Fast warm up ideas: 5,500 watt, 19,000 BTU per hour coolant heater

[Isaac Zackary]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

Why slow down the rate of power flow?
If anything its not enough.

Because you wrote:

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

The electric coolant pump circulates the coolant through the element too fast...

[oil pan 4]

Oh I read that post wrong. Some reason I was thinking slow down the rate of power flow to the heating element.

Yes I am already going to try and slow the low speed down further, Right now I run a 1 ohm 300 watt resistor. That gives me about 9.6 volts across the pump.
Last week I ordered a 2 ohm 300 watt resistor, should be here any day.

A slower flow rate may increase the temperature per pass from about 20'F to over 30'F. That should melt frost off the windshield.

I may try a PWM controller at some point but its got to be very reliable.

[oil pan 4]

Right now the electric coolant pump (the key to warming the engine with out running it) is powered with the key switched on.
What ever you do don't turn the key off with the coolant heater on. It makes some weird noises. I am lucky I did not burn it out.

This is exactly why I am building a power supply to run the coolant pump with 240 volt AC power when the coolant heater is plugged in.

[Isaac Zackary]

I use a 1,600W heater on my VW Golf. (110V). The neat thing is that it doesn't have a pump. It's placed lower than the engine. As the water heats it starts to boil causing steam bubbles to form. Since the heater is placed as low as possible, these steam bubbles rise into the engine, pulling water along with it which also causes water to be sucked into the heater too. The way I have it set up some hot water also goes into the heater element inside the cab. By the time I start it I get instant heat. Of course I need a 110V outlet. When I'm stuck away from an outlet I can't even get the car to start when it gets too cold.

[oil pan 4]

I have 1,200 watts (two 600 watt 120 volt block heaters) on my diesel. They are my passive heaters. Plug in one or both, depending on how warm and how fast I want it.
Then I also have a smaller version of my 220 volt powered coolant heater on there too.

I went with 600 watt heaters because they were only $35 each. Any larger heater was double the price and I could not find anyone that had them in stock.

[AlaricD]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

[W]ith the engine off the vent controls have no vacuum to actuate the fan selector so the default mode blows all the air out the floor vents.
...
If the blower air would go to the defrost vents the heater would only need to be on for maybe 5 minutes before it would start to melt frost.

Can't you just put it in the defrost position when you shut down for the night? That way, the vacuum has already moved the flaps to the right position.

[oil pan 4]

Yes I tried that. When the system loses vacuum it defaults back to the floor vent. The little vent switcher must be spring loaded.

In my old Camaro with no vacuum going to the HVAC the heater vent selector defaults to defrost.

[AlaricD]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

Yes I tried that. When the system loses vacuum it defaults back to the floor vent. The little vent switcher must be spring loaded.

Maybe some kind of vacuum 'reservoir' could be added. Or maybe rig up a manual choke type cable to move the flap manually. Either one could be a lot of work...

I'm tempted to get something like https://www.frostfighter.com/clear-view-bus-front-windshield-defrosters.htm for the Previa. I don't know why more cars don't have a front defroster wire for the wiper parking area, it seems like a good idea. 'Course, doesn't warm up the rest of the car any faster, but for a freak snow/icestorm while you're at work/shopping/whatever, at least it'd help clear the windshield so you can get underway sooner (and help eliminate standing outside with the ice scraper).

[oil pan 4]

I like those wiper deicers. We get a lot of nights around here where it will dew a fair amount, then freeze. Just enough so you cant see out of the windows and freeze the wipers to the wind shield.
Be advised they recommend that you trim the length down to no less than 68 inches on those heater, the wind shield in my suburban is only about 60 inches, so the voltage will need to be reduced with a resistor.
I have seen anti icing systems malfunction and crack glass and we don't want that, then you have to replace the glass and the deicer.

I am going to put an electric vacuum pump in there eventually.
I have a diesel engine to put in this suburban.

Also check out:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ing-32969.html
I have had this wind shield washer fluid hear through 1 ice storm so far and it was totally worth it.
Only problem is the washer fluid still freezes up in the tip of the nozzle once the alcohol evaporates out. But adding some polypropylene "RV water line anti freeze" should fix that.

[AlaricD]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

Be advised they recommend that you trim the length down to no less than 68 inches on those heater, the wind shield in my suburban is only about 60 inches, so the voltage will need to be reduced with a resistor.

You *might*, depending on how it handles bending 'sideways', be able to make a sort of 'smile' for the glass you have the ends of the heater about 4" up along the side of the glass by the A pillar, then the 60" across, and 4" up again. Of course, you're not going to be at the extreme edges of the glass, so maybe it'll be more like 5" high on each side. This may also help keep the snow 'push' area clearer, too. Heck, if 68" is the shortest you can trim it, leave it even longer and start higher up the windshield on each end.