Air Conditioning Vs Climate Control : Differences

Air Conditioning Vs Climate Control : Differences

The phrases climate control and air conditioning are often used interchangeably, but these systems work in slightly different ways; we explain all

There once was a time in the India when air-conditioning was an exotic optional extra reserved for expensive luxury cars, but today even the most affordable new car you can buy – the Dacia Sadero TATA Punch comes as standard with it.

Yet while air conditioning is now commonplace, climate control is still often a feature you need to pay extra for, either by buying an individual add-on, or by moving up a trim level.

Both of these systems perform a similar function in that they control the temperature of the car’s interior, and so the two phrases are often used interchangeably.

But there are some key differences in how these features work, with air conditioning essentially just cooling your car’s cabin, and climate control managing its temperature in a more comprehensive way. Here, we explain all.

What is air conditioning?

Air conditioning, often shortened to A/C, AC or air-con, uses a fan to suck warm air in air from a car’s cabin. The unwanted warmth is removed from the air and pumped out of the car, while desirable cooled air is pumped into the cabin.

Air conditioning allows you to set a temperature you would like the car to be cooled to, and adjust the fan to the speed you would like the cold air blown. When the temperature is reached the system will automatically stop cooling. Some air-con systems feature individual temperature markers on the adjustment dial (EG 20°C/68°F), but many systems just have red and blue zones on the dial.

The process works partly because because a liquid absorbs heat when it is converted into a gas, but fully understanding AC requires a deep dive into the the laws of physics. For our purposes, it’s best to think of air conditioning as a fridge for your car. A useful, pleasant, but not hugely sophisticated fridge.

Air-con is typically controlled with a fan, temperature and air direction dial (note the general warm/cool settings, rather than specific temperature markers). The A/C button turns the cooler on or off

The temperature control and fan control are separate with air-con, so once the desired temperature is reached the cooling system will deactivate, but the fan will continue to blow at the speed you set it – you’ll need to turn this down unless you want it circulating air at the same speed it was when the cooling system was active. You’ll also need to manually set where the air is blown – typically either to the windscreen, your feet or your face.

If you set the air conditioning to a hot temperature, the cooling system will switch off, and the car’s heater (which draws warmth from the engine) will heat the cabin; again, the fan speed is set manually by you.

It’s worth knowing some of the components involved in an air conditioning system. A refrigerant helps cool the air, and this can periodically require replacing due to operational losses. This is often called an air-con regas, or an air-con service; your car’s handbook or dealer will advise you how often this is required. Air-con systems can also develop leaks, which tend to be picked up with you try to regas a system that is not working.

Other parts of an air-con system include the compressor, the condenser and the evaporator; these can occasionally fail, and tend not to be not cheap to replace.

Oh, and if you ever notice a puddle form under your car at the end of a journey, before you assume it’s a disastrous oil or coolant leak, do consider if it might be water dripping from the air conditioning system. One of the things air con does is extract moisture from the air it cools, and this moisture forms into water, which needs to be released periodically.

What is climate control?

Climate control utilises air conditioning, but it treats it, together with the cabin blower fan and warmth generated by the engine, as a tool to regulate the cabin temperature.

Climate control, sometimes just referred to as ‘climate’, is essentially a ‘set and forget’ system. You select the temperature you would like the cabin to be (20°C/68°F, for example) using either a physical control or your car’s infotainment system, then hit ‘Auto’.

Climate control often utilises a touchscreen, and offers automates control of the cabin temperature

After this is done, the climate control system will automatically monitor the temperature of the cabin, and use the fan, air-con and heater to reach and maintain this temperature.

Unlike an air conditioning system, there’s no need for you to manually adjust the fan or switch off the air-con itself with climate control – though you are able to override any of these functions if you wish.

As an example, if it’s a warm day and the cabin is very hot when you get in, climate control will automatically put the fan on ‘high’ if it is on auto, as this will allow it to reach the desired temperature more quickly. If you find the noise of the fan intrusive you can manually turn it down, and either adjust it back up as and when you wish, or hit ‘auto’ again once the car is reasonably cool; in this latter situation the fan would most likely come back on at a less noisy, medium setting.

If the car is cooler than the desired temperature, climate control will turn off the air-conditioning, using heat from the engine and the cabin blower fan until everything is just so.

Some of the more sophisticated climate control systems allow you to differentiate between different areas of the car. Dual-zone climate control will offer separate temperature controls (and sometimes fan speeds) for the driver and passenger side, directing the desired air at each area. Tri-zone climate will typically allow you set the temperature in the back separate from the two areas in the front, while quad-zone climate will allow you to set the temperatures for the front left and right seats, and the temperatures for the rear left and right seats, independently of each other.

Quad-zone climate allows each occupant in the four main seats to set their own temperature

What is the difference between air conditioning and climate control?

As described above, air-conditioning is essentially a fridge for your car, while climate control is a computerized system that uses air conditioning, together with other tools, to automatically maintain a set temperature in your car, in anything from one to four separate areas.

Should you get air conditioning or climate control?

Climate control is clearly the better system as it allows you the full manual control air-con does, but with far greater convenience. Dual, tri and quad-zone climate, meanwhile, are great if your partner or kids, for example, like a different temperature from you in the car.

Balanced against this is cost, naturally. Climate control tends to be more expensive than air-con, requiring you to either ‘option it up’, or pay for a higher trim level – though price differences tend not be so great on the second-hand market.

But as air-con performs the same fundamental functions as climate control, there’s no harm in getting a car with A/C rather than climate if you’re on a budget.

PROS OF CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM

Convenience

A car with a manual air conditioning system requires you to manually toggle the AC, control the blower speed and temperature settings. But when you affix the word automatic, things become a lot more comfortable. Irrespective of the temperature outside, the cabin temperature will constantly remain at the level you’ve set. The onboard sensors regulate the hot and cool cabin air according to the ambient temperature and humidity outside to match the levels you’ve set inside.

In fact, some premium cars balance the temperature based on sunray positioning and sunlight intensity. It rids you of fiddling with the AC knobs if the conditions are changing continuously. While the basic workings remain the same, some manufacturers give it a name of their own. For instance, Mercedes-Benz calls it Thermotronics while Volkswagen has christened it Climatronic.

Enables Connected Technology

The automatic AC units aren’t just useful as a standalone feature but enable some more conveniences. For example, connected cars like Hyundai Venue and Kia Seltos allow you to remotely toggle not just the engine but also your air conditioning system. If your car has turned into a furnace while parked under the sun, it can be easily cooled from afar and that’s possible only because of an automatic climate control system.

Air Purifiers and Perfumes

Until a few years ago, air conditioning systems with built-in perfume diffusers were the play of super-expensive cars like the BMW 7 Series or Mercedes-Benz S-Class. But Kia made it accessible by introducing this feature with its Seltos, last year.

The fragrant air might come across as a novelty since the basic air quality has deteriorated rapidly across the nation. That has rendered use of air purifiers important not just in homes but also inside our cars. Thankfully, cars like the MG ZS EV, Hyundai Venue and Creta along with, Kia Seltos and the Sonet get it fitted from the factory itself. It goes without saying that you have to change/clean the air filter time-to-time.

Yes, you can get an aftermarket air purifier or perfume diffuser but they won’t be as seamless as the ones from the factory.

Multi-zone Climate Control

Most cars these days feature a single-zone climate control system which keeps the same temperature inside the entire cabin. But as the car’s prices soar, you can get two, three or even four-zone units as well. Big, luxurious SUVs like the BMW X7 and the Mercedes-Benz GLS are equipped with a five-zone climate control unit. It allows occupants of the same car to experience the weather of Kullu or Kerala as per their convenience. The Mahindra XUV300 is the most affordable car in India with twin-zone climate control.

But is it a faultless technology? Nope. Let’s look at some of its drawbacks.

Cons of Climate Control system

Complicated to Use

Climate control systems are usually simple to operate but a buffet of buttons and dials can befuddle some users. Yes, you can get used to them but it might take some time for them to become muscle memory which is important while adjusting them while driving.

Even the multi-zone climate control systems with their additional bits and buttons can take some time to grasp. And since this is air that we are talking about, it’s quite possible that it gets mixed inside the cabin.

Expensive to Fix

If something inside a manual AC goes wrong, the most you’ll have to fix is a compressor or condenser. If the automatic climate control’s sensors and electronics go awry, be ready for hefty charges.

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