> If the car's climate control is controlled entirely by a thermostat, then setting the temperature up to 90 will warm it faster when it's cold, but once it's warmed up the cabin, you set the temperature to something comfortable(say, 70). You don't turn it off, because the climate control system is supposed to be doing that automatically.
Hi, I live in Michigan. You do turn it off. Your theory sounds like it could be good on paper, but in reality, humans behave a little differently. Our winters are brutal. At some points in the winter time, it's a horrifying proposition climbing into the icebox that is a car's cabin. Reflexively, many people just crank the heat up as high as it will go and blast the cabin with warm air as soon as it's available. As much as you can, as quickly as possible.
What tends to happen then is that at some point, you realize that you're hot. You've been blasting the heat, you weren't paying attention (listening to news/music, concentrating on the road, on your phone, etc)and when it suddenly occurs you you that you don't need the heat to be blasting anymore, it's because you are uncomfortable. You're still in full winter gear in your car, you jacket is smothering you, and the cabin is now hot with you in your coat. People aren't always thinking "Ah, let me just lower the heat to a more comfortable level," they're thinking "OMG turn this thing OFF.
Could the climate control handle this in theory? Sure. If human psychology and behavior weren't continually getting in the way.
No telling what any given person would do when you don't have the data, but I can tell you what people do do in reality. They crank it then turn it off.
Also, I'll never purchase another car without heated seats in Michigan again as long as I live here. What was I (not) thinking?
Being a controls engineer, this behavior always drives me crazy. I love to observe the temperature controller do its job. But it does depend on the car.
A good controller will blast the heat at max until the temperature gets close to the setpoint, then back it down. Turning it up to 90 does exactly nothing extra for you, but does end up overheating you.
However, not all cars have good temperature controllers. My wife owned a Honda Accord a while back, that was simply awesome at this job. We never, ever changed the setpoint in that car because it just worked great.
The Subaru Forester we have now is much, much worse, and we do end up fiddling with the setpoint because the controller's not doing its job well.
Being a controls engineer, these assumptions of thermostatic perfection drive me crazy. The things only measure air temperature, not that of the seats, dashboard, wheel, etc. When these objects are cold a person will feel colder than if they were the same as the air temperature. See also thermal conduction and thermal radiation. Also, that thermostat is located where? At the driver's fingertips? Their rear end? Not likely.
So cranking the air temperature setting beyond the desired air temperature for a while will indeed get the cabin more comfortable quicker.
Hi, I live in Michigan. You do turn it off. Your theory sounds like it could be good on paper, but in reality, humans behave a little differently. Our winters are brutal. At some points in the winter time, it's a horrifying proposition climbing into the icebox that is a car's cabin. Reflexively, many people just crank the heat up as high as it will go and blast the cabin with warm air as soon as it's available. As much as you can, as quickly as possible. What tends to happen then is that at some point, you realize that you're hot. You've been blasting the heat, you weren't paying attention (listening to news/music, concentrating on the road, on your phone, etc)and when it suddenly occurs you you that you don't need the heat to be blasting anymore, it's because you are uncomfortable. You're still in full winter gear in your car, you jacket is smothering you, and the cabin is now hot with you in your coat. People aren't always thinking "Ah, let me just lower the heat to a more comfortable level," they're thinking "OMG turn this thing OFF. Could the climate control handle this in theory? Sure. If human psychology and behavior weren't continually getting in the way.
No telling what any given person would do when you don't have the data, but I can tell you what people do do in reality. They crank it then turn it off.
Also, I'll never purchase another car without heated seats in Michigan again as long as I live here. What was I (not) thinking?