Air Conditioning In The Car.

[Tilly2]

Why does the car use up the petrol more quickly if you have the air conditioning on?

I have to keep putting petrol in. It's not lasting any time at all.

[Tilly2]

That's better, gness. Large indeed.

Thaks, boxy. Is that Sunny Dave, do you think?

[boxtops]

No, I think that's very-sunny dave....

[Tilly2]

Ha!

[boxtops]

You have actually raised a good point here, tilly - I noticed this morning that I need more fuel, I had a quarter of a tank the other day - I'd put it down to the petrol evaporating in the tank, in this heat.....

[Tilly2]

Actually, gness, you've given me an idea. I could wrap some ice packs up in a carrier bag and sit on them. That might work.

[boxtops]

...then when you get out, there's a big damp patch where you've been sitting. Not a good look :-(

[Tilly2]

Does petrol evaporate in the heat? Lawks a mercy! I'll never have any money.

[Tilly2]

Aww!

[gness]

Well..if you get freezer burn I'm not rubbing in any ointment!

[shoota]

I will

[boxtops]

No, I think I'm wrong in that assumption :-)

[Tilly2]

Best not try that then. I hate ointments of any kind.

[gness]

Alas...poor Shoota.... :-(

[Tilly2]

I knew him, gness.

[boxtops]

Get a horse, tilly.

[Tilly2]

A horse, a horse...........I'd love a horse.

[sunny-dave]

Do the sums though :

If you get (say) 40mpg in a modern car then you're paying about 15p per mile for petrol.

The absolute most that aircon will add is about 5% - unless you are stuck in stationary traffic for ages. Once you are over about 20mph the additional cost is actually negligible.

But let's assume the worst case of 5% - which means you are paying (at most) 0.75p per mile to be cool.

So a 20 mile trip will cost you a maximum of an extra 15p to avoid sweating like a [whatever] - that seems like a bargain to me.

[Tilly2]

Thank you, Dave. I'll stop fretting about it now and turn the air-con on full blast.

Sorted.

[jno]

it will use up petrol but like sunny dave I'm wondering if it will really be so much petrol that anyone would notice, as per your OP.

[Tilly2]

Well, jno. I put some petrol in last Thursday and I had to put some more in yesterday.

The only thing was, I didn't have my purse with me and I had to 'borrow' £20.00 from one of my visitors. I wasn't expecting not to have any petrol. Maybe it does evaporate.