Shimla: That small button of car AC which will transform the cabin, along with increasing cooling, it also works to save petrol.

While traveling in a car in this scorching summer season, the biggest relief we get is from AC. But car owners often complain that the car’s AC is not able to cool the cabin quickly after being parked in the sun. Along with this, running AC continuously reduces the mileage of the vehicle, which has a direct impact on the pocket.

If you are also troubled by this problem, then let us tell you that there is a small button on the dashboard of your car, which can double the cooling speed as well as reduce the consumption of petrol and diesel. This feature is described in the language of automobiles. ‘Recirculation Mode’ It is said. Let us understand how this button works and what are its benefits.

After all, what is ‘Recirculation Mode’?

If you look carefully at the AC panel or control board of your car, you will see a button with a sketch of a car and a curved arrow inside it. This is the recirculation button.

This feature basically works to reuse the air inside the car.

• When recirculation mode is off: The AC draws the scorching hot outside air, filters it, cools it and then sends it into the cabin. Since the outside temperature is very high in summer, the AC has to work very hard to cool the air.

• When recirculation mode is on: AC completely stops taking outside air. It repeatedly draws in the air already present inside the car cabin and cools it again.

What makes cooling superfast and better?

Let us understand this with an easy example. Suppose the outside temperature is 42°C and the air inside your car has come down to 28°C because of the AC.

Now if the recirculation mode is on, the AC has to further cool the 28°C air to 22°C, which is very easy for it. On the contrary, if this mode is off, the AC will continuously draw hot 42°C air from outside and work on cooling it. This is the reason why by keeping recirculation mode on, the cabin of the car cools down much faster.

Recirculation Mode On vs Off: What’s the Difference?

How does it help in saving fuel and money?

The car’s AC compressor takes power directly from the vehicle’s engine. When the workload on the compressor is high, it draws more power from the engine, which directly increases the consumption of petrol or diesel.

Since the AC has to process already cooled air when recirculation mode is on, the Auto-Cut feature of the compressor kicks in quickly. Frequent rest of the compressor reduces the load on the engine and improves the mileage of your car.

‘Pro tip’ to instantly cool down a car parked in the sun

If your car was parked in the sun for a long time and the cabin is burning like a furnace, then do not turn on the AC directly. First of all, roll down all four windows of the car and drive the car for a minute or two so that the extremely hot and poisonous air inside comes out. After this, close the windows, turn on the AC and immediately Recirculation Mode Turn it on. Your car will cool down at rocket speed.