We all have one of these buttons in our car…

You know, the button with a picture of a tiny car with a u-turning arrow inside it? But if you’re diving with A/C blasting on a hot day, this is one feature you shouldn’t ignore! It’s gonna save you money and protect you 20% other toxic vapors.

What Does the Air Recirculation Button Do?
The air recirculation button recirculates the air already inside the cabin of your car rather than pulling in the outside air. This is particularly useful when your air conditioning is on, because it’s way easier for the system to recirculate already cooled air.  If your car has to continually cool down new batches of hot air, this will put more wear and tear on your AC.  The recirculation button helps your vehicle “get as cold as possible as quickly as possible.  It will also allow the A/C to do its job using less energy and that means you’ll burn through gas at a slower rate.

Your recirculation button in your car…win/win in the summer.

***Side note*** If your car has been baking in the hot sun, it’s best to roll down windows and run without recirculation on for a minute or so to get that scorching hot air out.

When Not to Use the Air Recirculation Button
If you’re cranking the heat during cold weather, on the other hand, you should usually skip the air recirculation button, as running the same moist air repeatedly through your vehicle is a recipe for foggy windows. Plus, the heating system warms up the air mostly using heat already generated by the engine, so it’s not guzzling gas in the same way the A/C does.

And it’s best not to use the recirculation button for a considerable length of time.

So, the short answer is…Yes in summer and no in winter.  Got it!

(video courtesy of KHOU 11)