DIY - Cooler AirCon for FREE

[johnsonlam]

Hello Taikos and Bros...
(Been a while since my last DIY posting here. Was doing Car specific DIY articles for the last few years)...

These days, Haze la, Weird Weather la, Malaysia very hot... So, why not have a FREE (or almost free if you have to buy materials) air con modification to cool your car down faster and more efficiently?

Do you sometimes feel that your car aircon gets very hot in traffic jams? But it's ok when it's moving?

This is what you need... Insulflex (or any brand) foam tube. This is usually used in Home/Office aircon units to protect the piping from heat and to keep the chilled gasses from the compressor to the aircon blower.

I found this in a construction yard during lunch so it's FREE

Next, locate where your car's AirCon piping is. It is easy to spot, usually with a refill cap on it and it will be filled with water and cold after you stop your engine from a hot drive.

Carefully slice the Insulflex tubing open. Use scissors for cleaner cut... I used knife, so it's rough...

Wrap it around the tube, anywhere that is exposed.

Just follow the pipe and go all the way to the compressor. Careful not to let the hose touch any belting or pulley.

Cable tie it... Make sure you have the whole pipe covered, and you are DONE!

---------

After effects... Air Con noticeably cools down faster in hot weather, in heavy traffic jam and air con compressor does not need to work so hard (tik tak tik tak in slow traffic)...

Since it's next to no cost at all... Why not give it a try?
It works for me and am lovin it!

 

[cvkit17]

Nice! I did the same for my car too. There are two tube lines in the system. Cold (condenser side) and Hot (evaporator side). Insulating the condensing side is good but the evaporator side should be insulated too. This is to prevent more heat going into the pipe line and your compressor is gonna work harder.

 

[john_unai]

d foam tube can buy at aircon shop ar? or accessories shop? wanna wrap mine too.

 

[Zeroshift]

Insulate the hot side also huh? Never tot of that, I also insulate the colder side only. Will try it to see if there is any benefit...

 

[johnsonlam]

Nice! I did the same for my car too. There are two tube lines in the system. Cold (condenser side) and Hot (evaporator side). Insulating the condensing side is good but the evaporator side should be insulated too. This is to prevent more heat going into the pipe line and your compressor is gonna work harder.

Cool!!

The hot side for my car is underneath deep under the pulley... Can't reach it..

---------- Post added at 05:24 PM ---------- 6 hour anti-bump limit - Previous post was at 05:22 PM ----------

d foam tube can buy at aircon shop ar? or accessories shop? wanna wrap mine too.

Air Con shops should have.. never bought before.. last time for my other cars, I also pick up new unused ones from construction site..

 

[cvkit17]

d foam tube can buy at aircon shop ar? or accessories shop? wanna wrap mine too.

you can find it at air cond / refrigerator repair shop. Or get from contractors haha like johnson.

Insulate the hot side also huh? Never tot of that, I also insulate the colder side only. Will try it to see if there is any benefit...

You wont know if there's benefit. Your AC might even become not that cold. The heat transferred into the hot side is from the cabin. So when more heat from the engine goes into the pipe line, the compressor will work more before the refrigerant is cooled when passing through the condenser. So if you do not insulate that, the "coldness" (cold literally doesnt exist) will be more when going back into your car cabin. Thus you'll get vry cold AC, more than you actually need haha. Pros and cons...i wouldnt say its a must to insulate the hot side, but cold side, very recommended haha

this is what i did:

I use trocellen.

 

[Zeroshift]

Ok. will try to insulate the hot side and see.

I don't use cable tie though, look messy. I cut open my insuflex n just gum it. looks ori..haha...

*Just don't over apply the gum as it might be messy!

 

[PocketRocket]

I've seen some who wrapped it with aluminum foil...How well will it work against insulation foam wrap?

 

[stupidcar]

Ok. will try to insulate the hot side and see.

I don't use cable tie though, look messy. I cut open my insuflex n just gum it. looks ori..haha...

*Just don't over apply the gum as it might be messy!

what if the gum deteriorate? and it sticks to the metal hoses?

 

[cvkit17]

I've seen some who wrapped it with aluminum foil...How well will it work against insulation foam wrap?

Pe foam and aluminum foil work differently. It is best to have both. Aluminum is to deflect radiation heat while foam insulation is to slow down the heat conduction.

 

[YYC]

So if decided to wrap with both insuflex and aluminium foil, which one sit on top and which one beneath?

 

[vr2turbo]

Pe foam and aluminum foil work differently. It is best to have both. Aluminum is to deflect radiation heat while foam insulation is to slow down the heat conduction.

The hot pipe usually is aluminum and not the rubber tube. Isn't it better not to insulate and let it cool down. I have touch this pipe before and it is really hot.

 

[cvkit17]

So if decided to wrap with both insuflex and aluminium foil, which one sit on top and which one beneath?

Wrap the insulflex with aluminum foil. If you notice the air cond ducting in shopping malls, it's like that.

---------- Post added at 07:51 PM ---------- 6 hour anti-bump limit - Previous post was at 07:45 PM ----------

The hot pipe usually is aluminum and not the rubber tube. Isn't it better not to insulate and let it cool down. I have touch this pipe before and it is really hot.

The heat from the engine will also go into the refrigerant. That's why I mentioned got good and bad. Good side is the system itself isn't affected by outer environment. Bad side is that the AC might not be as cool as it used to be. By it has its benefits which is less work done. That's why if you see our hse AC refrigerant pipe, it is both insulated (contractor / installer will wrap both pipes together, which is cost efficient but stupid. The heat from hot side will go to cold side). There is this pre-insulated pipe which separates them but expensive.

 

[PocketRocket]

So the cooling coil as pictured by Johnson Lam, can i wrap it with aluminum foil first THEN the foam wrap?

Then on the hot side, same application as the cooling coil.

Will there be any negative effects? like overheating or overworked compressor?

 

[cvkit17]

So the cooling coil as pictured by Johnson Lam, can i wrap it with aluminum foil first THEN the foam wrap?

Then on the hot side, same application as the cooling coil.

Will there be any negative effects? like overheating or overworked compressor?

Wrap it with foam first then only wrap with aluminum foil. The foil acts like a reflective surface to radiation heat. Its like wearing white clothes and black clothes in a sunny day. Then the foam will slow down the heat rate going into the pipeline.

Dont worry bro...no negative effect at all. The idea is to improve the efficiency of the whole system including the compressors. Make the compressor work less to achieve the temperature we want. So no worries.