How Your Car Stays Warm In The Winter And Cool In The Summer

Thanks to the bi-polar nature of Cleveland’s weather, Northeast Ohioans know just how important a car’s heating and cooling system can be.  In the winter time, it’s important to stay warm in the car’s cabin, and in the summer time it’s nice to have that cold breeze to help us beat the heat.  But how do these systems work, and what do we need to do to keep them running smoothly?

To keep your interior warm, hot engine coolant is circulated through a radiator, known as your heater core.  A fan sits adjacent to the core to blow the cold outside air over it. As the cold air travels over the core, it heats up, and then it enters the cabin through your heater vents.

The air conditioning system relies on Freon, a compressed gas, to keep cool. The Freon stays in the compressor and becomes hot. It cools in the condenser and enters a liquid state and then it travels to an expansion valve. As it goes through the valve it returns to a low-pressure gas and cools in the evaporator.  A fan blows over that evaporator and the cool air travels through the vents, into your car’s interior.

This video by Rad Air’s own Andy Fiffick shows you some basics about automotive heating and cooling, and also some tips on the importance of clean coolants.

Making sure the engine coolant is clean ensures a warmer winter. Let the pros at Rad Air help you make sure that your car is ready for the cold weather before you find out the hard way.