

| Subject: | Re: Auxiliary Heater (fwd) |
| From: | John Pinkham |
| Date: | Thu, 21 Apr 94 10:00:56 EDT |
Not too sure what you have in mind, but it sounds like a heat pump. The evaporator which normally removes heat from the vehicle interior would be recircuited to reject heat. The condenser which normally rejects heat to the outside air would in this case cool it. One problem is that heat pumps lose efficiency with decreasing ambient temperature and typically need supplemental electrical resistance heating below around 40 degrees F. Another problem is the Clean Air Act which puts a crimp in the supply and servicing of R-12 refrigerant, which is typically used in vehicle a/c systems. And of course, the vehicle engine needs to be spinning the a/c compressor to make the system work. If you just want to run hot water to the evaporator you would need to compare its size with that of a heater core. Not too sure if the engine coolant would be compatible with the evaporator core materials. An after-market heater core for a Ford/etc. isn't that expensive. Or a wrecking yard would have lots to choose from. Then there are controls to worry about. John Pinkham Portland, OR '91 Camper
Have something to add on this topic today? Revive this thread in the forum »