Latest news with #carcooling
The Sun
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Sun
The exact way to get your car to cool down in seconds for the school run WITHOUT AC, according to genius science formula
A SAVVY maths professor has shared the easy way to get your car cool in seconds for the school run. Hannah Fry, from the UK, took to social media to give us all a lesson in fluid dynamics. 2 2 Cars can become super hot in the summer, and it often takes a while for the AC to kick in and cool it down. But Hannah shared the simple trick to get it cool in seconds. She said: "You know that thing when you get into your car in the summer and it's absolutely boiling hot? "There's actually a flow dynamics trick that you can use to quickly cool your car down. That's what my PhD's in, flow dynamics." Instead of putting the air conditioning on, she rolled down the window behind the driver's seat and stepped out of the car. Then, using the passenger side door, she would stand and open and shut it quickly for a few seconds. Hannah did this a few times before getting back in the car as she was getting embarrassed. "The reason why it works is that when you open and close the door, especially if you do it quickly, the door, as it's moving outwards, it sweeps out all of the air that's in its way, creating this sort of area of low pressure that you get here," she explained. "Then that sets up something called bulk flow, which is where all of the hot, sweaty, horrible air inside the car is drawn outwards. And the only way to refill it is with nice, fresh, easy air from over that side. "It takes about two or three goes and suddenly it's absolutely beautifully temperate." Aldi is selling a 'rechargeable' essential for just $9.99 – shoppers say they'll be 'wearing one all day' this summer The clip has since gone viral on her TikTok account @ fryrsquared with over 1.9 million views and 150k likes. The clever hack comes just in time for summer and people were grateful for the advice. One person wrote: "Never be embarrassed about fluid dynamics, babe." Another commented: "you lowkey deserve to be nominated for the Nobel Prize." How to keep cool in hot weather Most of us welcome hot weather, but when it's too hot, there are health risks. Here are three ways to keep cool according to the NHS... Keep out of the heat if you can. If you have to go outside, stay in the shade especially between 11am and 3pm, wear sunscreen, a hat and light clothes, and avoid exercise or activity that makes you hotter. Cool yourself down. Have cold food and drinks, avoid alcohol, caffeine and hot drinks, and have a cool shower or put cool water on your skin or clothes. Keep your living space cool. Close windows during the day and open them at night when the temperature outside has gone down. Electric fans can help if the temperature is below 35 degrees. Check the temperature of rooms, especially where people at higher risk live and sleep. "I've done this always with zero understanding of fluid dynamics…Am I a genius?" penned a third. Meanwhile a fourth said: "My dad used to tell me off for doing this as a kid, can't wait to show him I was actually just a child genius." "This is genius!' claimed a fifth
The Sun
16-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
How to make your car's air conditioning blow COLDER this summer with affordable fix that takes just minutes
WITH summer in full swing and heatwaves predicted, keeping cool is on everyone's mind. Thankfully, air conditioning in most modern cars offers a welcome escape from the heat. 3 3 3 However, many of us will sometimes feel our AC could be working a little harder and blowing a little colder. And if you believe your car's cool air isn't as cold as it could be, a repair expert from FixMyCar might have the solution. Matt Wrankmore, Head of Garage Network at FixMyCar, has revealed that a quick, 45-minute garage visit can take your air conditioning from mild to ice-cold. He said: 'Many drivers expect their car's air conditioning to just work when they need it to. 'However, the air conditioning system uses refrigerant gas and a compressor to cool the air in the cabin. 'Few people realise that over 10% of refrigerant gas escapes naturally every year, which means the cooling system's power drops significantly over time. 'This is where the need for an air con regas comes in. 'Having the system 'regassed', essentially refilling the refrigerant gas, will have an instant effect on your car's air conditioning and will get you back to pleasantly cool journeys on our few scorching hot days this summer.' COOL OFF As anyone who's stepped into a sweltering car on a summer's day knows, car interiors trap and retain heat effectively, making them unbearable without a working cooling system. According to over 3,000 drivers polled by FixMyCar, 28% didn't know that the air conditioning system in their car needed to be regassed in order to stay cold. Further to that, one in 10 (9.7%) drivers assumed it would be done as part of a full service. However, many car services don't include an air con regas - meaning you'll need to book it separately. Data from FixMyCar shows that an air con regas costs £72.64 on average, with most manufacturers recommending drivers get their air conditioning system regassed every two years to ensure it's always at an optimal cold temperature. The poll also found that almost a third (32%) of drivers are unsure when they last had an AC regas. This has been confirmed by nearly 200 mechanics on the FixMyCar network, with the majority claiming the most common cause behind car air conditioning no longer feeling cold is that the car 'needs an air con regas'. 20% said that a 'refrigerant leak' is another common cause of poor cooling, while 14% flagged that a 'lack of air con use and poor maintenance' are to blame. Wrankmore added: 'Another little-known fact is that a lack of use of your air conditioning could also exacerbate the problem. 'A car's air conditioning system has an oil in it that lubricates the seals and compressor to keep it functioning smoothly when in use. 'However, not using the air conditioning frequently can cause the seals and compressor to harden or shrink, which can then cause damage that results in larger refrigerant leaks down the line. 'This is a particular problem for Brits. As we only get a few really hot days a year, many of us don't use our air conditioning as often as we should. 'So, my best advice to drivers who want to maintain their cooling system better is to turn on your air conditioning regularly, even in winter - as crazy as that sounds.'
