Idle Thought

I live in a cold climate, at least in late fall, winter and early spring.  

When I have to go to work, for shopping, entertainment, visiting friends, I like to be sure my car will start, first of all.  Then I like to be sure the engine is warm enough so it does not stall when I put it into gear and begin moving.  Of course, I like the cabin to be warm enough to not be too uncomfortable and the windshield defroster system to be effective at keeping the glass free of frost.  

That means I keep the car inside, out of the weather. That resolves most of the issues.  Nonetheless, having the engine warm enough still requires a bit of idling to warm it enough to deal with the issue of clear glass.

I had noticed that the air in the house gets a little “off” when the engine is idling in the attached garage.  I guessed the cause of this is engine exhaust.  The car is equipped with a catalytic convertor so the amount of carbon monoxide is minimized to the point of being negligible.

I had found a solution that turned out to not be as long-lasting as I was hoping for. But I treated my experience as a science experiment.  Sure enough, I finally did find a house with a large enough volume of air that the “offness” brought on by engine exhaust is barely noticeable, not exactly pleasant, but certainly tolerable.

Critical thinking and science is a wonderful combination!

M G Klein April 16, 2024