# heater ideas



## dougingraham (Jul 26, 2011)

emosun said:


> Need some ideas for heating system.
> 
> I've read the batteries themselves can heat the inside of the car simply from being used or being charged but something tells me that isn't going to be enough.
> 
> ...


The batteries heat very little unless you are operating them near or over their C rating. And at that it would not be enough to heat the interior of the car. In the coldest places there is some desire to heat the batteries because they perform poorly when cold. Other things that generate heat are controller and motor but there is not enough heat to do much good and it is difficult to get it where you want it..

Most DIYers use traction battery power to heat a ceramic heater core that replaces the original heater core or they heat water and circulate that through the original heater core.

As you point out this uses quite a bit of power, in my case about 12 miles per hour of range reduction when first turned on. It drops off after the vehicle gets warmed up. I am using two ceramic heater elements from cheap space heaters (a little less than 3000 watts).

A heat pump would use perhaps 1/5 of the power but would take considerably longer to heat up the car. Directly heating the air with a ceramic heater element is probably the fastest method of making heat.


----------



## emosun (Jul 21, 2012)

So I would put this ceramic element in the cars current ventalation system?

I was also considering an oil heater for the AC heater for when it's charging , I get the feeling those oil heaters retain their heat for quite a while after they are unplugged.


----------



## dougingraham (Jul 26, 2011)

emosun said:


> So I would put this ceramic element in the cars current ventalation system?
> 
> I was also considering an oil heater for the AC heater for when it's charging , I get the feeling those oil heaters retain their heat for quite a while after they are unplugged.


What most do is gut the water heat exchanger and mount the ceramic element in that. Makes for a neat installation as all the original fittings work.

As long as it isn't below freezing I don't think there is much problem with charging. I will be charging in my garage which moderates the temperature some and my battery boxes are insulated with 1/2" blue foam. If it turns out this isn't enough I have a plan to make a heater insert consisting of a length of Nichrome wire bonded to an aluminum plate to go under the batteries. The length of the Nichrome wire will determine how much heat is generated. This should be more than enough inside an insulated box to keep the batteries from getting too cold to charge properly. I am not going to do this initially because I suspect that it won't be necessary. I will charge as soon as I get home and the batteries should be warmed from the drive.


----------



## emosun (Jul 21, 2012)

Oh sry i meant for myself.

I was thinking of an oil heater to warm up the car for me. Then when I go to drive it i would unplug it and not have to use the cars power for heat.

I was thinking an oil heater might be good for that because after you unplug them they are generally still warm.


----------



## onegreenev (May 18, 2012)

Yes the oil heater would be fine but you must remember to plug it in when you charge and to unplug when you stop charging unless you have a fool proof way to start up and shut down. The Ceramic Heater could then be used for the return trip. My idea is a heat sink of oil for heating the interior with AC power before you need to drive away. You need to find a way to start the heat before you need it and to be sure you shut it off just before you leave. Shut down too soon and you loose a lot of heat. I actually like the Ceramic idea because they are safe and give nearly instant heat. You could use the instant hot water heaters to heat your water and utilize your original heater system as well keeping the water. Both would do well but both require a reasonable sized pack and reasonable voltage as well. 96 volts is pretty much on the low side and you should have 120 or so volts.


----------



## emosun (Jul 21, 2012)

onegreenev said:


> My idea is a heat sink of oil for heating the interior with AC power before you need to drive away. You need to find a way to start the heat before you need it and to be sure you shut it off just before you leave.


Yes this is what I was thinking too.

I could just tie the charger and heater together so when the car is plugged in it warms up , and when I go to leave it'll just shut off from the charger being unplugged.

What I won't have is a way to heat the car when it's already out and about.

Fro that I was thinking a combination of dash heaters and electric seats.


----------



## onegreenev (May 18, 2012)

Just tie in a Ceramic Heater to your normal heating system and you will be fine for the drive. Heating the seats could be helpful but you will really only have warm butt. If you want to go that way you could have a heated knitted cap and heated gloves and socks. But who wants that. Get a real heater. Ceramic or Hot Water type. I will be putting one in for my VW. It must be retrofit but it will work.


----------



## dtbaker (Jan 5, 2008)

I opted for ceramic heater in ductwork.... limited room in engine bay for heater+pump and I crushed heater core inlet/outlet when removing the motor made this the way to go for me. I went with 1500 watt heater, but would recommend 3000 watts for good windshield clearing.


----------



## Rob_of_Waterloo (Nov 2, 2011)

Another picture for your reference. I arranged the wiring so I can connect the individual ceramic elements in series or parallel.


----------



## Salty9 (Jul 13, 2009)

Have you considered Glauber's salt? It has a fusion temp of 32C and absorbs or releases about 80 calories per gram in changing phases.


----------



## mizlplix (May 1, 2011)

A common hair dryer works fine too. One for feet and one for defroster. Mine put out 1,600watts each. Better than some heaters.

Miz


----------

