Unless you’re one of the lucky few living in the cooler parts of India, by now, almost all of us are painfully aware of the fact that we live in one of the most torrid countries in the world.
A point that becomes especially apparent when you enter your car that’s been parked in the sun; even if it’s been there for just half an hour. While we can’t totally get rid of that ‘driving in a furnace’ feeling, the following tips will definitely offer some much needed relief and help keep the car’s cabin relatively cooler.
Keep the windows slightly open
When parked directly in the sun, keeping the windows slightly down aids in cross-ventilation and extracting heated air from the cabin. However, make sure the window isn’t rolled down too much, else, it may pose a security risk.
Buy a solar-powered fan
These are quite effective and help in keeping your car cool even during extended hours in the sun. These solar-powered fans extract hot air from the cabin (just like a fan in your computer’s cabinet) and when paired with a cracked window, are very effective. Google ‘solar auto cool fan India’ and you should find a few websites selling them and can be bought under Rs 1,000.
Get your air-conditioner serviced
It may sound obvious but many people tend to overlook the condition of their HVAC system. A clogged filter or low levels of refrigerant gas unnecessarily burden an already overworked system and significantly reduce the cooling performance. Typically, servicing the AC costs around Rs 2,500 for most hatchbacks and smaller sedans.
Uday Singh
Dipan Sur
Glenn Noronha
