On cable news last night, one segment showed a reporter in Japan

[Duer 157099]

he was in a car, clearly within the "stay indoors" zone, because they had to close the vents of the car, and he had to keep wiping condensation from the inside of the windows.

But, can't you still use the fan/defroster but just with the vents from outside closed? In my car, I can either have outside air come in, or I can recirculate the inside air, using the fans.

I know this is a little thing, but it made me wonder if he was just being overly dramatic or whether he truly doesn't know that you can still use the fans without outside air coming in.

:shrug:

[Atman]

1. In short, no.

If you close the vents and recirculate the air inside the car, that's what causes the condensation. All the moisture in your exhaled breath has nowhere to go, so it stays inside the car and fogs up the windows. The fans just recirculate the air already in the car.

[Duer 157099]

2. But wouldn't the movement at least remove some of the moisture?

:shrug:

[Atman]

3. Remove it to where?

You're inside the car with the vents closed. It will move the moisture around inside the car. The air conditioner should remove moisture, but I don't think you can use AC with the recirculate on.

[Duer 157099]

4. Friction from fans = heat = evaporation?

Or rather, I suppose, condensation on the windshield. Doh.