On Saturday, June 11, 2016 at 12:13:35 PM UTC-10, Brooklyn1 wrote:
> On Sat, 11 Jun 2016 13:29:44 -0700 (PDT), dsi1 <dsi1>
> wrote:
>
> >On Saturday, June 11, 2016 at 9:06:28 AM UTC-10, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> >> On 6/11/2016 10:03 AM, Gary wrote:
> >> > Brooklyn1 wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> Agreed, best to call for service early, before they are backlogged. I
> >> >> call mid April and they make an appointment for mid May because that's
> >> >> when it's warm enough here for A/C to operate. If I waited to call
> >> >> when it's already hot here they may not get to me until the end of
> >> >> June or even into July.
> >> >
> >> > An A/C guy once told me to turn on the A/C for about 5-10 minutes once
> >> > a month even during the winter months...just to keep all parts
> >> > working.
> >> >
> >>
> >> I've heard that too from an engineer that designed HVAC for one of the
> >> major manufacturers. The AC in your car get used when you turn on the
> >> defroster so that keeps things lubricated.
> >
> >The reason the AC gets turned on in the modern car defroster systems is to remove
> >the moisture from the air blowing on the cold glass surfaces. This greatly improves
> >performance. Mostly, that's how dehumidifiers work. Air is moved from a refrigeration
> >section and then through a heating section.
>
> Also helps to keep moving parts lubricated, and moving the coolant
> helps keep the rubber hoses lubed too.

It is recommended that the automobile AC system is turned on occasionally to lubricate the seals to keep them from drying out. You have to do this because the lubricating oil is mixed in with the refrigerant.

These systems work great in home installations but are fairly unreliable in automotive applications. With the advent of the electric car, an AC system that's lightweight, more efficient, and more reliable, is highly desirable.. My guess is that within 10 years, most of our refrigerators and home and automotive AC will be using solid state cooling.

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