ACtion Magazine - September/October 2011 - (Page 18)

E-mail making the rounds: “Car A/C (Air Conditioning) MUST READ!!!” This one came in from the automotive editor at a community newspaper in Miami. Several readers had sent it to him asking if it was valid. The e-mail had all the hallmarks of the usual breathless Internet warnings: oversized colored type, too many exclamation points, revelation of a hazard you never knew about, an instant solution based on poor or insufficient science, and of course the mandatory demand to “pass this on to all your friends.” AC after a couple of minutes Here’s why: According to research, the car dashboard, seats, air freshener emit Benzene, a Cancer causing toxin (carcinogen - take time to observe the smell of heated plastic in your car). In addition to causing cancer, benzene poisons your bones, causes anemia and reduces white blood cells. Prolonged exposure will cause leukemia, increasing the risk of cancer. Can also cause miscarriage. Acceptable benzene level indoors is 50 mg per sq. ft. A car parked indoors with windows closed will contain 400-800 mg of benzene. If parked outdoors under the sun at a temperature above 60 degrees F, the Benzene level goes up to 2000-4000 mg, 40 times the acceptable level. People who get into the car, keeping windows closed will inevitably inhale, in quick succession, excessive amounts of the toxin. Benzene is a toxin that affects your kidney and liver. What’s worse, it is extremely difficult for your body to expel this toxic stuff. So friends, please open the windows and door of your car - give time for interior to air out -dispel the deadly stuff - before you enter. After a little research on this end, we sent information back to the reporter: the first key is that the letter pops up repeatedly all over the Internet, promoted by people who don’t understand something but feel compelled to explain it anyway. The few grains of truth here are misinterpreted and overstated: e.g. most people aren’t in their cars seven days a week, and concentration per volume is measured in cubic units, not square units. Might there be any other reasons for opening the windows? Primarily, you want to open windows or sunroof to let the hot air out of a car so the air conditioning doesn’t have to work as hard. All manufacturers recommend this and it’s just common sense. The interior components – seats, dash, console, etc – are already heat-soaked and will continue to give off heat for a while so why not make the A/C’s job easier? On a 90 deg. day, air in a closed interior can easily approach 140 deg or more. Exchanging that air for cooler outside air makes a lot of sense. Benzene is present in a new car interior along with a long list of other unpronounceable chemicals, but most of the volatile hydrocarbons will have evaporated by about six months. In hot areas like yours, many people leave the windows cracked at the top anyway. Natural outflow occurs during the day, thus reducing interior build-up of all the VOCs. Additionally, benzene is also found in high concentrations in petroleum products, and you’ll probably get as much exposure while filling your gas tank or your lawn mower as you would in a car interior. This whole deal is much ado about not much. Does your car’s interior contain some nasty stuff?—yes, initially. Is your car interior likely to kill you or make you sick? Unlikely; think about how many people have bought new cars over the years and still aren’t sick. [We also sent a link to an article in a chemical engineering publication that measured VOCs in a car interior over time. The results instantly disproved the numbers cited in the e-mail warning.] ❆ CAR AIR-CONDITIONING - VERY IMPORTANT! My car book says to roll down the windows to let out all the hot air before turning on A/C. WHY ?. Car Air-conditioning - No wonder more folks are dying from cancer than ever before. We wonder where this stuff comes from but here is an example that explains a lot of the cancer causing incidents. Many people are in their cars first thing in the morning and the last thing at night, 7 days a week. As I read this, it makes me feel guilty and ill. Please pass this on to as many people as possible. Guess it’s not too late to make some changes. Please do NOT turn on A/C as soon as you enter the car. Open the windows after you enter your car and then turn ON the -Quality, late model products -Knowledgeable, helpful staff -Easy to use online catalog -Extended customer service hours -7 am to 8 pm est. - Same day shipping your simple AC solution 1-800-722-5089 7 Locations to serve you Macon, GA Fresno, CA Philadelphia, PA Louisville, Ky Orlando, FL Atlanta, GA Oklahoma City, OK 18 Reader Reply No. 48 ACTION • September/October 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ACtion Magazine - September/October 2011

ACtion Magazine - September/October 2011
Table of Contents
Outlook
Expansion Valve
Techncally RELAY-ted
Under The Southern Cross
Leonard’s Law
News & Updates
Virtual View
Cooling Corner
Performance Always Needs More Cooling
ACDelco’s Guidelines for Replacing Engine Coolant
Worldwide Training
New Member Profile: Alex Original, Ltd
Association News
Obituary
Quick Check
New Products & Services
Last Watch

ACtion Magazine - September/October 2011