Photo: How to choose an additional heater in a car (Getty Images) Author: Konstantin Shirokun
There are enough reasons why the standard heater in the car does not heat up, for any model. On the other hand, at first glance, there are also many options for replacing it. But not every heater can actually warm up people who are driving in the car.
Read about several real ways to heat the interior of a car in the RBC-Ukraine article.
Since this topic has remained relevant for thousands and thousands of motorists for decades, many original ideas have been born from the inquisitive minds of drivers. Therefore, first we will tell you what kind of heater you definitely do not need.
Wrong heaters
You should not connect your car to such heaters:
- Blowtorch. This old-fashioned and simple device is designed for other tasks, but it also heats the air effectively. The problem is that it also produces a whole torch of flame with a temperature of 500 – 1000 degrees C, which can instantly burn half a car.
- Electric blower. The most modern device, which a few years ago someone started to aggressively sell on the Internet. It cannot noticeably heat the interior, because it works from the cigarette lighter socket, which is not able to withstand more than 120 – 150 watts of power (for example, a really effective household electric heater consumes 1000 – 2000 watts.)
- Oil radiator (oil cooler). An option available only to the most skilled DIYers, and if you don't know what we're talking about, there's no point in trying to figure it out. Let's just say that attempts to heat the interior with the heat of the oil circulating in the engine's lubrication system are useless for the engine and pointless for people: the car won't get warm.
The right heaters
We can't say that the following are the best supplemental heaters or that this list is exhaustive, but these are tried and tested options and are generally safe.
Autonomous heater (so-called autonomous heater). The only thing that prevents this option from being called ideal is its price. And the fact that in the end it uses part of the standard “climate” – which, as we understand, can be problematic on a particular car. However, this is also the safest way to heat the car's interior, and at the same time its engine warms up. The autonomous heater uses fuel from the car's tank, and it is very important that it allows you to program the microclimate in the car and control it remotely. Since the installation is associated with intervention in the engine cooling system and in the electrical equipment of the car, such a system costs the owner 400 – 1000 dollars.
Gas heater. The complete opposite of the first case, a kind of impromptu: the device is actually a tourist one, but under certain conditions it is convenient and effective. Not everything is in order with safety, because when using a gas heater, you must follow special safety rules: provide ventilation and keep the device at a distance from the upholstery and plastic of the interior. The infrared burner that produces heat is combined into one body with a regulator and a compartment for a 220-gram cylinder with propane-butane. Therefore, the flame here is closed on almost all sides. The price of such a mini-stove is from $ 30, a full cylinder of gas costs another 1-2 dollars. If you use a gas heater on the go, you need to somehow fix it.
Portable diesel heater. A very interesting device, designed for high performance, in fact, it is a portable stove in the form factor of a compact suitcase. It consumes diesel fuel poured directly into it, is controlled by a remote control, has an automatic start, and can also often be programmed by a timer and by the room temperature. The fundamental disadvantage is that you need to have two openings from the car to the outside – to release exhaust gases to the street and to take fresh air inside. And not every car has a place for such a stove: the average model has dimensions of 320x260x420 mm. It also requires electrical power, which can be taken from the car's on-board network. The price of a diesel heater is around $ 300, it needs about 200 grams of diesel fuel per hour.
In brief
What is, is – sometimes it is easier and cheaper to install some non-standard heater in the cabin than to fix the standard car heater. And still, we would advise paying attention first of all to the native climate control system of the car. And when installing some additional heater in the car, if it comes to that, remember the safety rules: fire, electrical and so-called passive – in case of a possible accident.
Materials from Autocentre and Motor were used in preparing this article.
Let us recall that RBC-Ukraine recently reported why pedestrians are not always right.