YACT: Defogging windows

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

gsellis

Diamond Member
Dec 4, 2003
6,061
0
0
Originally posted by: thomsbrain
turn on the A/C and set the temp control to maximum. A/C drastically cuts the humidity, and the heat vaporizes the fog. yay. basically you want it hot, but you also want it dry, so that's why you turn on the A/C, even in the winter.
Winner.

Jagec - As for A/C drastically cutting mileage, maybe in the 70's. Modern A/Cs are more efficient. With current car aero design, A/C gets better gas mileage than driving with the windows down.

As RB and jagec noted, many modern cars have the A/C slaved to the defrost. My 95 Prelude does not turn on the A/C to defrost (a user option with the little button that has A/C on it).

:beer: for Technokid too.
 

njmodi

Golden Member
Dec 13, 2001
1,188
1
71
Originally posted by: gsellis
Originally posted by: thomsbrain
turn on the A/C and set the temp control to maximum. A/C drastically cuts the humidity, and the heat vaporizes the fog. yay. basically you want it hot, but you also want it dry, so that's why you turn on the A/C, even in the winter.
Winner.

Jagec - As for A/C drastically cutting mileage, maybe in the 70's. Modern A/Cs are more efficient. With current car aero design, A/C gets better gas mileage than driving with the windows down.

As RB and jagec noted, many modern cars have the A/C slaved to the defrost. My 95 Prelude does not turn on the A/C to defrost (a user option with the little button that has A/C on it).

:beer: for Technokid too.

+1 to everything you said... except I *think* that even in your 95 Prelude, as soon as you engage the winshield defrost mode (via lever or button), behind the scenes the A/C has kicked in - even though your little A/C indicator may indicate it is off.... or maybe not... easy to test... keep the A/C off, select defroster and listen for the click of the compressor... I would love to be proven wrong (i.e. that you've already done this and know for sure that the A/C is staying off).
 

gsellis

Diamond Member
Dec 4, 2003
6,061
0
0
Originally posted by: njmodi
+1 to everything you said... except I *think* that even in your 95 Prelude, as soon as you engage the winshield defrost mode (via lever or button), behind the scenes the A/C has kicked in - even though your little A/C indicator may indicate it is off.... or maybe not... easy to test... keep the A/C off, select defroster and listen for the click of the compressor... I would love to be proven wrong (i.e. that you've already done this and know for sure that the A/C is staying off).
Live in GA. Not as humid as FL, but when the A/C is off, defrost is not very effective until that little green light is on. Most of the vehicles with the A/C coming on automatically do not have a separate A/C control. Or at least they did not before.
 

Babbles

Diamond Member
Jan 4, 2001
8,253
14
81
I use hot if it is cold outside and if it is warm outside I put it on a middle setting.