Climate control: electric heat?

Digitalchaos

Registered User
I recently had a heater core failure which has caused me to investigate the factory implementation of coolant based heating within our cars. I am a fan of simplicity in any system, and after observing the routing for the plumbing, the layout for the heater/evap cores in the Hvac box, the work required to access it, ect, I had thoughts about eliminating the factory heat altogether by removing the core and bypassing @ the steel lines, or even capping them off where they start.

I am wondering if anyone has ever installed a form of electric heating in any car beyond simply connnecting a portable automotive heater and setting it aside. If so, or if you have any insight on how such a task would be accomplished, I would like to learn what you did/would do.

Thanks!
 
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It takes a lot of electric power to generate as much heat as you can get from the motor. More power than the stock alternator could deliver.

You could switch to using a water control valve and a cable if you want.
 
Thanks Mike. You are not alone in your response about power generation issues; I didn't consider this & think my idea simply came from those little portable auto heaters sold at Walmart.

Could you describe further what you meant when you said switch to a water control valve & cable?
 
The Stock SC uses a blend door mechanism to control outlet temp. This door varies the flow of air through the evaporator and the heater core to set a temp.

Older cars that had seperate heat and cooling systems use a water control valve that is operated by a cable. The water control valve would sit in the inlet of hot water into the heater core. Basically a ball valve. Then with a lever in the car connected to the valve via a cable, you adjust the temp in the car by adjusting the amount of water allowed to flow through the core.

To do this, you can simplify the box by not caring if air flows through the heater core or not because if the valve is closed, there isn't any water flowing through it anyway.

Personally I don't find much issue with the SC design, simply because that's how many are. To replace the heater core in my Durango I have to pull the dash. Dodge just made it a bit easier to do it.

And for those reading along, the way to keep your Heater core solid is to keep your coolant changed regularly. The additives in coolant that prevent corrosion will typically be gone long before coolant will stop protecting you from freeze or overheat. It's the additive pack that prevents corrosion that's the most important part and it's components are used up as it chemcially reacts with the materials it's protecting. Thus it needs to be replenished.
 
I have not attempted to put in an electric heating system, but I did want to say that it is kind of nice to have the ability to turn on the heat to help an engine overheating problem. At least until you can get to a shop and get it fixed. I know that has helped me on one occurance where it turned out that my radiator was partially clogged. I had to drive on the interstate in the midwest in the middle of summer with the heat on full blast for about 30 miles! Not too fun!
 
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