Air recirculation in the heating system: do you know when to use it?

The cooling and heating systems in cars include a very practical feature that can be extremely useful in different situations. It is the air recirculation system, and we are going to tell you a few things you need to know about it. The car cabin is a practically airtight space. This means that outside air does not seep in from outside unless the air intakes are open.

These intakes draw in outside air, and this air enters the cabin through the climate control system. If heating is activated, the air is warmed. If air conditioning is activated, the air is cooled. In this way, a more comfortable temperature is achieved inside the car. The recirculation system works by taking the air from inside the cabin and circulating it again through the climate control system, returning it to the cabin.

Greater insulation inside the cabin

This system is very useful for preventing outside air from entering, and it allows the air coming out of the climate control unit to be cleaner, since it has passed through the filters several times. It also saves energy, because the air is already conditioned and it takes less energy to heat or cool it than to heat or cool outside air. Applying that energy to air that is already conditioned is more efficient.

When is it best to use this system

Using air recirculation in summer is not the same as using it in winter. In summer, it is more practical. Once a suitable temperature has been reached inside, if the already cool air is used, the system finds it less demanding to maintain the right temperature and energy consumption is reduced.

If this air circulation mode is not used, the compressor will have to work harder and energy consumption will be higher. In any case, the best approach is to alternate between both modes and not use this system for more than 10 minutes. Allow outside air to enter and switch back to recirculation a few minutes later.

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In winter it is also practical, although less recommended. With air recovered from the cabin, humidity is retained, and this can cause the windows to fog up, reducing visibility. It is better to renew the air inside more frequently and prevent humidity from building up.

In any case, one of the fundamental components of the climate control system is the filters. They must be kept in good condition and allowed to perform their function, whether they are taking in air from outside or filtering the air inside the cabin that is being reused.