When activated, the car's air conditioning system recirculates the air inside the car for cooling, instead of using air intake from the outside. ... Recirculating air, especially on a hot day, will cool down the inside of the car quicker and put less stress on the car's blower motor and air compressor.

Is recirculating air conditioning better?

When to use inside air

Once your car is cool enough, however, turning on air recirculation can actually improve your fuel economy. It eases the strain on your air conditioner by simply cycling the already-cooled air, rather than pulling the hot air from outside and cooling it down.

What is the purpose of recirculating air?

When you need fresh air inside: The recirculation button helps keep pollutants from entering your car, but it can also keep oxygen from getting inside. If you turn off the recirculate function every hour for 15-30 minutes, your car will replenish the oxygen inside the car.