Do I have to use my aircon all year round to keep it working properly?

You recently said: "All modern car ventilation systems are designed to be used with the air condition system switched on permanently. Switching it off for long periods will cause the seals and joints to dry out. It will also increase the risk of the compressor seizure. Both will be costly to fix." That's certainly news to me as I've only ever used my AC system in hot weather or if the air needs refreshing. I've had many cars over the years and never had a faulty AC system. Another important reason for not using AC except when necessary is the effect its use has on fuel consumption.

Asked on 8 June 2020 by Richard Hannam

Answered by Andrew Brady
We stand by that. Cars can have a wide range of issues if the air conditioning isn't used for prolonged periods. It's the reason we get lots of questions from readers with troublesome A/C systems during the first hot spell of the year.
Tags: air con
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I had followed your advice to always keep the air con switched on, and to good effect in that with my vehicle owned from new for 20 years it has always worked fine without ever even needing re-gassing....
 

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