Warning about the click can”

Warning about the click can”

According to the Association of German Engineers (VDI) and the Central Association of the German Motor Vehicle Trade (ZDK), the importance of air hygiene in vehicles is often underestimated, even though it is essential for the health and well-being of the occupants. In many workshops, the cleaning and maintenance of air conditioning systems is not carried out professionally. Ozone, click cans, foams or ultrasonic nebulizers are used to clean vehicle air conditioning systems, but cleaning them is not physically possible. VDI and ZDK subjected the most commonly used product group, the so-called click cans, to a test. The result: no cleaning performance on the vehicle air conditioning system. Instead, spray misting introduces more and more substances into the vehicle's air conditioning system - with incalculable effects. "Incorrect measures are hygienically ineffective, cost working time, customer budget and environmental resources. The current field test with click cans has shown that this method is not a sustainable solution for clean air in the vehicle," says ZDK Vice President Detlef Peter Grün.

Improper air conditioning cleaning can lead to the spread of bacteria and mold, which significantly affects the air quality in vehicles such as cars and trucks. This is particularly problematic in trucks, where drivers often spend the night and are therefore exposed to poor air quality for long periods of time. “Drivers, vehicle manufacturers and vehicle workshops only react when there is a smell and stink in the vehicle interior from the ventilation,” says Andreas Winkens, chairman of the VDI guideline committees on air hygiene in vehicles. VDI and ZDK therefore jointly created the new guideline VDI/ZDK 6032, which aims to provide a hygienically holistic view of the ventilation and air conditioning system. "This means that filter changes and system cleaning should be based on the shortest interval recommendation: an annual filter change should therefore also result in an annual cleaning of the corresponding components. Healthy air from the air conditioning system can only be ensured with appropriate cleaning of the evaporator and the pollen filter environment after a timely filter change," explains Andreas Winkens.

According to VDI and ZDK, the indoor air in every third car is borderline or heavily contaminated with pollutants. Training and qualification of the workshop staff in accordance with the current guidelines of the VDI and the Central Association of the German Motor Vehicle Trade would provide a solution. "This allows workshops to ensure that air conditioning systems are cleaned professionally and thoroughly. This closes the gap that has often led to poor results in practice," says Detlef Peter Grün. The VDI/ZDK 6032 provides hygiene requirements for vehicle air conditioning systems and thus fills a gap in the automotive industry. "We are committed to ensuring that these standards are established across the entire industry in order to permanently improve air hygiene in vehicles. Clean air in vehicles is not just a question of comfort, but an essential factor for health and safety," adds expert Winkens.