Electric Heat, Any good way to add it? Options

[914fun]

Anyone know of a way to add electric heat and defrost? I have no heat exchangers and instead of adding them Id like to come up with a way to add some heat with electric heaters. The car will not be driven when it is very cold out.

[Tom]

Power requirements would be too great. Power in watts is Current (amps) X voltage. P=IE Say you have a 1200 watt heater - think hair dryer. Divide 1200 by volts (12) and you would need 100 amps. Not only large alternator, but some pretty large wire to supply the heater also.
SSHE's and a good blower!
Tom

[914Mike]

Power requirements would be too great. Power in watts is Current (amps) X voltage. P=IE Say you have a 1200 watt heater - think hair dryer. Divide 1200 by volts (12) and you would need 100 amps. Not only large alternator, but some pretty large wire to supply the heater also.
SSHE's and a good blower!
Tom

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Remember that the blower needs a check valve to prevent cooling air loss when its not running...

I, f you change the voltage to 120 you only need 10 Amps... The heaters in my electric conversion are "1500" Watt ceramic heater cores running on 144VDC, drawing 15 Amps for the pair. Serious heat! Mounted under the cowl next to the hood springs so losses through the longs are avoided, as well as the condensation in there.
If you are serious about electric heat, just get a huge deep cycle battery, (like a Caterpillar batt!) and an inverter that can handle one of those 1500 Watt heaters (Say 3KW continuous rating.) Recharge the battery at home so it does not need to be connected to your dinky alt, in summer time you can take the whole thing out and leave it home! You need to size the battery to provide power for the length of you trip of course. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

P.S.
You can see pics on Roadglue of my heaters. (Alt Power forum.) Still working on it! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif)