to improve a/c performance=??

[jamesmetairie]

i noticed something in a engine photo of a "vibe of the month" car belonging to = "damronjr". question = is that some piping insulation around one of the a/c pipes ?i,m hoping to get lower temps outta the vents.it,s hot down here in new orleans and sometimes for hurricane evacuations it takes 10 hours to go 90 miles.

[WaveAction]

easy stuff..just go to a hardware store and get the insulated piping stuff..it's almost like a dense foam for house hold pipes..which does the same thing..probably cost ya $10-15 for 1 piece..if that

[kevera]

Just get the high temp stuff from home depot.

[northvibe]

yeah just make sure it handles hot temp, mine was fire retardant as well. Then get some zip ties and zip it on. I think its 1/2inch for the big pipe and 3/4inch for the smaller part...

[MarkM04]

Did it actually make a difference?

[djb383]

It did absolutely nothing for me. Make sure the condenser is NOT full of bugs and have the refrigerant checked for proper pressure. A/C line insulation« » 5:04 PM 7/8/2007 Reply EditSupposedly, insulating the low pressure A/C line will give better cooling. Here is my observation and how I did my test. First thing I did was to cut the correct lengths of insulation so I could could install them as quickly as possible after making my baseline test in order to complete the "insulation installed" test under the same driving conditions (ambient temp and humidity). Each test run covered a 11.1 mile loop, mostly at 70 mph, thermometer in dash vent just to the right of steering wheel. I tested my thermometer in a glass of ice water - it indicated 32F.First, or baseline, test: Completely stock, no insulation, Weather Channel showed 25% humidity, left house at 3:20 pm, A/C on max, dash temp showed 97F, returned to house at 3:32 pm.Lowest observed temp was 38F - No InsulationSecond test: Insulation installed, Weather Channel showed 24% humidity, left house at 3:41 pm, A/C again on max, dash temp still showed 97F, returned to house at 3:53 pm.Lowest observed temp was 38F - Insulation InstalledMYTH BUSTED! Let the flaming begin. LOL

[Sublimewind]

Quote, originally posted by djb383 »Lowest observed temp was 38F - Insulation InstalledMYTH BUSTED! Let the flaming begin. LOLYou are quite the Mythbuster there djb383 and for that i give you this.....

[djb383]

Wow, the flaming did begin 'cause she's really hot. Where did that 3rd thumb come from?

[Sublimewind]

Quote, originally posted by djb383 »Wow, the flaming did begin 'cause she's really hot. Where did that 3rd thumb come from? Who knows and who cares, i don't see no thumbs...

[northvibe]

some members had it help...i guess some didnt...we like to ignore those ones though hahah. It helped for me! thats all that matters.

[Fingers]

The mind is a powerful source of psychological trickery. If you want to improve your AC performance, purge your R134a, and fill it with a propane-based refrigerant such as R12A (not to be confused with R12 - freeon). Duracool or Redtek offer this product. A third of the same volume of refrigerant will amount to the same head pressures. And the cooling performance is phenominal.

[djb383]

Is that stuff available to the general public or do have to have a permit/license to buy it?

[northvibe]

um +1 to that, cuz I need it colder...i want icicles on my face when i drive with the AC on.... im assuming the liquid recycling center does AC freon/liquid crap too? :s and by a third..do you not fill it up totally? you only need a third of what use to be used..or you mean a 1/3 of the new stuff is as good as what the old stuff was full so if you do a full of the new its amazingly colder?