Ford Crown Victoria would turn on the A/C compressor if you hit the Defrost button for the windshield.
SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world 20 hours ago
The moist air freezes to the coils of the ac unit, which is than heated by air and drips out of the vehicle through a condensate drain.
How do you not understand that basics of an air conditioner? It doesn’t just cool, it conditions the air.
ayyy@sh.itjust.works 27 minutes ago
I’ve never found a more confidently incorrect bunch than HVAC people. I’ve never understood what it is about that profession specifically that causes people to just turn their brains off. See also: the absolute disdain for heat pumps and the absolute insistence on massively over sizing furnaces everywhere by HVAC technicians.
ceenote@lemmy.world 19 hours ago
That doesn’t even make any sense. Is it cold air depositing frost onto the coil, or hot air melting the frost? It can’t be both. You know that frost building up on coils is a huge problem that breaks air conditioners, right? Frost clogs the air stream, and creates a feedback loop where the coil gets way colder than it’s designed to because air can’t pass through.
I could have been more specific: the air conditioner can be useful in rainy or foggy warm conditions where the air conditioner can still cool the air further, and a car air conditioner goes colder than a home air conditioner does, around 38-45F (3-7C). It can also help if something in the car is adding moisture to the air, like if the occupants are sweating. However, when it’s just a cold day fogging the windows, the air conditioner does not help. It does not have a mechanism to dehumidify the air other than to cool it.
Cort@lemmy.world 20 hours ago
Wouldn’t it be more efficient to pass the cold dry air back over the hot side heat exchanger to increase its moisture caring capacity before blowing it at the glass?
You know like a dehumidifier?
CADmonkey@lemmy.world 19 hours ago
Probably, but the hot side of the car’s AC is outside of the car typically in front of the radiator.
yucandu@lemmy.world 20 hours ago
I want to be able to blow hot air at my ice cold windshield in the -20°C Canadian winters, but American car designers are all like “oh you want to use the windshield vent? you must want the AC turned on!”
Thorry@feddit.org 19 hours ago
This isn’t just an American car thing, non American brands do this as well. That’s because it’s a good idea. The heater core has way more capacity than the AC, so the air coming out of the vent will still be warm. But running the AC is still a good thing, because it gets the moisture out of the air.
Without running the AC the humidity in the car shoots up and takes a while to clear, with the AC on the humidity stays controlled. This helps clear the windscreen sooner and helps with comfort in the car. It also prevents mold, which if you live in a cold but humid place, can be very annoying. It is very normal where I live to have the AC on in fall and winter, because otherwise the humidity inside the car is very uncomfortable and can easily cause mold all over the interior.
yucandu@lemmy.world 1 hour ago
I would like to have the choice, because of fuel concerns.
4am@lemmy.zip 18 hours ago
If it’s a cold winter day it’s dry outside. Just open your cabin circulator to bring in outside air, and you don’t need to use the extra gas to run the AC.
If you’re in an equatorial area, foggy windows will be because of unbelievably high humidity in hot to boiling weather, which WILL require AC because you can’t just suck in more wet air and make it hotter and expect that to work.
MnemonicBump@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 hours ago
Is -20°C regular winter temps for Canadians? It’s colder than that here in Minnesota
ryathal@sh.itjust.works 17 hours ago
Where most Canadians live it doesn’t get particularly cold. Toronto is south of Minnesota. There are places that get really cold, but not many people live in most of them.