Technical Panda Air Conditioning

[babbo umbro]

Air con dries air by lowering temperature below dew point, so water vapour condenses on the air con plates inside the car.
It does this by cooling the air.

So lets say, ok, its winter, and its 5 degree outside.
Dew point is 2 degrees.

To dry air, aircon will need to lower air temperature to 2 degrees and lower.

So instead of outside air at 5 degress, you will get air at 2 degrees or lower, albeit dry indeed.

How exactly this will make it "warmer"?

By passing this dry air through a heating matrix, surely - the point of air conditioning is to produce dry air at the required temperature, not just cooled air.

 

[Ingvarr]

By passing this dry air through a heating matrix, surely - the point of air conditioning is to produce dry air at the required temperature, not just cooled air.

If you will try to simultaneously cool and heat, you will achieve neither - the temperature will just average between what heater can heat and aircon can cool, so air temp will not drop below dew point and air will not be dried.

Its either heater on, or aircon, not both.

In any case, I dont beleive claims that drier air feels warmer. All climate control literature I've seen seem to state the opposite.

 

[Geddes]

If you will try to simultaneously cool and heat, you will achieve neither - the temperature will just average between what heater can heat and aircon can cool, so air temp will not drop below dew point and air will not be dried.

It will be drier all right. The water condenses out on the AC evaporator so it's gone from the air. That's how domestic dehumidifiers work. Air passes over the evaporator to get the water out, then it passes over the hot condenser to take the temperature back up to approximately the same as it went in, but drier.

Anyhoo I have an Active so my AC is more window-based...

 

[babbo umbro]

If you will try to simultaneously cool and heat, you will achieve neither - the temperature will just average between what heater can heat and aircon can cool, so air temp will not drop below dew point and air will not be dried.

Its either heater on, or aircon, not both.

In any case, I dont beleive claims that drier air feels warmer. All climate control literature I've seen seem to state the opposite.

I meant that the air is first dried and then adjusted to the required temperature - I don't see why air conditioning can only cool the air - that's only part of the process, surely? As Geddes points out.

 

[Cian]

Air conditioned then heated is significantly dryer than just using the heater - try it in a car with fogged up windows as a comparison test.

 

[jj58panda]

Air conditioned then heated is significantly dryer than just using the heater - try it in a car with fogged up windows as a comparison test.

I've started one hell of a debate unwittingly! lol. Thanks everyone for your help its made interesting reading. I'm still waiting for an official dealer air con check because my local dealer's machine is out of action! Getting it checked this week, although having used it a bit more the last couple of days it seems the air con has started working now. Weird. Does take a while to start coming out cold though.

 

[codramble]

My air con button seems to have stuck in the OUT postion , i.e. not air conditioning. I do try to remember to switch it on every week or so but not always somaybe the whole unit is seized?

Rod

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

My air con button seems to have stuck in the OUT postion , i.e. not air conditioning. I do try to remember to switch it on every week or so but not always somaybe the whole unit is seized?

Rod

Sounds like a failed switch rather than the system.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

I'm not sure on the panda but usually the aircon switch doesn't stay in, it just latches when turned on the light comes on but the switch still pops back out to normal position

If the light isn't staying on it could well be the system is out of gas so it won't allow you to turn it on and thus won't let the switch light up.

My two-pennith worth

 

[codramble]

Thanks most easterly and Andy. I will furtle about but it sounds like a visit to the dealers!

Rod