The circulating belief in online car communities is that wrapping the copper pipes from the compressor and condenser to the evaporator with thermal insulation will noticeably improve cooling. Proponents claim an additional drop of 3–4 degrees Celsius in the cabin, which sounds substantial in the heat of summer.
Some readers assume the air conditioner simply becomes more effective after such insulation, while others wonder why car manufacturers would overlook this simple upgrade.
Expert opinion
Alexey Revin, expert “Behind the Wheel”:
Anyone who has watched the installation of a home split-system air conditioner will notice how installers carefully insulate the pipes linking the outdoor and indoor units. Why do they take that step? When the distance between units can reach fifteen meters, cold pipes inside a room-friendly environment will develop condensation droplets on contact with the warm air. Moisture can accumulate and flow, which is why insulating copper pipes in home systems is considered essential.
The situation inside a car is different. The length of the pipes from the compressor and condenser to the evaporator is typically under 1.5 meters. These pipes are aluminum, chosen in part to protect the steel body from electrochemical corrosion in humid environments. The pipes are mounted in plastic brackets away from body parts, and good ventilation keeps them dry. Wrapping them with thermal insulation does not reliably boost cabin cooling and can even cause issues.
There are several reasons. First, aluminum pipes can begin to corrode within an insulation layer, potentially creating through-holes. Second, insulating these tubes is quite difficult and inconvenient because access is limited. Third, given the short length of the tubes, any cooling gain is minimal.
Condensation may accumulate under the insulation, remaining damp and accelerating oxidation of the aluminum. In some high-end vehicles, insulation is visible on air conditioning pipes, but those systems use a different production method that prevents condensate formation on aluminum.
Our conclusion: insulating car A/C pipes yields little practical benefit and can invite corrosion. A more effective approach to improving system efficiency is periodic cleaning of the condenser. When the condenser operates cooler, the compressed refrigerant performs more efficiently, which enhances overall system performance.