Do-it-yourself additional stove for the car interior

PROBLEM:

1. When installing the central tunnel from the GAZ 3110, I dismantled the air duct directing air to the feet of the rear passengers, and this winter, the rear passengers on long trips began to complain that their feet were freezing, while in front - “Tashkent”.

2. Also, in order not to heat up the tunnel in vain, but to direct all the warm air to the legs in front, I plugged the outlet leading into the tunnel.

3. After modernizing the cooling system, the antifreeze pressure increased significantly, this became another reason in my decision (since I did not have to install an electric pump)

SOLUTION:

Install an additional interior heater.

IMPLEMENTATION:

1. First of all, I ordered the heater itself from Blagoveshchensk (a border city with China) - with delivery it cost 1,300 rubles.

There are a lot of analogues sold on AVITO, at exorbitant prices on the market.

From the heater parameters:

Height - 80mm (fits perfectly and does not interfere with chair adjustment) Airflow - 3 12V fans, 4 nozzles on the opposite wall Radiator - aluminum Pipes - 16mm copper.

1. The heater itself was tried on differently under the front passenger seat

1.1 If you place it offset back (into a recess), then a large heater will fit there (120 mm high), but the rear passenger’s feet will rest against the nozzles (unless you want to fry someone) + the aesthetics of the interior are violated 1.2 In the middle position, the heater does not interferes, is difficult to install, but the seat stops adjusting (it rests against the heater) 1.3 The front position is the most optimal - it doesn’t bother anyone, the seat is adjustable, not visible to passengers - and it’s also very convenient to mount on a body stiffener

2. Connect an additional heater in series with the main heater (did without draining the antifreeze)

Salers-technology silicone hoses

with a diameter of 16 mm, remaining after installing silicone on the entire cooling system. + one silicone corner 90 degrees and a 16mm connecting tube.

The function of warming up the interior and maintaining it in a comfortable thermal state is assigned to the standard heater. The principle of its operation is extremely simple - the heat from the radiator heated by the coolant is dissipated by a fan inside the car. The higher the speed, the more it heats, and at idle, if you please, only weak heat will emanate from the depths of the grilles. It will go to zero anyway, but what about minus?

Do-it-yourself primitive heating of the interior of any car in winter: current technologies

Fan heater

Those who like simple solutions will like additional means of heating the interior. Designing a car heater from a cigarette lighter with your own hands is one of the simple and affordable options for designing additional heating. The advantages of such a device are difficult to underestimate:

Fuel and oxygen are not burned.
Possibility of use in cars of any class.
Compact design.

A similar solution is commercially available. Its name is a 12 Volt car fan heater. The main disadvantage is low efficiency: it cannot create a microclimate alone. It is recommended to use the car heater only as an addition to standard heating devices. Yours is more reliable and, moreover, repairable - all by analogy with winter washers: a homemade anti-freeze recipe is much better than a roadside canister of an unknown potion.

Ceramic oven

Using combustion gas as a heat source is an effective way to quickly raise the temperature to comfortable levels. The minimum elements are a ceramic stove and a 15-liter gas cylinder. The risk of fire and intense oxygen combustion limit the demand for this type of heating.

Modify the factory furnace

It is preferable to take the path of improving standard equipment, but the costs are incomparable. Modifying a heater is not an easy task: it requires skill and the elements are compact in size. It is not a fact that an additionally installed radiator will have an effect, since it is difficult for the fluid to warm up to operating temperature. Another thing is to introduce an electric heater from a diesel modification (RTS) - the effect is obvious. In addition, warm air flows immediately after starting the engine.

Idea N3: Oil heater

Since technical oil has good heat transfer functions, it is widely used in heaters. You can assemble this oil heater yourself at home. To do this, you will need an old heating radiator (cast iron or bimetallic battery, register or other tubular structure), a tubular heating element, the oil itself as a coolant, sealed plugs for placing the heating element.

Rice. 11: Example of using a register control unit

To maximize the safety of the oil device, it can be supplemented with a heating sensor, the open contacts of which are connected to the power circuit.

The manufacturing process of an oil cooler is as follows:

Rice. 12: Take the old radiator Fig. 13. Prepare two holes Fig. 14: screw the heating element into the bottom hole

Another important point is that the diameter of the heating element must be such that it never touches the walls of the radiator. For sealing, linings, special compounds and tow are used.

Rice. 15: Close the oil filler neck

It should be noted that to increase the service life of such a device, the heating element should be selected in accordance with the housing material. Otherwise, due to the large difference in the output voltage of the particles of these metals, destruction of the elements will occur. Also note that the heater will have a decent weight, so it is advisable to ensure it is securely fixed in space or make a structure for ease of movement.

Rice. 16: Wheeled design

How to make a car heater with your own hands and power it from the cigarette lighter: instructions

The operating principle of fan heaters is based on the formation of a heat flow by blowing a heated body. The air flow is generated by a fan, and a ceramic heating element acts as a heat source. Previously, there were models with tubular electric heaters and nichrome spirals.

Selection of components

You can create additional heating for the car interior in winter using improvised means. One of the simple schemes includes components available to any inventor:

IP65 electrical junction box which serves as housing.
Nichrome spiral for a household electric oven, acting as a heating element.
Two axial fans.
Two terminal blocks for fastening sections of spirals and tying them with connecting wires.
Wire with a cross-section of at least 2.5 mm2.
Cigarette lighter connector.
Switch button.

Spiral

When choosing a ferronichrome spiral element, you must be guided by its cross-section. It is not recommended to choose products with a diameter of more than 0.6 mm. The optimal diametrical characteristic is 0.6 mm - and can be easily found on sale, and the connection diagram is simple. We will adhere to this advice when designing the electrical part.

For your information. You can take a nichrome spiral from a toaster, microwave or convection oven by measuring its diameter and adjusting the design of the device.

Cooler

Small fans can handle the heat dissipation function. The specific size depends on the dimensions of the junction box. For example, for a box 88x88x60, two coolers 30x30x15 are suitable. Of course, the electric motor must be designed for 12 Volts.

Manufacturing

When creating a heater circuit for a car with your own hands, powered from a cigarette lighter, it is important to understand that its electrical resistance depends on the length of the section of the nichrome spiral, which affects the amount of current consumed and, as a result, the amount of heat emitted. The larger the length and cross-section, the lower the resistance of the conductor and the greater the power of the installation.

Is it that simple?

Given the apparent simplicity of the heating principle, an air-powered auxiliary heater can hardly be considered as an additional interior heater that can be manufactured with your own hands. In conditions of home-made production, it is practically very difficult to fulfill the requirements:

to the quality of welding of elements, taking into account the specifics of the thermal load and deformation of the mating elements;
to the reliability of control systems necessary for the operation of an autonomous heater;
to prevent deviations from the specified combustion mode, the formation of a large amount of carbon monoxide, burning of the chamber walls and, as a consequence, mixing of combustion products and heated air;
to ensure control of the launch procedure without the risk of fire.

Another heating option

The classic version of an autonomous heater is a scheme where two circuits are simultaneously assembled in the heating device - an engine antifreeze heating circuit and a heat exchanger for the coolant sent to the cabin heating system.

There are options for an autonomous heating system with minor modifications that have a connected thermally insulated container or hot water tank in the interior heating system. Such a boiler plays the role of both a heat accumulator and a source of hot water. An additional pump pumps and heats the container operating in boiler mode. This type of autonomous heater is most often used for mobile living quarters - mobile homes.

Third option

An electric auxiliary heater, colloquially referred to as a “hairdryer,” serves to quickly warm up the interior at low air temperatures. If your car has a battery with a capacity of at least 75 Ah, use an electric car interior heater, which is structurally a 12-volt analogue of a hair dryer, with the difference that instead of a 220 V home power supply, the voltage of the 12 V battery and generator is used car. You shouldn’t expect African heat in the cabin, but while the car’s heater is warming up to the desired 70-80 o C, such a car interior heater, powered by a cigarette lighter, is indispensable if you urgently need to warm up a lock or remove frost from frozen glass.

low thermal power and heating speed;
the need to have a “healthy” and fully charged battery and a working generator.
the heating element of the “hair dryer” heats up to a high temperature and partially burns the oxygen in the air in the cabin.
Handling the heater requires care to prevent possible contact of flammable substances with the heating element.

The easiest way to make an autonomous electric car interior heater is to make it yourself using an electric fan powered by a cigarette lighter.

The most common and affordable heater design is a circuit consisting of a 12-volt fan-cooler, used in power supplies and computer cooling systems and a heating panel. The latter is made in the form of a frame or tube made of non-flammable and dielectric material. Elements of covers and housings of powerful electric starters made of textolite or fiberglass are suitable.

As an option, a nichrome spiral stretched on special ceramic mounting chips can be used as a heating element for an autonomous heater. In this case, the panel can be made from any heat-resistant material.

Our additional interior heater operates from a cigarette lighter and a voltage of 12 V, so we use low-resistance nichrome wire in the design:

Using a tester, measure the resistance of 1 m of wire;
to obtain a maximum current of 5 A, cut a length of nichrome with a resistance of 2 Ohms and make a spiral by winding the wire around a rod or pencil;
slightly stretch the resulting spiral so that the distance between the turns of the spiral is at least 2-3 times the thickness of the wire;
Based on the obtained length of the spiral, we will select the dimensions of the heating panel such that there are at least 4-5 rows of the heating element in the cross-section of the frame.
Let's fix the spiral on the mounting frame, install the fan and connect a two-core cord with a wire cross-section of at least 1.5 mm 2 to the output contacts.

After assembling the design of the autonomous electric heater, we test it by connecting it to the battery terminals for a short time. If the installation is performed correctly, the heater spiral should not heat up to the “red” state; the direction of movement of the air supplied by the fan must correspond to the design one. Otherwise, it is necessary to change the connection polarity and take it into account when connecting the power plug to the cigarette lighter.

Video on how to make a cabin heater yourself:

Total

Supplementing the standard interior heating in winter with a homemade car fan heater is one of the simple solutions. It is easier to implement than installing heated seats on a low-spec Lada Granta. The importance of a heating installation in creating an internal microclimate is exclusively auxiliary due to the low efficiency of such heating. The advantage over store-bought options is reliability, lower cost, and maintainability.

The product is assembled from nichrome spirals with a diameter of 0.6 mm, fans, terminal blocks, wires, a cigarette lighter connector and a button. Most of the elements fit into the case. Power is supplied from the cigarette socket. Current load – no more than 15 A. Effective power – about 150 W.

An alternative solution is to make a car heater from a hair dryer. The product’s motor is designed for 12 V. The heating elements will have to be cut into several sections and connected in parallel, having previously measured the current strength. The hair dryer should be connected exclusively via a relay.

Communities › Kulibin Club › Blog › Carbon cable in heated car seats.

In winter, it got a little cold to drive without heated seats.
We are not in the tropics after all. There were several faulty seat warmer covers lying around in the garage. Repairing thermal heating elements made of nichrome is already quite boring because the cross-section of nichrome there is only 0.15-0.3 mm and due to the mechanical load and thermal expansion of the metal, gusts begin to occur. The nichrome wiring in the cape is connected in series; one wire breaks and the heating stops. I don’t want to buy another cape like this because it won’t last long. It was decided to radically solve this problem. After looking online at the characteristics of different heating wires, I settled on a carbon wire, since its price on Aliexpress was only 240 rubles per ten meters. This wire consists of conductive carbon fiber threads encased in silicone insulation. The carbon cable is designed for a supply voltage from 7 Volts to 380 Volts, has a resistance of 1 m = 33 Ohm, a maximum temperature of 200 degrees Celsius, an outer diameter of 3 mm, red insulation, silicone rubber insulation. The scope of application of carbon fiber cable is very wide - it is used for floor heating, heating of rooms and devices, and eliminating freezing of water pipes. In general, wherever heating is needed. You can watch the process of making a homemade product in the video: Installation of carbon fiber wire. Photo diagram

We prepare five pieces of carbon cable, one meter long each. We sew new sections of carbon cable directly to the nichrome conductors with threads. We lay meter-long pieces of wire in a zigzag evenly over the area of the old heating wiring. The carbon wire must be connected to the mounting wire through copper tubes using a crimp (there is a large selection in electrical goods stores). I didn’t have time to go shopping and I made it much simpler (I think no less reliable). Having stepped back a few millimeters from the end of the carbon wire, I made a small cut in the insulation and wound several turns of soft stranded wire onto the exposed carbon, then twisted it tightly. The result was a strong connection. We put heat shrink on the joint.

We connect the standard overheat sensor in series with the new wiring. Then we sew the cape in reverse order (by hand or on a sewing machine).

Source

Introduction

A homemade additional heater VAZ-2110 can heat the interior of a domestic vehicle even in the most severe frosts. In the article below, we will consider all the existing heating units that can be installed in the tenth VAZ model as an additional heating device, we will learn about all the advantages and significant disadvantages of this type of insulation. Let's give an example of creating a heater with your own hands.

It is worth noting that the installation of an additional stove on the VAZ-2110 is most often required by those motorists who operate the product of the Volzhsky plant in the harsh conditions of the northern regions. It is in these areas that the power of a standard heater is not enough. However, for the sake of truth, it is worth noting the fact that even residents of the middle zone periodically supplement the standard stove. Among such motorists, most often there are heat-loving people and those who do not want to spend a lot of time, effort and money on making a standard stove more powerful and productive by subjecting the unit to a complete modernization.

Idea N4: Heater with a spiral

The classic version of a spiral-type heater involves connecting heating coils to the network. Heat-resistant dielectrics were used as the basis for installing the spiral in such models. But these are quite simple options, so in this article we will look at the principle of manufacturing a device whose characteristics are not inferior to a gas heater. It uses the same principle as a heat gun, but with less heat output.

To make it, you will need a heating coil, an electric fan, a metal pipe or box for the housing, a dielectric heat-resistant frame, and a power cord. The heater manufacturing process includes the following steps:

Rice. 17: cut the pipe to the required length Fig. 18: position of the spiral in the pipe

If you are assembling several pieces of spiral, connect them together on the outside of the pipe.

Rice. 19: separation of fan and pipe with heater

It should be noted that the fan power should not be too high so that the coils have time to warm up. In practice, you should achieve a blowing effect, and the heating performance can be adjusted by the length of the spiral. It is also advisable to coat the inside of the asbestos pipe with heat-resistant varnish to prevent asbestos particles from entering the air. It would be a good idea to ground the heater body to a ground loop.

During the cold season, the need for heat especially increases. But not every owner has the opportunity to purchase a factory-made heater. There is nothing difficult about assembling a heater with your own hands.

We bring to your attention four options for creating a heating device from improvised means that will perfectly cope with the task assigned to it. We have described in detail the process of making homemade products. Described the principle of operation and features of operation.

We have included diagrams, photo compilations and video instructions for step-by-step guides.

Types of additional heating device

If the owner of a Russian vehicle is thinking about how to install an additional heater on a VAZ-2110, then, first of all, he should know that the practical majority of currently existing designs fit directly into the standard cooling system of the power unit. The heated air flow is distributed throughout the cabin by a built-in electric fan.

An additional stove for the interior of the VAZ-2110 can be purchased at the store, however, in order to save money, such a unit can be made with your own hands. In fact, car dealerships sell completely different types of additional heaters. Depending on the budget and preferences of the motorist, you can choose both small and fairly large designs. True, not all presented models can be placed in the top ten without compromising passenger comfort. There is not much free space in a domestically produced car, so when choosing a unit, you should first decide on the location of its future installation.

If the car owner decides to install an additional heater under the passenger seat, then the purchased device should not be wider than 33 cm, higher than 20 cm and have a depth not exceeding 25 cm.

How to make a heating element

Low ambient temperature significantly reduces labor productivity and living comfort. Therefore, heating domestic and industrial premises performs an important function that requires significant financial costs for the purchase of special equipment. To save money on heating appliances, you can assemble a heater yourself. Which is especially important for those rooms and locations where there is no need to care about its aesthetic appearance and design.

Installation of an additional stove in the interior of a VAZ-2110

Before installing a new heating element in the vehicle interior, you should decide on the sequence of actions to be performed. The installation process of an additional stove can be divided into several main steps:

securing the heating unit under the front passenger seat;
depressurization of the power unit cooling system;
connecting the durite hoses of the installed device to the section of the engine cooling system (it is important to follow one rule: the hoses of the new stove should not come into contact with the muffler pipe and steering parts);
drilling two small holes in the engine shield, about 19 mm in diameter (this is necessary for the pipes of the new heater);
location of the heater pipes in the cabin under the floor covering;
removal of pipes close to the seat frame for the passenger;
installation of fasteners that help fix the pipes on the auxiliary heater;
filling the expansion tank with about a couple of liters of antifreeze or antifreeze;
removing the air lock from the engine cooling system;
creating a button on the dashboard through which the car owner can remotely control the new heating element.

If an additional pump is installed along with the new stove, this will help make the heater more productive, because the additional stove uses the flow of antifreeze, which is pumped only by the standard pump.

As a rule, it will take about four hours to install a purchased or homemade additional heater for a VAZ-2110.

Advantages of an additional stove

Experienced motorists note the fact that an additional heater installed in the cabin helps warm the space to a comfortable temperature 2 times faster. At the same time, the feet of passengers sitting behind will always be warm.

The additional heating device does not affect the beauty of the interior; the unit does not spoil the appearance or interfere with the passengers’ feet.

Disadvantages of a new heater

Although the updated heating makes the temperature inside the car higher than usual, it has some disadvantages. In particular, antifreeze or antifreeze begins to warm up more slowly, which occurs due to an increase in the heat capacity of the engine cooling system.

In addition, additional noise emitted by the new heater appears in the cabin, and dust on the floor rises up along with the flow of heated air.

In the summer, hot hoses located under the floor covering can be especially inconvenient, as they will begin to heat up the interior. True, the situation can be corrected by installing a small tap in the engine department, which should be carried out at the stage of “insertion” into the engine cooling system. It is worth noting that there is no such device (faucet) in the finished heater.

If the speed of the additional heater is not adjusted, one part of the cabin will warm up more, due to which the passenger sitting in this place may feel discomfort.

Creating a homemade additional heater

You can make a homemade additional heater for a VAZ-2110 from an old heater radiator of any other car.

Idea N1: Making a local mini-heater

For this design, you will need two rectangular pieces of glass, metal foil, a paraffin or stearin candle, a wooden block (or a block of other dielectric material), an electrical cord with a plug, and sheet metal for contacts.

The manufacturing procedure for such a mini heater is as follows:

Figure 1: elements for making a heater Fig. 2: Combine two glasses

Fold the edges of the foil under the glass to one side.

Rice. 3: Fix the contacts on a wooden block

It should be noted that the maximum temperature of such a heater should be about 40ºC. Naturally, you won’t be able to heat a house, cottage, or garage with such a homemade heater; it is suitable for heating tents, a work area in front of a workbench, or other space directly in front of the work surface. If the device gets too hot, you will need to reduce the resistance of the conductive elements; for this you can use thicker foil or increase the thickness of the soot.

Equipment arrangement

A mobile additional stove for a car interior is a device in miniature representing the heating system of a car, however, with the introduction of certain changes. So, for the efficient operation of the heating system and general operability when installing such equipment, it is necessary to either install pipes and the connected housing in parallel into the heating system, or connect to the standard heating system inside the cabin.

Features of additional car interior heaters are:

Autonomy of use of some models. Some products operate both from the vehicle’s on-board network and from a 220V inverter, which allows it to be powered both from a stationary network and from the car’s network. However, such products are highly expensive and in most situations their capabilities are quite redundant (except for cases of constant exposure to extremely low temperatures, where saving electricity is also vital);
The heating area coverage of such devices is limited, as is the power generated . An additional stove will not be able to fully replace standard heating, since its size and power are incommensurate, but it is quite capable of significantly increasing the efficiency of the heating system;
Installing the device does not present any particular difficulties for people who are at least somewhat familiar with the internal structure, so calls to a specialized service for assistance in installing the system are not constant;

In the video there is an additional heater in the car interior:

Why should you use a heating cable?

The main advantages of using cable heaters:

Safety. Excellent insulation system. Reliable protection from external chemical, mechanical and thermal influences.
Versatility. The heating cable can be equipped with a pipeline located both underground and outside.
Easy to use.
Saving. After connecting the cable heater, it is possible to adjust the heating power when the air temperature changes.

Installation of equipment

Installation of an additional stove in the cabin occurs in several stages:

Preparing the installation site . Most often, given the rather large dimensions of the device (depending on the power, respectively, the more powerful the larger in size) it fits into some niche. Since passenger vehicles are often provided with free space in the cabin, this place most often turns out to be the space under the seat. This arrangement allows, in addition to saving space in the cabin, to effectively distribute air flow and effectively heat the space; Then you need to lay pipes from the device to the standard ventilation system (connect one to the factory pump and the other from the cylinder head);
Power supply in budget options is most often provided through a standard system (from the cigarette lighter) . This ensures production savings, since products powered from an inverter or from a fixed network must have a different device with additional elements, and accordingly the cost of the entire device will be higher.

In the video there is an additional heater in the car interior from the cigarette lighter:

Devices for local heating

The simplest models of homemade heaters are designed for local heating. Their maximum heating temperature is about 40°C.

Most heating homemade products are radiating devices that operate on the principle of IR heaters and electric radiators. They are connected to a single-phase network with 220 V, traditional for household objects. Those who want to make their own devices need knowledge in the field of electrical engineering and electrical installation.

Option 1. Homemade compact thermal film

The heater will be based on two pieces of glass. These are identical rectangles measuring 4x6 cm.

Manufacturers

The most popular manufacturers among domestic car enthusiasts are:

Lifey is a Chinese manufacturer of automotive components. It gained popularity due to its favorable price. Small units can be purchased for between 1500-2000 rubles, which is significantly cheaper than their closest competitors. However, the disadvantage of the manufacturer is the unstable quality inherent in all budget manufacturers, while all installation work can be done with your own hands.
Webasto - one of the market leaders producing equipment for heating cars. It is distinguished by consistently high quality and the same high cost. Units from this company are characterized by high endurance (on average they can last for 7-8 years);
KRC is an automotive components company. It has been present on the market not long ago and is fighting against competitors by balancing attractive prices and fairly high quality products. According to the developer, the service life of the product is about 4-5 years.

What are the requirements for a garage heater?

Since the garage space is not large in size and rarely has a ventilation system, a DIY garage heater assembled must meet certain safety requirements when used in enclosed spaces.

Heater requirements:

Fiberglass for heater

To ensure uniform operation, a self-made economical heater must have the function of connecting a timer that can regulate the on/off mode according to specified parameters.

This will make it possible to maintain heat in the garage for a long time in accordance with the weather conditions outside the garage walls, while simultaneously saving electricity. As such an element, you can use thermostats from household appliances, old irons, kettles, electric stoves or washing machines and similar devices.

Autonomous interior heater "Planar"

The operation of this device is based on an elementary principle. It draws atmospheric masses into the middle of the heating compartment. When fuel burns, heat is released, which then enters the cabin.

The main positive aspect of this device is the ability to adjust the heating power. This process is ensured thanks to a special control knob located on the regulator. It features original design and smooth operation.

The specified power indicator is maintained automatically. When the critical temperature is reached, the unit simply turns off. Increased heat inside the cabin reduces power and warm air supply.

Existing types

It is customary to classify autonomous heaters primarily by area of application:

air - heats only the cabin air, representing a regular heat fan;
liquid - connected to the engine cooling system and fuel system, heats the interior, door locks and windshield;
oil - capable of heating the car’s oil system, which speeds up engine starting in winter.

Gas

The basis of gas stoves is blue fuel. The main operating element is the fan, which ensures free air circulation. It heats up to the desired temperature during gas combustion, and additional blades are used to speed up heating.

Advantages of gas autonomous systems:

They work even when the engine is stopped, without integration with other car systems, so the driver does not need to worry about draining the battery, and on the coldest days it will be very warm inside the car.
Such devices do not contain electronic sensors or other complex mechanisms, which significantly increases their service life.
They are completely harmless to people, because the gases that appear during combustion are immediately released outside.
To ensure the operation of the device, it is only necessary to refill the gas in a timely manner. Considering the price of gasoline and diesel fuel, this heating method is financially beneficial.

Petrol

The gasoline heater is most often found under the Webasto Air Top nameplate. This is the highest quality of analogues. The Webast headset comes with a control system and mounting parts. “Avtonomka” is capable of warming up sleeping areas and cabins of trucks and passenger car interiors well, regardless of the temperature outside the window. Improved technology significantly reduces the load on the battery.

The design of the device includes the following elements:

air intake;
built-in heat regulator;
Control block;
air blower motor;
thermocouple;
evaporator;
gasoline pump;
toggle switch;
automatic time controller.

Of course, technical specifications may vary depending on the model and manufacturer of these devices. The only common feature is the use of gasoline as a power source. The advantages of this type of “autonomy” are moisture resistance, noiselessness, and independent operation for up to 2 hours. Power: 1-2 kW.

Diesel

Diesel devices have the same features. Among the well-known ones we can name Webasto AIR TOP 5000. Heater performance reaches 5 kilowatts. “Avtonomka” consumes about 180-600 grams of fuel per hour of operation.

First steps: preparing the handle-body of the future soldering iron

To begin with, a wooden cutting was taken (it is better to take birch or maple), turned “to suit” and sanded. It can be given any shape, but for the first time I did not do any extra work. It should also not be made too long, although this is a matter of taste.

Wooden handle to be used as a handle

Next, a drill with a thick drill bit began to work, on which I marked the hole limiter using electrical tape. A depth of 2-3 cm was quite enough for a 12 V mini soldering iron. A hole made in the center of the handle at the end will serve to install the power socket and draw wires to the heating element.

An identical hole was drilled on the reverse side, which will serve to install the soldering iron tip.

Drill identical holes on both sides of the soldering iron handle

Features of operation

What you need to consider when using the device to prevent its accelerated failure:

When buying such a system, you need to carefully study the installation features, as well as use

Carefully read all the manufacturer’s recommendations, pay attention to the power parameter of the device itself. In the event that the power of the system does not correspond to a similar parameter of the on-board network of the machine, the installation of such an AO is not allowed, since it may cause problems. Every time you put the system into operation, you need to check its functionality.

Make sure there are no leaks or any damage. When using a gas-type heater, during installation, make sure that fuel does not leak out. A gas leak can lead to poisoning of passengers and the motorist. Never turn on the heating system to maximum mode. Remember that excessive heating of the air flow can lead to deterioration of health. This is because the heated air will be very dry, and accordingly, you will need to ventilate the interior more often.

Characteristics of an autonomous heater

Installation of an autonomous heating system for the car interior

Let's start with the characteristics of a gasoline, diesel or electric 12-volt JSC. It should be noted that in practice, a gasoline autonomous heater is one of the most reliable. If necessary, the driver can only activate the interior heating, and not all elements of the vehicle. The auxiliary heater can be equipped with various functions, including a timer, as well as a pre-start device. When operating an AO, the cabin or interior of the vehicle can be warmed up in a few minutes.

What kind of AO device (let's look at the example of a diesel unit):

Unit with combustion chamber. This component is one of the main ones in the operation of the system.
The autonomous interior heater is equipped with its own gas line, which connects to a common line and supplies the system itself, depending on whether the engine is functioning or not.
The exhaust system, which is equipped with an autonomous interior heater, is designed to release exhaust gases. The gas can be released behind the fender liners or under the engine.
The device also includes clamps for installing it in the engine compartment.
One of the main design elements of the parking heater is the control unit. This component can be push-button or remote; it is installed inside the vehicle.
Other elements designed for correct operation of the system in various conditions. Their availability depends on the specific manufacturer.

This is a very convenient thing, which, moreover, extends the life of your engine!

Principle of operation

How does a 12 or 24 Volt petrol or electric parking heater work? The principle of operation of such a stove is similar to the principle of operation of a conventional hair dryer - the system simply heats the air flow entering the car interior as a result of fuel combustion. Depending on the type of system, fuel consumption during operation is around 100 grams per hour, but this figure may be different, depending on the manufacturer (video author - Alexander Termokirov).

The operating principle is as follows:

First, thanks to the fan, cold air flow is driven from the vehicle interior.
This air flow is heated in the combustion chamber of a gasoline, diesel or electric AO at 12 or 24 Volts.
After heating, the air again enters the cabin.

Kinds

As for the types of AO for a car, there can be three of them, depending on what part of the car they will heat:

Air. Autonomous air heaters allow you to warm only the air inside the vehicle. As a rule, this type of AO is a traditional fan that simply heats the air.

Liquid. A liquid-type parking heater is designed to warm up the cooling system if it is not started by the engine

It can also heat the fuel system, which is equally important for engine-powered vehicles.

Oil. This parking heater is designed to warm up the vehicle's oil line.

The operation of such a system will speed up and also simplify the startup of the power unit during cold weather.

Interior heating kit

Also, stoves for warming up the cabin and interior of the car can be divided according to the method of power supply:

gasoline ones, which run on gasoline;
diesel, operating, respectively, on diesel;
electric 12 or 24 Volts, powered by current.

What is it for and where is it used?

Thus, a separate autonomous system heats air and technical fluids independently of the internal combustion engine and other devices. The simplest of these heaters is an autonomous pre-heater, which provides many benefits. Due to it, the engine compartment is heated effectively, and starting the engine in winter takes place without the usual difficulties. In addition, with a warm engine, heating the interior is easier. Without an independent device, a standard stove would take more fuel.

Autonomous air heaters for car interiors are designed to maintain a comfortable temperature in the cabin.

These systems have advantages:

complete independence from automotive systems;
low noise;
low fuel consumption.

Such a stove can heat for days without draining the battery or drawing liters of fuel from the tank. Devices like Eberspacher or Webasto are very compact and do not take up much space.

Starting autonomous heating

Autonomous heating can be started in three ways:

immediate heating key;
from the remote control;
according to the programmed on time.

Immediate heating key

The immediate heating button is usually located in the area where the vehicle's climate control controls are located. Typically, the immediate heating key is used for autonomous (parking) heating of the vehicle interior when parked with the engine turned off.

Remote control

It is convenient to start autonomous heating from a remote control when the car is parked in front of an office, in front of a house or in front of a country house. The launch can be done at any time.

Remote controls from different manufacturers provide different ranges. However, the usual range of the remote control to start autonomous heating is several hundred meters, reaching up to 600 meters for some models.

Programming the on time

In addition to the methods listed above, autonomous heating starts according to the programmed start time. Depending on the manufacturer and the equipment of the car, the autonomous heating timer can be programmed to turn on at a certain time, on certain days of the week. At the same time, the duration of operation of autonomous heating can also be programmed.

The convenience of programming the time to turn on the autonomous heating is especially noticeable when storing the car in a parking lot in front of an office or on a site in front of a country house, in this case the car will be ready for a trip, and the interior will be warmed up (in winter) or ventilated (in summer).

Advantages of autonomous heating

The ability to maintain the temperature inside the car regardless of the degree of engine warm-up (in winter);
Possibility to ventilate the car interior before the trip (in summer);
Possibility of turning on using the immediate heating key, remotely from the remote control or according to a programmed turn-on time;
Unlike alarm systems with auto-start systems, the autonomous heating system does not increase the cost of CASCO insurance because does not require immobilizer exclusion;
Equipping a car with a proprietary autonomous heating system does not void the car’s warranty;
The engine resource is not consumed.

Disadvantages of autonomous heating

Autonomous heating consumes battery energy;
Autonomous heating consumes fuel;
It is prohibited to start and operate autonomous heating in unventilated or enclosed spaces.

Good luck on the roads!

Video

This is the first stage of coating, the second after 10 minutes of drying. In principle, you don’t have to do it, everything is decided by visual inspection using a magnifying glass. The nichrome coils should not be visible.

Almost finished heating element (just left to dry), length 15 mm, diameter 2 mm. Optimal supply voltage 12 V, power 8 W. Drying - on a hot heating battery, the next day connected to the power supply, applied voltage sufficient to heat up to 50 degrees (monitored with a multimeter in temperature measurement mode) - let it cool and warmed up to 100 degrees, then up to 150. Can be installed locally, operational tests the next day.

Who needs an autonomous heater?

Considering that the average cost of such devices is quite high (more than the price of a conventional stove radiator or fan), a reasonable question arises: is it really profitable to use a separate heater, the operation of which does not require the use of power unit resources?

Here it is worth noting several compelling arguments in favor of using AO. The first is quite obvious - if it’s cold outside, it will not be possible to achieve a comfortable microclimate in the cabin using a standard stove right away. Most models of autonomous heaters manifest themselves in this aspect almost instantly, and for a certain percentage of motorists this argument is decisive. Moreover, the latest generation models of such heat generators can be turned on remotely using a standard remote control or smartphone. In this case, you have the opportunity to get from the piercing cold to the real “Tashkent”, warming up the car ahead of time.

The second argument is partly related to the first - the use of an autonomous heater provides an opportunity to provide high-quality pre-start heating of the power unit. When the thermometer drops below -10°C outside (and severe winters are typical for most of Russia), you will immediately feel the benefits of such a device. An easy, almost summer-like engine start in the middle of winter is worth a lot.

Summarizing the above, we can say that installing an additional heater will be useful in the following cases:

if you don't like to endure the cold while the engine warms up (which can take 10 or 20 minutes, depending on the temperature outside the car);
when you often carry small children in the car;
if you are a resident of a metropolis, and when getting to work/home, you have to stand in traffic jams for hours;
if your specialty is a taxi driver, courier, driver of special equipment, etc., that is, you are forced to sit for a long time in a non-working vehicle;
if you are annoyed by constantly foggy car windows.