Driving your car in the UAE has different requirements than other countries around the world. In the UAE, air conditioning is just as important as torque. Maintaining your AC for the best performance is an important thing in the GCC countries, so is maintaining to avoid health hazards. This article of two parts will outline how to maintain your AC.
In addition to what we all know about the hazards of toxic gases emitted from dashboards after the car has been sitting in the sun for a long time, there are other issues we face as drivers in the GCC region, both with your own health and the health of the car. We will outline these issues in this article.
If it smells, it is a health risk
If a dank or musty smell comes from your car AC the moment you turn it on, usually in areas where there is high humidity or just after the winter months, this means your AC could have mould or fungus trapped inside its tubes, usually near the evaporator coil. Besides the stink, such moulds can also have harmful effects on people who have allergies or who suffer from asthma.
Solution: You will need to get your AC system cleaned out. Most service stations perform complete “AC service”, where they clean out the ducts with compressed air, check the charge pressure of AC refrigerant, and clean the AC filter. (See below for tips to maintain your car AC). However, to effectively kill off mould, you will need to get an anti-fungal spray and spray the ducts and evaporator.
Prevention: One good tip to prevent mould build-up is to use the blower only for the first few minutes every day. In winter too, turn on the heater and use the blower – the hot, dry air can stop mould growth. This is less significant in the summer long months, but still poses a significant hazard to your health when it happens in foggy seasons.
You can get your AC cleaned up in any service station, but it is always advisable to go your car dealer.
