# Ceramic Heater with 1500W Inverter



## mons2b (Nov 17, 2015)

Vhclbldr said:


> After doing some research, I settled on a ceramic space heater to replace the stock heater core for my project vehicle. I tested out my plan and recorded it to YouTube in case anyone else wanted to see how well it works.
> 
> Http://youtu.be/u_Btx_Ef3GM[/QUOTE
> 
> ...


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## EVfun (Mar 14, 2010)

If you try and run a 1500 watt heater off of 12 volts you are going to need about 125 amps. Your 12 volt system is unlikely to be able to deliver that for very long. A DC to DC converter to charge the 12 volt battery and then an inverter to create the 120 volts AC are 2 extra power conversions, lowering efficiency.


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## mons2b (Nov 17, 2015)

Hi Ev. Then I should stick with plan A. 144v direct to tank heater.


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## Vhclbldr (Feb 8, 2014)

EVfun said:


> If you try and run a 1500 watt heater off of 12 volts you are going to need about 125 amps. Your 12 volt system is unlikely to be able to deliver that for very long. A DC to DC converter to charge the 12 volt battery and then an inverter to create the 120 volts AC are 2 extra power conversions, lowering efficiency.


True, but it also allows for safer (lower amperage) switching and I can add another outlet to charge a laptop or smartphone.
I am not too concerned about efficiency as far as the heat since my commute is only about ten minutes and I will have a solar array in the bed of the el Camino to top off the 12v system while parked.

If I can get a large enough array, I might even be able to charge the main pack, too.


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## WolfTronix (Feb 8, 2016)

If it gets cold where you are at, (below 0C)... 
Then you might need a bit more than 1.5kW...

I have a 2kW ceramic heater in my truck, and once it gets below freezing, it really does not have the power to heat up the cab.


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

mons2b said:


> Hi Ev. Then I should stick with plan A. 144v direct to tank heater.


Correct me if im wrong, but I've always thought ceramic heaters are the most efficient way to go with EV heating (Ceramic vs water tank)


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## Vhclbldr (Feb 8, 2014)

It gets about 0 Fahrenheit, at the worst, and I am planning on adding seat heaters, as well.
The cab of the el Camino is small enough, and with the proper insulation, 1500 watts should be enough.


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## Moltenmetal (Mar 20, 2014)

Roderick: direct heating of the air in the cabin will give you instant heat when you want it. 

Heating a water recirc loop which flows through the original heater core gives you one advantage: the ability to re-use the original heater core and fan arrangement without modifying it. That matters to some people a lot. In return you get additional complexity/parts which might fail, a lot more heat capacity that has to be heated up from cold before the cabin gets warm, and potential heat losses to parts of the car that don't need heat (i.e. the engine compartment). So even though in both cases the electric heater element is 100% efficient at converting electrical energy to heat, water heating is less efficient.

The heat capacity of the coolant is annoying when you're starting from cold, but unfortunately it stores a minuscule amount of heat for a comparatively large amount of mass, so it's of no use for storing heat before you drive away. Pre-warming the entire mass of the cabin components by running your heater off the AC mains before driving away would be of more practical use for your comfort than having a few gallons of coolant pre-heated.


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## EVfun (Mar 14, 2010)

Roderick said:


> Correct me if im wrong, but I've always thought ceramic heaters are the most efficient way to go with EV heating (Ceramic vs water tank)


I would recommend a ceramic heater powered by the battery pack. I built one EV with 2 of them (3000 watts in the cab of a Rabbit Pickup made for great heat) and another EV with a single ceramic heater, both powered directly from the battery pack. The biggest thing is using a relay with a proper DC voltage rating.

Using ceramic heater can make the heating system better than stock with nearly instant hot air.


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