Last year we experienced the hottest
summer on record1, and heat and humidity are again bearing down across the
United States. Heat waves on both coasts are contributing to shattered weather
records already this year, with 31 cities and towns across the country posting
the hottest June temperature ever recorded.
While driving to and from the
office, or with your family on the weekends, your vehicle’s air conditioning is
a luxury many take for granted. Here are some quick facts about how Ford's
air conditioning technology works.
Did you know?
Many newer Ford vehicles have
a feature called a variable displacement compressor that helps the air
conditioning run more efficiently and consistently. The system has the ability
to control the amount of cooling and use only the amount required for the
conditions which results in less load on the engine and a reduction in the
overall impact on the environment, making Ford A/C units powerful, efficient
and smart.
• Air conditioning systems are powerful. Most drivers
expect their vehicle’s interior to reach a reasonably comfortable temperature
within 15 minutes. On a sunny 95-degree day, that interior may be upward of 140
degrees. In order to cool a vehicle down to a comfortable level, most vehicle
air conditioning systems have cooling capacity equal to a small home’s air
conditioning.
• Today’s air conditioning systems are efficient. Most Ford
vehicles use a limited reheat strategy to create the most comfortable environment.
Previous systems cooled all of the processed air to just above freezing, then
reheated the air to the desired temperature. The newer system cools the air
down to just below the desired temperature, then reheats it slightly. This
reduces the amount of energy required to operate the system and results in
better fuel efficiency.
• The air conditioner in your new Ford vehicle is smart.
When operating in auto mode, the system uses sensors to determine the
optimal operational requirements of the system to best maintain the comfort
level in your vehicle. An example of this is that the system has a sensor that
can tell where the sun is shining strongest on your car, and adjusts
output temperature accordingly. If the sun is shining on the
front passenger-side window, cool air output is stronger on that
side of the vehicle than on the driver’s side to offset the added heat and keep
a consistent level of comfort.
Stay tuned and look for our
next blog post for tips on how to help your A/C run more efficiently!
Sources: [1] http://www.weather.com/science/environment/news/summer-2014-record-warmest-noaa-20140918
