|
|
Mar 29, 2019 19:55:19 GMT
|
long time no post, here seeking some answers and real life opinions and experiences about those electric heater units you can buy. basically seeking an alternative to the big original heater unit and the fact to not run loads of pipes etc and considering an electric heater unit to run the car heating aspect , and going to have a heated front screen for the front . (mk2 escort by the way)
just wanted your opinions on the electric units you can buy have heard some good things and the fact its compact etc appeals to me as well. just thinking aloud here and always good to ask. if you have any links to the ones you have bought and used please let me know. thanks Gav.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 29, 2019 21:40:38 GMT
|
They are never going to be much use if running from 12V, a typical car heater puts out 4 or 5 kw, at 14V that is over 300A, you might be better off fitting heated seats.
|
|
Last Edit: Mar 29, 2019 21:40:58 GMT by kevins
|
|
|
|
Mar 29, 2019 22:09:06 GMT
|
Sure I’ve read about using an electric matrix from a Peugeot.
Worth a look
|
|
Last Edit: Mar 29, 2019 22:09:25 GMT by pauly22
1994 BMW 525i touring 2004 BMW Z4 sorn and broken 1977 Ford Escort 1982 Ford Capri getting restored 1999 Mazda B2500 daily driver.
|
|
|
|
Mar 29, 2019 22:38:59 GMT
|
|
|
|
|
dreadspeed
Part of things
1972 triumph 2.5 pi on carbs
Posts: 66
|
|
|
Whats wrong with the original heater? I'm no electrical expert but if you fit an electric heater plus heated front screen you might then need to buy an uprated alternator to cope, car builder solutions do have small low noise compact hot water fed heaters incorperating fans i fitted one in the past not hard at all just two pipes with a valve
|
|
|
|
dreadspeed
Part of things
1972 triumph 2.5 pi on carbs
Posts: 66
|
|
|
Whats wrong with the original heater? I'm no electrical expert but if you fit an electric heater plus heated front screen you might then need to buy an uprated alternator to cope, car builder solutions do have small low noise compact hot water fed heaters incorperating fans i fitted one in the past not hard at all just two pipes with a valve
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I have no real world experience of them but I was looking into something like this recently myself and the one your looking at getting is the only one that looked as a possible option with that said I can't see it being that good it should take the chill off but that's probably it and it only has a small fan so it can only be low flow my choice was diesel heater (you can get them in petrol as well) and you can set them to run at any time ie before you go out to pre warm down side is cost
|
|
1992 240 Volvo T8 1955 Cadillac 1994 BMW E34 M5 (now sold ) 1999 BMW E36 sport touring x2 1967 Hillman imp Californian "rally spec" 1971 VW bay window (work in progress) 1999 Mazda 323F 1987 Jaguar XJ12 All current
|
|
|
|
|
I think anything electric is going to be a massive current draw and as stated above, I think you would need a big alternator and battery to cope which is all going to suck BHPs, you can get some nice compact universal wet matrix heater units not much bigger than the unit shown, plus you get the benefit of extra cooling for the engine should you need it
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
cant get round the facts stated about the massive current draw needed to provide xx amount of heat
|
|
91 golf g60, 89 golf 16v , 88 polo breadvan
|
|
|
|
|
Update. Decided to get my thinking cap on and relocated a few things, and managed to get the original heater to fit in place. it has not been without it struggles. A faulty switch and then a dud motor all had to be changed , and modified to fit. Then the matrix pipes were too close together and I sussed that the matrix wasn't original as it should have copper ends . replaced the matrix with what I have pressure tested to be hopefully a good copper one, bent the outlets slightly away, thus meaning I can slip the two tight heater hoses on...
Now I have to wait for an order of a elbow piece and some proper jubilee clips, some gaskets and sealer and hopefully. hopefully I am winning.
I too calculated all that electricery plus I'm also running a modern ecu etc it would of meant more wires upgraded alternator etc, all for not a lot of gain, a weekends worth of swearing and battered hands I hopefully can retain the original.(which has a mighty fine speed even at low !)
To sum up. Balls to zetec mk2 Escorts retaining their original heaters.
|
|
|
|