When the summer heat hits hard, getting into a car that’s been sitting in the sun feels about as close as we’ll ever get to feeling hell (hopefully). Normally, we roll the windows down, blast the A/C, but still, nothing, doesn’t cool down fast.
Until now. Today we’re bringing you a trick very few people know to cool down your car quickly so you don’t feel like you’re melting into carbonite like Harrison Ford in “The Empire Strikes Back”.
A scientist has gone viral after sharing a tip that lets you cool down your car without needing air conditioning! And her explanation has everything to do with airflow physics, nothing more! It was none other than Hannah Fry, mathematician and science communicator, who blew up online with this simple method.
Do you need anything?
No! You just need to remember one simple rule of math. You don’t need to crank the A/C, spend money… Nothing! Just roll down your windows in a strategic way.
How to cool down the car in seconds
The technique is to open only the rear window on the opposite side of the driver. Then, open and close the driver’s door quickly several times. Even if it looks a bit silly to others, the result is instant. Then you can turn on the A/C to get some cool air flowing, but this way you first push out all the hot air trapped inside the car.
Why does it work?
There’s a scientific explanation. When the door is opened and closed, it pushes the hot air out and creates a low-pressure zone right behind it. This triggers a phenomenon called “mass flow,” which makes all the overheated air exit and lets fresh air in through the open window! This ventilates the car almost instantly, and even if the outside air is hot too, the difference with the air trapped inside is huge, because that air burns.
The greenhouse effect inside the car
Cars parked in the sun can easily go over 60°C in less than 30 minutes, even on mild 24°C days. This happens because sunlight passes through the glass, heats up the interior, and that heat gets trapped since the glass doesn’t let it escape. That’s why the air feels scalding when you get in.
Also, dark materials on the dashboard, seats, and seatbelts absorb more radiation, making the effect worse.
It can be dangerous
Of course… This temperature rise isn’t just uncomfortable. It can be deadly for children, the elderly, or pets if left inside the car, even for just a few minutes… That’s why every summer the warnings come back: never leave anyone inside a closed vehicle under the sun.
Isn’t turning on the A/C better?
Sure, you can do that. But according to Fry, waiting for the A/C to cool everything down can take several minutes, during which the system works at full power and uses more energy. But if you first get rid of the hot air with this method, the A/C works in a cooler space, and you reach a comfortable temperature much faster. And without spending a cent!!
Another tip we can give you is to always use a reflective windshield screen, so less heat gets in. But we’re pretty sure you loved this trick and you’re going to try it next time you feel like you’re going down to say hi to Satan just for getting in your car after a quick grocery run.
In a summer that keeps getting hotter, any method that helps us beat the heat is welcome. And if it also saves time and energy, even better, right?
@fryrsquaredThat age-old dilemma of choosing between having a non-sweltering car or baffling a passerby because you look like a fool who doesn’t know how to use a door♬ Feels Like Summer – Samuel Jack