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Tuesday, April 08, 2014

Thermostat Wars

I usually don't drive to work. I'm in a van pool and usually leave the driving to someone else, but recently I needed to drive to work. It was 55 degrees and the sun wasn't up yet. My car--which is almost too automated--puts on the air conditioner. I turn it off.

My window starts to fog, so I turn on the defroster. It's blowing really cold. So cold that the window begins to ice where the vents are. I turn it off. The car immediately puts the AC back on.

No. I turn it off.

My window fogs up again. Repeat the scenario in paragraphs 2 and 3. Not just once. Repeat it about half a dozen times.

I have my car's thermostat set at 72 degrees, so I can't understand why it's blowing so cold. I go to adjust the climate control and see that it's set at 60. What??? I know I didn't do that. It's been a cold winter in Atlanta. I bump up the temperature to 80. Within a minute, it's too hot. I take it down a few degrees. Still too hot.

I dropped it to 72 degrees. Where I had it set to begin with. The defroster now runs at the right temperature to keep the window from fogging and without causing ice. The car is also a comfortable temperature for me.

Automation is awesome, but my car was winning the battle of the thermostat. I know I didn't like that.