You may think that you know how to use the air conditioning in your vehicle: just turn it on and let it work. However, there are actually some tricks that can help your vehicle's air conditioning work more effectively.
#1 Wait to Turn on Your AC Until You Are Driving
First, you need to wait to turn on your air conditioning until you are actually driving. Don't warm up your car and try to cool it off. If you know you are leaving soon, it is fine to roll down the windows to expel some of the hot air, but don't turn on your vehicle and run the air conditioning.
Your air conditioner is actually designed to work most effectively when your vehicle is running. As your engine works, the compressor works at the same rate as your engine. This allows your air conditioner to more effectively cool your car off.
Your AC is not like the heater in your vehicle; it's best to cool off your vehicle when you are actually driving it, not beforehand.
#2 Don't Start By Blasting Your AC
It may be tempting to get into your vehicle and turn the air conditioning on all the way. However, that actually isn't helpful. Turn your AC onto the lowest setting for a few minutes first. Setting the AC to low allows the AC to effectively cool your air; you can turn it up after a few minutes, but in general, the AC in your vehicle is designed to work the most effectively when it's running low, not on full blast.
#3 Don't Press that Recirculate Button
The recirculate button takes the air inside of your vehicle and pulls it back through the air conditioning system. Specifically, the recirculate button pulls the air from the front of the car. This can cause the air in the back of the car to start to feel stale. If you have any passengers in your vehicle, avoid using the recirculate button.
Of course, if the air outside smells bad, it is fine to use the recirculate button, but as soon as you get to an area where the air smells fine again, turn it off. Your vehicle will feel less stuffy when you allow your air conditioning system to pull in air from the outside.
Don't warm up your vehicle to cool it off. Your AC works best when your engine is actually running and working. Use the lower settings on your AC system; it works more effectively that way. Avoid recirculating the air to avoid your vehicle feeling stuffy. If you are having difficulty, contact an truck air conditioning repair company.