Can You Put A Space Heater In A Car? - Expert Heater Tips

Source: DHgate, Tag: Home Garden

Cars have a habit of getting pretty cold during the winter season, but can you put a space heater in your vehicle to help to warm you up?

• The space heater provides you with warmth during the winter season. Although it is a portable and effective tool to heat up a small space or room, the space heater appliance can also be used in your vehicle to warm.
  Thanks to newer models that are made to fit into the space you want it, and not necessarily plug it to a direct power source like the wall socket before using them. With different types of space heaters out there and available in different sizes, it's completely normal to expand its use beyond your home and office space. This is why there have questions from people if they can use the space heater in their car.

• Before putting a space heater in your car, you must think about the safety, detailed information, or research about the experience of those who put a space heater in their car before buying a heater. Also, you need to know if you should use a generally available volt heater like a 120-volt or 12-volt heater and the amount of wattage needed to warm up your car. Safety is crucial when making your decision because the major challenges you may face using a space heater in your car are; power supply, fire accident, and heat transfer. Just like using a space heater in your home, it is crucial not to leave a space heater unattended in your car to prevent fire hazards.
  While there are improved models of space heaters designed basically for vehicles, you can also use some residential heaters to warm up your car. Although they are not designed to be used in cars, they are not recommended to be used for that purpose; hence, if you use them, it is solely at your own risk. Old models experience overheating, but the newer ones do not heat up rapidly like the old ones; this is why it's risky to use a residential space heater to warm up vehicles. Although you can use most of the residential space heater in your vehicle, it's more effective and safe to use a 12-volt heater to connect a 120- volt heater into an inverter. The reason is that putting a 12V heater when your car is off will rapidly empty your battery to a level where your car will be able to start.
  Let's take a look at the different space heaters methods you can use to warm up your car.
  Difference between a Residential Space Heater and 12-V Electric Car Heaters
  Functionality
  The commonly used devices for warming up vehicles are the residential space heaters and 12- Volts electric car heaters. The residential space heaters are uniquely designed to work on AC power. Ideally, the electrical systems in vehicles supply 12 Volt DC and can be unstable, like going up and down depending on the power level of the battery and the total load on the system.
  When using the residential space heater to heat your car, connect it into an inverter, then the inverter changes DC energy from your car's electrical system to AC power required by the heater to warm up your car. Space heaters designed solely to heat your car operate on direct current instead of alternate current; this means that you don't need an inverter to run them. Plugging your space heaters for your vehicle may seem impossible, but there are 12-volts car space heaters that have a specific accessory socket for the plug-in. But the limitation is that the heaters supply a low amount of heat.
  The strongest 12 V car heaters need a direct connection to the car battery because of their high amperage. When a space heater is used to replace a faulty car heater system, it is advisable to use a 12V heater. But if you need to warm up your car before going out on a cold morning, using a 120V space heater is more preferable, while the 120V residential space heater can be connected to an easy outlet with a good extension cord made for outdoor purposes.
  Safety
  The important thing to consider about using any space heater in a car is whether putting a space heater in your car will not trigger a fire outbreak in the long run? If you are using residential space heaters, most of these devices warn that all flammable materials should be kept a little distance away from the heaters. The precise meters can be different, but the recommendation is a few feet apart; this makes it complex to find a safe space to put a residential space heater in your vehicle.
  Putting an electric heater in your vehicle makes safety unachievable, but if you must do this, you have to be cautious enough by avoiding putting the heater close to flammable materials. On the other hand, the 12-volts car heaters are solely created for automotive use because they are safer to use in automobiles than residential space heaters. When installing your heater, you need to be careful because wiring a 12-volt heater can increase your risk of fire hazards if it's not done right.
  Space Size and Energy Transfer
  When considering a space heater to warm up your car, you need to think of the air volume required to warm up, including the heat loss. Cars are not just confined in space but are also poorly insulated compared to offices and homes. An example of this is your car getting hot once parked under the sun and rapidly losing heat when the engine is turned off during winter.
  A residential space heater designed to heat a 10 square feet room is likely to heat the interior volume of a small size car or truck without stress, including heat loss that begins to add up. Suppose you try to leave the heater unattended to throughout the night. It can result in an alarming electricity bill, but to prevent this, use a timer or thermostat to control the energy consumption.
  The Different types of Pug-In Car Heaters
  The main plug-in car heater options are of two types but are not designed to run equally.

  • 120 V residential space heaters: These electric space heaters are connected to the wall. They are effective, but their ability to supply heat is reduced by size, while the big space heaters can supply heat to bigger spaces to the interior of a vehicle. Most 120V residential space heaters are not safe when used in confined or small spaces and are not portable in size.

  • 12V portable car heaters: The 12V portable car heaters are electric space heaters but operate using the 12 V direct current provided in your vehicle. The heaters are mainly limited by the degree of amperage they can safely use from the limited resources provided by your car's electrical system. The heat supplied is not enough compared to a factory's heating system.

• These Plug-in car heaters are into subtypes which are;

  • Wire elements heaters

  • Radiative or infrared heaters

  • Convective heaters

  • Halogen heaters

  • Ceramic infrared heaters

  • Oil heaters

• Some of these subtypes can be conveniently used in limited spaces like vehicles. The major if not the only challenge with some of these heaters is their increased risk of triggering fire when in close contact with combustible objects or materials. Also, some of the heaters are not convenient to use in small and enclosed spaces because they consume and displace available oxygen in that space.
  How to use 120V plug-in heater with an Inverter
  An effective way to use a 120V plug-in space heater to replace a factory heating system is to set up an inverter. Inverter installed can be wired directly to the battery or connected to a 12 V socket; the limitation is that most space heaters consume excess amperage for use with cigarette lighter inverters. If you decide to use 120 V plug-in car heaters with an inverter, here are important things you need to keep in mind.

  • Operating the heater when the engine is shut off will rapidly consume the battery

  • The factory alternator may not be strong enough, particularly for high-wattage heaters.

• 1. If your aim of using a plug-in heater in your car is to warm it up before driving, connecting it into your car's electrical system with an inverter may not be ideal. It's better to use an extension cord to the car from a suitable outlet.
     How to use 120V plug-in heater without an inverter
     The reason for running a plug-in heater in a car is to warm up the inside before commuting, so using an extension cord is convenient and an ideal solution to using an inverter. For instance, in cold regions where cars are usually coupled with block heaters. It is possible to equip more outlets to the block heater connection, which conveniently connects a 120 V space heater. If your car doesn't have a block heater, there might be enough space to close an extension cord in one of the car doors. If it's not possible, the next option is to use an extension cord is through the firewall, which is done by creating a hole and passing the extension cord through the engine compartment.
     How to use 12 V plug-in heaters
     12 V plug-in car heaters use a cigarette lighter socket plug, which is essentially limited in wattage. The units can only supply a reduced amount of heat, and when heat is needed, you can use a 120V plug-in heater or run a stronger 12 V heater directly to your car battery.
     Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
     How can I warm my car overnight?
     Suppose you need to warm your car overnight before driving in the morning. In that case, all you need to do is to use either the residential space heater or the portable electric heaters, particularly the 120 V heaters, either with an inverter or run through an extension cord with an accessory socket. However, leaving your heater running overnight can either drain your battery or leave you with a ridiculous power bill the next morning. But to avoid this, it is ideal that you use a timer to regulate the power consumption.
     Are electric heaters safe?
     Electric heaters could be safe if you applied necessary caution when charging by taking combustible materials away from the surrounding heaters. Please don't leave it unattended to prevent fire outbreaks. If you can keep to these, yes, an electric heater is safe to use in the car.
     How efficient are portable car space heaters?
     Portable electric heaters are very efficient and reliable. The main of everyone using the device to warm-up their car because of cold; the devices have been able to deliver this task properly. All you need to do is to choose the perfect one for your need and budget.
     How long do electric car heaters last?
     Electric heaters can supply heat or warmth for a short period and a long period. The ability to supply warmth effectively depends on factors like the device's size, the space it supplies heat, the degree of voltage or power used up, and heat loss. If you use a heater that can supply heat for a long period, it should be able to last for hours, while the one that can supply for a short period can also last for a few hours. Above all, you can still have your desired temperature or heat at the end of the day.
     Conclusion
     Many people have been using space heaters, including some residential space heaters in their vehicles, and it has been able to work effectively and serve its purpose. However, you are advised to use caution and keep combustible objects or materials away from the heater. This article provided you with the information needed to choose the right electric heaters for your car, safer options to choose from, and how the sizes of the heater can affect the heat supplied in a room or vehicle. Not to forget that the major limitation to the use of an electric heater are power supply, heat loss or energy transfer, and fire outbreaks.