Quick 12v heater question

[SloppyShooter]

Anyone know of a 12 volt heater that actually works? This Commie air invading from the North reminded me my truck's heater doesn't work.

 

[Bozz10mm]

I don't know how well any of these work, but here's a few to look at and compare.

https://www.lifewire.com/best-portable-electric-car-heaters-4158030

Personally, I don't think any of them are worth a damn.

 

[SloppyShooter]

Thanks for the link. I put one in my Amazon shopping cart. I was hoping for an experienced review from someone here who had owned one. ATM, I am waiting on funds anyway.

I have one from Horror Fright, but the only thing it ever did was drain my battery when the switch did not completely turn off and I left it plugged in during a doctors appt. ( I'll never leave one plugged in again.) As far as heating anything, I think a candle would work better.

 

[texasnurse]

Anyone know of a 12 volt heater that actually works? This Commie air invading from the North reminded me my truck's heater doesn't work.

What vehicle do you have?


Sent from my iPhone with a general disregard for the masses

 

[SloppyShooter]

1994 F150. King cab, so about the same C.F. as a compact car give or take.

 

[texasnurse]

Heater cores are extremely easy to replace in those body style Fords

What is wrong with your heater?

The only 12v heater I have used was in an old CJ , that was a flex-A-lite pricey but better than nothing

Sent from my iPhone with a general disregard for the masses

 

[SloppyShooter]

I have a new heater core in the back seat. Kinda thinking that's not it, though, might be something in all the gizmos that determine whether it's on AC or heat. To top it off, I battled that truck overheating, and now, it runs below normal.

Didn't bother to test the new 193° thermostat I put in it, maybe it's defective. But something is definitely screwed up with the mechanics of the heater/ AC operation. Maybe the vacuum operated switch under the hood?
More crap screwed up on this truck than I've ever seen. Some gorillas have been playing with it.

I'll look into the FlexaLite, Thanks.

 

[Bozz10mm]

Yeah, I would look at the vacuum hoses first. Then the actuator, then the blend door.

 

[Brains]

12V heaters don't work because of the amount of current they can easily access is pretty limited. Your average cigarette lighter is on a 30A fuse, so even at the max 30A * 12V = 360 watts. Not much energy to turn into heat. Now look at any compact heater you'd plug into a wall, a hair dryer, etc. - usually in the ballpark of 1500W to 1800W (15A * 120V).

 

[TxStetson]

I have a new heater core in the back seat. Kinda thinking that's not it, though, might be something in all the gizmos that determine whether it's on AC or heat. To top it off, I battled that truck overheating, and now, it runs below normal.

Didn't bother to test the new 193° thermostat I put in it, maybe it's defective. But something is definitely screwed up with the mechanics of the heater/ AC operation. Maybe the vacuum operated switch under the hood?
More crap screwed up on this truck than I've ever seen. Some gorillas have been playing with it.

I'll look into the FlexaLite, Thanks.

If your thermostat was replaced and your engine now runs cold, its a thermostat issue. It’s probably a fail safe thermostat that fails in the open position.

 

[m5215]

Didn't know that a portable heater for a car was an option. Sound like it could be handy under certain situations.

 

[SloppyShooter]

If your thermostat was replaced and your engine now runs cold, its a thermostat issue. It’s probably a fail safe thermostat that fails in the open position.

Kinda my thinking as well. I'm going to get another one, but this ones going in a pot of water on the stove with a thermometer before it goes in the truck.

It would be nice if it fixed the heater problem as well, but I doubt it. The engine is running on the cool side, but the heater isn't altering the air temperature at all.

 

[SloppyShooter]

12V heaters don't work because of the amount of current they can easily access is pretty limited. Your average cigarette lighter is on a 30A fuse, so even at the max 30A * 12V = 360 watts. Not much energy to turn into heat. Now look at any compact heater you'd plug into a wall, a hair dryer, etc. - usually in the ballpark of 1500W to 1800W (15A * 120V).

True, but now look at the cubic feet of air you are trying to alter. A small fraction of the volume of a small room.

 

[Brains]

True, but now look at the cubic feet of air you are trying to alter. A small fraction of the volume of a small room.

A small space with really terrible insulation

 

[SloppyShooter]

Yeah, I would look at the vacuum hoses first. Then the actuator, then the blend door.

Thanks for the video. I hate watching those things, it only took nearly 1/2 an hour to watch it, but it was fascinating to watch an arrow go around in a circle while the action was frozen.

I guess that's the selector under the hood? Anyway, that hose was broken when I got the truck. Took me awhile to find the other end barely sticking out of the harness. I got some slightly larger vac hose and spliced it back together .

I was going to have someone watch it while I turned the knob, but the weather has just sucked here forever and when it got bearable, the mosquitoes got unbearable.

And the amount of yard work is almost insurmountable, so it gets priority.

It may very well be the blend door. But, thermostat, blend door actuator , whatever , ain't going to touch that in 45° rain. ( I don't have a garage. )

 

[SloppyShooter]

A small space with really terrible insulation

Volume trumps insulation. Can't alter air temperature much in a very, very well insulated 10,000' warehouse with a 1500 watt heater.

 

[SloppyShooter]

It was cold when I bought the truck, but not that cold, so I didn't turn on the heater much, and running to the corner store wasn't long enough for the thermostat to open anyway.

Then the SOB started overheating. I remember turning on the heater, but can't remember if it really helped much. Anyway, the WATER in the radiator looked like mud. I did 3 or 4 flushes before I got clean water with Prestone radiatior flush, ( running it with the heater on, driving it for a couple of days ...). Put in a 170° thermostat. Had 2 mechanics check for a gasket leak. I don't think one them did, and the other did while I was standing there. Was a tiny color change, but that could have been residual flush chemicals. So, still overheating, my mechanic said it could be the water pump, because if water is run in it long enough, the blades can rust away.

Got a new water pump. Blades didn't look too bad, but whadda gonna do, put the OLD one back on? So, finally, I got a radiator. That's when it started running cool.
Changed out the 170° for a 193°, still running cool, but when it's 100° out, who cares?

Wouldn't be so bad, but being my only transportion, anytime I work on it, the slightest thing becomes huge, because I have to bum a ride to the Auto Supply.

I should have worked on my truck instead of going to the Oct. meet..........
NOT!!!

 

[Sam7sf]

Anyone know of a 12 volt heater that actually works? This Commie air invading from the North reminded me my truck's heater doesn't work.

Put a coat on

 

[SloppyShooter]

Put a coat on

What's a coat?

Thermal undies, and insulated coveralls. Replace the ball cap with a stocking cap, and GLOVES !!!!! Gotta have gloves for the stirring wheeel.

 

[Lunyfringe]

Put a coat on

While funny, no heat also means ineffective defrost/defog.