VICTORY BASE COMPLEX, Iraq - Leaving the outside air vents open of a humvee can cause a lot of problems for a vehicle's air conditioner. The inside of the air conditioning unit gets clogged up and no air flow is generated.
"Have you ever turned your humvee on' You turn the AC on high and nothing is coming out, that's why," said Sgt. Michael Clark, the quality control and assurance shop foreman, from Arlington, Texas, assigned to Division Special Troops Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division.
For the M1114 Humvee, closing the outside air vents is an easy situation to manage. The humvee has a knob to the right of the steering wheel labeled, 'Air' and the words, 'Pull To Shut Off Outside Air.' The knob must be pulled out from the panel to activate the damper that closes the vents.
If you leave the air vent open to allow outside air in, condensation from the radiator unit inside of the air conditioner mixes with dust and dirty air, said Clark. The mixture becomes a harder substance and sticks to the fins of the radiator, blocking air from coming through, he said.
Mechanics of the DSTB encourage all humvee and Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicle users to consult maintenance on how to keep the outside vents closed and to make sure the vents are functioning properly. The cable that runs from the knob to the flap that closes the vent must be attached correctly, said Sgt. 1st Class Alonzo Taylor, battalion motor sergeant, from San Antonio, Texas, DSTB, 1st Cav. Div.
ixing the problem is not an easy chore.
"It's really hard to do maintenance, you have to take the unit [radiator] apart and take a pressure washer to it," said Clark. Additional problems may include work with the motor of the air conditioner, which requires tearing armor off to get the part out, he added.
Closing the vents eliminates a lot of work, making more time available for the mechanics to take care of other issues.
"A vehicle without air conditioning is an automatic deadline, meaning it's inoperable," said Sgt. Joseph Martin, division main shop foreman from Watervliet, Mich., assigned to DSTB, 1st Cav. Div. "Closing the outside vents would save a lot of time and money and make things more efficient."
Recycling the air by using the air from inside the vehicle keeps things cooler.
"You're not taking hot air from outside trying to make it colder. You're taking room temperature air and making it colder," said Clark.
Keeping the outside vents closed also effects temperature inside the vehicle. With the vents shut, the temperature can drop down to 60 degrees, said Martin. It gets more comfortable inside more quickly, he added.
Though the nights are getting cooler in Iraq, the days remain warm. "At noon time, you're going to get hot, AC is still a big deal," said Clark.
Soldiers can avoid doing damage to the air conditioning unit of their humvee or MRAP by closing the outside vents and keeping them closed. It's as easy as pulling a knob.
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