Are you wondering how does car heater work? As we humans are fond of learning and sharing knowledge and facts.
An interesting fact about the car heater is that it was introduced even before the car AC was invented. And the structure of the heater has just changed a little bit since its introduction in the cars.
This article is a complete package about the car heater as it includes the heating mechanism, its maintenance, and the identification of some common issues. The thermostat, water pump, coolant, and radiator contribute to heating the car cabin and cooling the car engine.
Facts On How Car Heater Work
The car heater keeps you warm during commuting to make your ride cozy and comfortable. This guide on how does car heater work could also be named as how does car engine cools. Because the primary function of the heater is to suck hot air from the engine and blow it inside your car.
#1. Location of heater parts and their function
In this section, we will tell you the function and location of every part of the heater. The heater core is located inside the dashboard or on the HVAC housing near the car’s firewall. The body has an inlet and outlet for the movement of coolant. The heater control valve plays another essential part by controlling the amount of coolant flowing through the heater core. This valve could be located on any of the heater hoses.
#2. The whole procedure
When you turn on the heater from the HVAC control panel of your car, the car engine sends coolant to the radiator if the thermostat allows it to do so. The thermostat does not open until the engine is heated up to a specific limit. After reaching the radiator or the heater core, whose function is to exchange the heat, the coolant circulates, and a blower motor sends the hot air inside the car.
#3. Proper maintenance
Every car owner who uses the heater regularly must know that your car’s heating system is directly connected with the car engine’s cooling system body like a heated machine or a heater that blows cool air. Every time you go for the maintenance and checking of your car, don’t forget to check the heater system because it is vulnerable to car life. These parts of the vehicle need to be in perfect condition.
Thermostat: The thermostat should be opening and closing correctly because this part is most responsible for coolant flow and heat transfer.
Water pump: The water pump should circulate the coolant effectively.
Radiator & heater: The radiator and heater core of the car must be dirt-free and leak-protected to heat the vehicle.
#4. Replace/refill the coolant
As you read above, the role of coolant to warm up the cabin is the most important. But you must also know that you have to refill the coolant after traveling for almost 30,000 miles. Your car and car heater will be happy and relaxed if you change the coolant regularly. The coolant plus water should be at the maximum temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit in your car to avoid any inconvenience regarding the car heater. And, the commuting will become super enjoyable no matter what the weather is outside.
#5. Before turning on the heater
As you already know, the heater is connected to the engine’s cooling system. The thermostat opens up to allow the coolant to flow through when the engine becomes hot. The temperature of surroundings also affects the time required for the car engine and the heater to heat up. For example, the machine will heat up quickly in a hot area compared to a low temperature. You may also want to read about car heater not blowing hot air.
Why Your Car Heater Is Not Working?
The heater of your car does not work if any of these parts has some issue:
Engine
If you noticed that heater is blowing cold or semi-cold air, the reason could be the unheated engine that could not provide coolant.
Heater core
Some viscous coolant accumulates inside the heater core, thus blocking the way and hot air. Alternatively, maybe you have plugged the heater core, and it does not let the coolant pass through, and you cannot receive the hot air in your car.
Blower motor
Sometimes, the blower motor is worn out and refuses to function. The coolant cannot move in this condition, and the car remains cold from inside. There might be 7 reasons your car heater isn’t working properly, and you should always consider checking those out.
It’s A Wrap!
We hope that you understand how does car heater work and will be able to fix minor issues in your car. Knowing, improving, and changing the things around ourselves is relaxing that makes our life productive and fun-filled. The information fills our life with such a joy that comes after having a chocolate-filled lava cake. You may want to read related articles; know why is my car heater not working and how to make car heater warm up faster.