This Overlooked Button Could Save Hoosiers on Gas This Summer
There is a button on your dashboard that, surprisingly, most people don't know the purpose of. So, naturally, it goes unused. However, you might want to turn it on this summer in Indiana.
When you're driving your vehicle during the summer, you most likely have your AC blasting cool air. That being said, you could be getting better use out of your AC in your vehicle if you simply turn on a button that is actually mysterious to many. Not only can it help with air quality control, but it can also save you money on gas this summer. I don't know about you, but it breaks my heart every time I have to fill up my truck and I see how much money I spend. It would be nice to save a buck or two at the pumps with just the push of a button. In particular, the air recirculation button.
What is the Air Recirculation Button Used For?
There's a button found on your vehicle's climate control dashboard that we all have seen, but perhaps we don't really know when to use it. The button is called the “air recirculation button,” and it serves a couple of purposes. It mainly deals with the vehicle’s air conditioning system but can also help you save on gas.
The air recirculation button (pictured above) will cut off the outside air to the inside of the car, causing the air inside of your vehicle to recirculate. According to an article on MyWabashValley.com, Tabitha Ruhl, Manager of Joplin Transmission and Auto Center, says "The air recirculation button is great for boosting your AC to help the cabin of your vehicle get as cold as possible, quickly."
Another key feature of the air recirculation button in your car is that it helps reduce pollen, pollution, and exhaust fumes from entering the vehicle. It is especially useful in controlling the air quality that we have been receiving over the past few days due to the Canadian wildfires. Also, any time you are stuck in traffic, be sure to use the recirculate. If you are pulling air from outside, then you are pulling in all the pollutants and carbon monoxide from all the traffic. There is yet, another feature of this button that you are most likely reading this article to learn about.
How The Air Recirculation Button Can Save Money on Gas
Yes, this button can also help you save money on gas, on top of everything else it does. How? Well, Ruhl tells MyWabashValley.com:
Cars are usually more fuel-efficient when the air conditioner is set to recirculate interior air. This is because keeping the same air cool takes less energy than continuously cooling hot air from outside.
It should be noted that this feature only works in the summer months. You don't want to use it during winter or when your windows become foggy. Also, if your car has been baking in the sun, it's better to roll the windows down and turn recirculate off for the first minute or so to get rid of the super hot air inside the car before turning the recirculate on. So, if gas prices continue to rise or stay as high later on in the year, it is best to try using these five ways to save on gas throughout the year.
10 Indiana Laws You Don't Know You're Breaking
LOOK: Highest-rated free things to do in Indiana, according to Tripadvisor
7 Weapons You Can Legally Own in Indiana That Aren't Guns
More From WKDQ-FM
