3 ms·

I find having a vent on my hands or face MUCH more comfortable. I’ve lived in some of the hottest places on earth and indeed on the worst days there would never

I find having a vent on my hands or face MUCH more comfortable. I’ve lived in some of the hottest places on earth and indeed on the worst days there would never be a point where you’d feel cool enough without blowing the vents directly at you. Even in more temperate climates the airflow over my face is just refreshing, and helps keep my hands completely dry for a better grip.

comex 5y ago
> I’ve lived in some of the hottest places on earth and indeed on the worst days there would never be a point where you’d feel cool enough without blowing the vents directly at you. Surely if an air conditioner brings an indoor area to a given temperature (and humidity), it doesn't matter what the temperature is outside. So what gives? Is the air conditioner not powerful enough? Do people not want the inside to be as cold as in other locales, since they're used to the heat? The latter would make sense, but then I don't understand why you'd need to be blowing the vents directly at you.
- galangalalgol 5y ago
  It happens in houses too. People will run their heater warmer than they cool their house to in summer. My theory is that the wall temperature is causing more or less radiant heating and the thermostat gets adjusted to compensate. So if the car body is much hotter it will feel hotter even with the same air temp.
- easygenes 5y ago
  Well the topic is car A/C and indeed if the outside temperature is 45C (113F), and the air conditioner only produces a difference of 20C, and your target is 22C then you’ll fall short of that by a few degrees. Also with car A/C (or indoor spaces which take in a lot of direct sunlight), hotter days tend to be the result of greater insolation. If direct sunlight is hitting your skin on a clear summer day it has a significant warming effect which you would want to offset with more ambient or active cooling.
IgorPartola 5y ago
That’s because you have good blood circulation. Blood acts as your body’s coolant and transfers heat to your hands. Lots of people don’t have this so what they would get is the sensation of being very hot except their hands which will get very cold. Not a pleasant combo.
- jlokier 5y ago
  Ironically, given the context of this discussion, those people whose bodies maintain a higher differential (what you called poor circulation) are more efficient at maintaining their core temperature in other circumstances. For example, you are out walking on cold ground. Your feet get cold while your core stays warm. This is ideal for keeping heat in your core. You may survive where those with "good" circulation would lose heat too fast. Although this may be due to lower rate of blood circulation, there is another effect independent of circulation rate. Heat-exchanger effects along limbs depending on the layout of your veins and arteries, which varies among people. The extreme example is penguins, whose feet are on ice yet their bodies retain heat because of heat exchange as blood circulates in their legs. It maintains a temperature differential along the legs. I'm not suggesting people have specific anatomical structure like penguins, rather I'm saying the natural variation in the placement of veins and arteries in human limbs will result in a range of heat-exchange factors among different people, which is a separate factor from circulation rate, and may indicates a thermally efficient body for some situations.

comex 5y ago

> I’ve lived in some of the hottest places on earth and indeed on the worst days there would never be a point where you’d feel cool enough without blowing the vents directly at you. Surely if an air conditioner brings an indoor area to a given temperature (and humidity), it doesn't matter what the temperature is outside. So what gives? Is the air conditioner not powerful enough? Do people not want the inside to be as cold as in other locales, since they're used to the heat? The latter would make sense, but then I don't understand why you'd need to be blowing the vents directly at you.

galangalalgol 5y ago
It happens in houses too. People will run their heater warmer than they cool their house to in summer. My theory is that the wall temperature is causing more or less radiant heating and the thermostat gets adjusted to compensate. So if the car body is much hotter it will feel hotter even with the same air temp.
easygenes 5y ago
Well the topic is car A/C and indeed if the outside temperature is 45C (113F), and the air conditioner only produces a difference of 20C, and your target is 22C then you’ll fall short of that by a few degrees. Also with car A/C (or indoor spaces which take in a lot of direct sunlight), hotter days tend to be the result of greater insolation. If direct sunlight is hitting your skin on a clear summer day it has a significant warming effect which you would want to offset with more ambient or active cooling.

IgorPartola 5y ago

That’s because you have good blood circulation. Blood acts as your body’s coolant and transfers heat to your hands. Lots of people don’t have this so what they would get is the sensation of being very hot except their hands which will get very cold. Not a pleasant combo.

jlokier 5y ago
Ironically, given the context of this discussion, those people whose bodies maintain a higher differential (what you called poor circulation) are more efficient at maintaining their core temperature in other circumstances. For example, you are out walking on cold ground. Your feet get cold while your core stays warm. This is ideal for keeping heat in your core. You may survive where those with "good" circulation would lose heat too fast. Although this may be due to lower rate of blood circulation, there is another effect independent of circulation rate. Heat-exchanger effects along limbs depending on the layout of your veins and arteries, which varies among people. The extreme example is penguins, whose feet are on ice yet their bodies retain heat because of heat exchange as blood circulates in their legs. It maintains a temperature differential along the legs. I'm not suggesting people have specific anatomical structure like penguins, rather I'm saying the natural variation in the placement of veins and arteries in human limbs will result in a range of heat-exchange factors among different people, which is a separate factor from circulation rate, and may indicates a thermally efficient body for some situations.