Great video I don't know why so many people would dislike also you have an excellent voice we bought a similar item without a flashlight at Pilot for about 17 bucks and it actually helped save us when our van died about a week ago we had several blankets in the van which help but this is great if you have a cigarette lighter that works even though your switch is off if you try to plug it into one that doesn't run when the switch is off it will blow the fuse you can with Parental Guidance I might add put this heater under blankets and it will heat up much better LOL like make a tent with it so it is actually a super thing to have an even a safety device for your vehicle. it ran for hours for us until a nice gentleman came and helped take us to the local convenience store to get warm as Progressive Roadside assistance only allows two people to go with them in their vehicle and we had four in our van. I highly encourage everyone to buy one of these for safety in your vehicle in the winter. 👍 please like our baseball ⚾️ cause called help start Capital League Baseball peace out
listen guys, this isnt for a heater, its for ur windshield fogging up. it works just fine. sure its not gonna defrost a windshield with ice or anything but it defogs the driverside part of the windshield perfectly fine. i paid 12$ for this with the 20% off so it was worth it
When used for an intended purpose, yes. It can't possibly replace the heat in the car, which is what most people with broken heat that were quoted $1000 by their mechanic want. Not for 12 bucks. Mechanics are rip-off artists, yes, but not for that much disparity.
Thanks for doing a great review on this heater. I have an old truck and was wondering about buying one of these for the wind shield right in line with driver's view. You have showed that for 10 bucks or less it is a reality. I will install a home run #12 wire to my battery in the truck and rely on the internal fuse in the heater itself. Thanks for a professional look at it~!
I just tried that thing for 5 minutes and the wire got really hot, like more heat is going into wire than that ceramic thing. I will make a video soon about it, using my heat sensors and watt usage sensors.
@@jaykay18 the 22 awg wire melted. The heaters 18 awg did not melt but got warm. 16 awg silicone wire works great for that heater and did not really get warm. I looked it all up. 16 awg silicone can do 30 amps, the cheap 16 awg does 20 amps and the cheap 18 awg does 15 amps. Unless the heaters internal components will burn up I think with a direct connection to the battery using silicone wire this heater will be able to run longer than 20 minutes. I will try it for 1 hour later when I find time.
@@jstewart627 Your findings are exactly correct. You don't want to be pulling this kind of current from the lighter socket. Many have retrofitted theirs with battery clamps and hook it straight to the battery, along with lower gauge wire, and it works much better. There are also other heaters out there that are purpose built to hook to the battery directly.
@@jaykay18 ya, I am being cheap, but good to know. I am running this heater for 2 hours in my garage now to see if this model fails. I will let you know if it fails.
Thanks for the review. I have a project I want to try this on so I'm just curious about it putting out 150 degree heat which you provided in your informative review. Thanks. I did buy one but it said to only run it for 20 minutes before shutting it off to let it cool, so I took it back. Maybe you can ignore that warning? Maybe that's simply to keep the battery from running down and nothing to do with the device overheating? Also, I have one of the Lasko 200 watt AC heaters. It puts out a bunch of heat and a good airflow. This would be around 144 watts. Should it feel that much different than the Lasko? Finally, it maybe would have been helpful if you would have put a kleenex or something in front of it to show air movement. But thanks for taking the time to review it.
Thank you Jim! As for the 20 minute warning, if you have a suitable power supply, you could try running it for longer than 20 minutes. That warning may be there to prevent it from internally melting the plastic, but in this regard it's probably to prevent people from doing stupid things with it. Sure, like anyone actually reads directions. I ALSO have one of the Lasko 200 watt heaters (th-cam.com/video/Y9IDRXLQ058/w-d-xo.html). Would this Harbor Freight thing put out less heat? I'd think so, considering it's 12 volts, and trying to pull a considerable amperage through the wires, which would create more and more resistance. As for the kleenex idea, I find that to be a useless measuring tool. I used an anemometer, which gave you real-world numbers to determine the airflow. Ever see offices where they hang ribbons or paper strips from the ceiling vents so they can see if it's on? Yep--that's what they are there for--to see if it's on or off--it doesn't give any sort of accuracy in measuring airflow whatsoever.
I bought this yesterday because the blower in my vehicle stopped working. It worked for literally 5 minutes and now the cigarette lighter in my vehicle doesn't work anymore. During the 5 minutes that it was working, there was no hot air.
I have a Dodge Durango and heater kept blowing the 15 amp fuse. I had to run a cable direct to the battery along with a new cigarette lighter and fuse attachment. After I set everything up the heater wouldn’t run. I retraced my steps to ensure I didn’t miss anything when I checked the fuse it blew the 25 amp fuse. I put in a 30 and it immediately blew it also. Finally I put in a 40 amp fuse and it’s been working fine. My commute is about 40 minutes each way and it runs the entire time clearing the windshield enough for me to drive and also raises the temperature some what higher than the outside temperature. The cable, cigarette lighter and fuse attachment ran me to 45.00 at auto-zone.
I would strongly suggest you put an ammeter on there and find out how much it's actually pulling. Back in the old days when people had fuseboxes rather than circuit breakers, a common "quick fix" was to use pennies in place of a burned fuse. Most of those who forgot and overloaded the circuit again burned their house down. It sounds like that's what you did by replacing fuses with larger values. Check first with a meter.
Weird. The smallest wire is the one that will heat up and break, and that would be the 15 amp fuse in the unit itself. Perhaps that's made to such "exacting tolerances" that it's way more than 15 amps that it can handle.
I love this Harbor Freight defroster because it helps me get the kids to school. But it shorts out the fuses of my 12-volt cigarette lighter within about 20 minutes, maybe less. Is there an alternative to using that as a power source, if it blows out my lighter (and I have to change out fuses)? I don't know what I'm going to do with Winter setting in? And it's suppose to snow tomorrow! Brrr... What about a handheld battery jumper that charges with a USB cord? Could I safely plug it in with the jump cable adapters and have the battery pack charging meanwhile from a USB charger for the 12-volt? Or could I use the Harbor Freight Probolic Heater (I love that thing!), and just plug it into a plug adapter for the 12-volt cigarette lighter and not only melt the ice but heat the van?!! I drive a 2006 Honda Odyssey. Any ideas would be truly helpful.
I'm afraid you're going to get a lesson in how this all works, unless you want your van to catch fire, which would be far worse. The FIRST THING you need to do is read the instructions that came with the heater. It says to use it UP TO 20 minutes. If you're blowing fuses in the van, that means it's overloading the circuit. And it's GOING TO overload the circuit. Just like in your house, you may have had maybe the washer going, then went to vacuum, and the circuit breaker blew. That's because both were on the same circuit. You still got a good few minutes of vacuuming in before it blew though. That's exactly what's happening with your heater and the wiring in the van. Any heater requires a TREMENDOUS amount of current. If you have that current available to supply to the device, everything's fine. If you don't, problems start happening. It's extremely dangerous to leave this to heat the van while you're doing other stuff. ANY space heater, of ANY kind, should NEVER, EVER be left unattended. I use space heaters in my house from time to time. In the event I have to leave the room for any reason, even for just 10 seconds to grab something in the next room, I switch it off. They are quite dangerous devices. The next issue is, cars run on 12 volts. The house runs on 120. If you have an electric stove or oven, you may have noticed that it runs on 240 volts, that's because you can deliver quite a bit more current at that voltage than you can under 120. Even 120 is quite limited, then you go to the car which is 12 volts, and you have 1/10th of that. Even if this heater ran for 20 minutes, even 30 minutes without blowing fuses and burning down the van, do you want to come outside to a dead battery? Or, if you're leaving it running, use the heat the van came with. If the heat doesn't work, this heater is no substitute, get it fixed. As for using the jump pack, you can do that, but you'd have to hook the clamps onto the plug (most that have lighter sockets won't deliver the current needed). Even then, wouldn't the pack be better used when you're stranded 500 miles from home and have a dead battery, in a bad neighborhood? Not to mention, it's going to take hours upon hours upon hours to recharge the battery pack, not a very efficient way of working. EVERY DAY, recharging it. Using your parabolic heater off an inverter, once again, is an incredibly inefficient way to heat. The power needed for the inverter, in order to power the heater, far exceeds what your lighter socket can put out. You can't get something for nothing. If that inverter were hard-wired to the van's battery, and you had a special deep-cycle battery, you might be able to get away with that, but again, you run the risk of killing the battery unless the van is running. My best recommendation would be to go out and start the van early and let it run. Again, if the heat in it doesn't work, get it fixed.
You've got to check the fuse going to the cigarette lighter sockets and see what they are rated for. If it's 15 amps or higher, yes, it will work. It's entirely possible it can slightly heat up the truck, but it depends on how long you're going to leave it on. If you're going to leave it for 15 minutes, you probably won't notice any appreciable difference. An hour, maybe, more than that, probably yes. As far as the 57 Chevy, as long as there's a cigarette lighter connection and it's rated for at least 15 amps (I would expect there would be--practically everyone smoked back then), then yes. You might inspect the wiring going to it first, you never know what may have happened over the years.
No, but that doesn't sound like a bad idea in retrospect. The manufacturer did, which is why there is the 15 amp fuse in place, but who knows how accurate their measurements were! It's going to pull between 10 and 15 amps, but since most vehicles will only deliver 10 amps through the lighter socket (unless it's an older vehicle), I'd be really cautious about using it. Next time you have the hood open on your car, take a look how thick the wires going to the headlights are. I understand there are 2 of them, but most cars protect that with a 30-amp circuit breaker--now you can see how thin of a wire they use to carry 15 amps..
You can plug it in the cigarette lighter, IF you check the fuse for your lighter socket first and ensure it can handle it. Otherwise you'll blow the fuse in the car and have a bigger mess than you started with. Alternatively, you can chop the plug off, hook alligator clamps to it and run it directly off your battery.
Kyle Blank Well if you're attaching directly to the battery you'll have alligator clips. That being the case it'll be temporary, so you'd open the hood to connect the clips, run the wire out from under the hood by the cowl, and basically crack the window open. For a more professional install you'd have to follow an existing cable that runs through the firewall, and feed the wire through there. Typically that's going to be more trouble than it's worth.
I have yet to see a positive review on these things. I understand why you didn't video using this in the car, but honestly, a true review will be put to the test. Meaning, actually take it and plug it into a car during winter and see how well or how crappy it works. But if this puppy blows fuses when plugged in, and gets as many horrible reviews as it has, it really needs to be recalled.
I understand what you're saying about putting it to the test. But it's simply not going to do what people expect it to. There's only so much current that can be delivered over 12 volts, that's the major setback. And it's not a design flaw with the unit either. Ever since the Japanese car invasion in the US, since about the mid 1980s, they've been using cheaper and cheaper wiring since. Nowadays the only thing people use a cigarette lighter for is to charge their phone. So if you go and plug this power-hungry heater into that lighter socket, which is now wired with "Christmas lights" wiring, you stand a good chance of blowing the vehicle's fuse. This is not a defect with this product at all. The fact of the matter is that NO 12 volt heater will work better than another. Again, there's only so many amps that can delivered over the wires they use, and nowadays the cars have cheapened out even more on their wiring. The other problem is people expect the world from this thing, and it doesn't deliver, simply because it can't. Cars have always used a heater core which has hot coolant from the engine circulating through it, to heat the cab. The heat is available and free. Most people are under the impression that when the heat in their car breaks, they're simply able to buy a 12 dollar heater, plug it in, and it'll work the same. If you've ever needed a heater core replaced in a vehicle, you'd know it's hundreds and hundreds of dollars in labor. If it were so easy to plug a 12 volt heater in, wouldn't auto manufacturers have switched to using that, so they can save the manufacturing costs? Nobody thinks these things through first, they jump to conclusions and blame the product.
Perhaps, but it's still a considerable amount of current; you're not getting 15 amps through a solar panel. If you have a deep cycle battery, then yes, but it'll drain it pretty quickly.
@@jaykay18 Just guessing, but I doubt it uses anywhere near 15 amps with that tiny cord, plastic housing, and that rating is just so people aren't irresponsible using it. I have 4 group 29 batteries in my bedroom solar system, which has run a 400 watt heater, a 550 watt air conditioner, and a fridge plus a freezer for days during power outages (not together at the same time). These small solar systems can be great; large batteries, good Sun, and God's grace makes a great setup.
Probably more like 13 amps, but remember that's at 12 volts. The other devices you mention sound like they run on standard 120 volt power through an inverter. And yes, if you have a nice big battery bank like you describe, it should run it for some time.
We have a landrover discovery II. The heater core went. We can't afford right now to get it fixed. Nice time to blow. Anyway, my son will need it to defrost the windshield. We do have a lighter socket in front and in the rear of the vehicle. Do you think we could use one for the front and one for the back? Also, will we be able to use this in a 2001 Landrover, the voltage ok on that. Don't know if it's 15 AMPs or not.
+Lucy Hennessey I'm not the maker of the car, unfortunately, so I can't directly answer that question. I would check the fusebox(es) and see what fuses they have for "cig" or "acc". I can guarantee that using one for the front, and the back, will DOUBLE your heater repair bill to include a new alternator. Personally, I think you missed the point of this video, it's not going to heat the car to anything acceptable. With all due respect here I'm going to get brutally frank and say if you can't afford the repair bills of such a vehicle, you should really not own it. Again, I mean no disrespect, but with a high-end vehicle, you have to expect high-end repair bills. I would use one, and only one, and it's going to take some time to defrost the windshield before he gets going. That means going out 20 minutes early and firing it up and letting that run for a good 20-30 minutes. Sometimes the inconvenience outweighs the cost. You're best, and safest, getting it fixed sooner than later.
I live in Michigan. Front window frosts on the inside. Takes at least 20 minutes of engine running after work to safely drive home at night. I stay with the car, don't want it stolen, cold wait & just want to get home. I agree with this review. If you need a heater, spend more money on something intended for that purpose. If you need to defrost a window so you can get on the road 5-10 minutes quicker, this seems to be putting out enough heat to do that.
I like it. Cars take 10 minutes to even start throwing heat. Then it takes even more time to clear the window once it starts. This throws heat during the 10 minutes I would otherwise be just sitting there freezing my arse off and wasting gas. Hate to admit sometimes starting to drive with half the windshield still frosted. Can't possibly be worse than having nothing at all. Still takes time, but expect it to be much less.
Agreed! For your next mod, wire it directly to the battery rather than through the cigarette lighter and it'll probably work a little better than it has been. Car manufacturers ,use the absolute cheapest wiring they can get away with. If you ever saw the wires that go to your headlights you'd compare it to Christmas light wiring. That wiring to the cigarette lighter, while it can just barely handle the current of the heater, is also starving the heater of current. I guarantee you, the wiring of the car would be quite warm if you felt it. Not enough to burst into flames, just enough to feel uncomfortable to you or I, while still being in safe limits.
Hi I would like to get your info on this for my needs.I have a very small green house 4x4feet. I Have the harbor fright 45 watt solar set up with one ex 15 watt panel all set up in the green house with 2 big deep cycle boat battery s.i can add more if needed.I am thinking of getting 2-or 3 of these just to keep the Temp up a few degrees with out it paying for electric from my house. Also in line is a 2000 watt inverter off the batterys. If needed .thanks for any help u can though into this set up.
Quite honestly you might do all right with a couple of these, but they pull quite a bit of current. I honestly don't know how long the batteries would last, it also depends on your solar exposure. Personally I think you're fighting a losing battle trying to use electricity to heat off solar. On the other hand, a company called Lasko used to make (they may still be available) a device called My Heat. It was a small electric heater, 120 volts, but only uses 200 watts. I have a review on one. 200 watts is not a lot of power, running one of those heaters for 5 hours costs 1 kilowatt-hour. If a kWh in your area is 20 cents, 10 hours a day will cost only 40 cents a day. If your solar can supply that then it's even better.
15 Amps @ 12 volts = 180 watts of "heat". (0.8 Ohms) assuming that it's actually a 15 amp load. More likely it's around a 12 to 13 amp load to provide a margin of safety for 15 amp fuse. Trying to heat anything with 12 volts DC is incredibly inefficient. That same 15 amp load @ 120 VAC (house current) would equal 1800 watts of "heat". BIG difference.
Right. People don't understand that you'd need over 100 amps of 12 VDC to get anywhere near the amount of heat you'd get from a "plug in" space heater at home at 120 VAC. You'd drain a typical car battery in minutes and most small car alternators won't support a running load like that any how. You'd need 12 volt hook up wiring the size of jumper cables LOL.
Yes, absolutely. I know all that, I bought this as a toy really, because that's about all it is. Should heat up the inside of a Hot Wheels car no problem!
Right again. Actually, this little heater doesn't "suck". It does the best it can with what it has to work with. It's simple math and Ohm's Law principals. Peace!
The problem is, it takes an enormous amount of current at such a low voltage. To carry such current, you need good wiring going to the socket in your car. Most car wiring is garbage, just barely enough to work. So if you plug this into your little rollerskate Kia, chances are it's going to blow the fuse in the car or damage something. An old Chevy truck from the 70s, on the other hand, it'll work great.
This is my review, not yours. I NEVER said it was good for its intended purpose, I bought it to have a ceramic heater that runs on 12 volts. It WILL heat the box it came in without a problem.
jaykay18 You'll see where it says "comments" "share your thoughts" . That is what you have there. People that buy it are not trying to find a ceramic heater to run on 12 volts. Most people that buy a product buy it with the intention of using it as advertised. If that is what it does, then they should label it "Ceramic Heater- Able to Heat this Box"
SimRaceFree Good thing no one ever reads the video description where I put a whole bunch of information about its limitations. It's not that it can't do it's job as advertised; it _CAN_. It just takes a lot longer than most people think. Because of the "limitation" of running on 12 volts, and most cars only allowing 15 amps max through the cigarette lighter, it can only do so much. To make this device work like most people want it to work (fast), it would require thick cables and battery clamps.
Great video I don't know why so many people would dislike also you have an excellent voice we bought a similar item without a flashlight at Pilot for about 17 bucks and it actually helped save us when our van died about a week ago we had several blankets in the van which help but this is great if you have a cigarette lighter that works even though your switch is off if you try to plug it into one that doesn't run when the switch is off it will blow the fuse you can with Parental Guidance I might add put this heater under blankets and it will heat up much better LOL like make a tent with it so it is actually a super thing to have an even a safety device for your vehicle. it ran for hours for us until a nice gentleman came and helped take us to the local convenience store to get warm as Progressive Roadside assistance only allows two people to go with them in their vehicle and we had four in our van. I highly encourage everyone to buy one of these for safety in your vehicle in the winter. 👍 please like our baseball ⚾️ cause called help start Capital League Baseball peace out
Thanks very much.
listen guys, this isnt for a heater, its for ur windshield fogging up. it works just fine. sure its not gonna defrost a windshield with ice or anything but it defogs the driverside part of the windshield perfectly fine. i paid 12$ for this with the 20% off so it was worth it
When used for an intended purpose, yes. It can't possibly replace the heat in the car, which is what most people with broken heat that were quoted $1000 by their mechanic want. Not for 12 bucks. Mechanics are rip-off artists, yes, but not for that much disparity.
Some good funky background music 😎. Not enough ppl are just randomly nice on TH-cam. Thanks for the review bruh.
No problem at all! That funky background music is my Internet radio station, Jay's SHOUTcast. Just search for that on tunein.com.
Thanks for doing a great review on this heater. I have an old truck and was wondering about buying one of these for the wind shield right in line with driver's view. You have showed that for 10 bucks or less it is a reality. I will install a home run #12 wire to my battery in the truck and rely on the internal fuse in the heater itself. Thanks for a professional look at it~!
Thanks for the very kind words!
I just tried that thing for 5 minutes and the wire got really hot, like more heat is going into wire than that ceramic thing. I will make a video soon about it, using my heat sensors and watt usage sensors.
Yes, and you will find that 12 volts does not supply enough current, over thin wires, to supply heat for very long.
@@jaykay18 the 22 awg wire melted. The heaters 18 awg did not melt but got warm. 16 awg silicone wire works great for that heater and did not really get warm. I looked it all up. 16 awg silicone can do 30 amps, the cheap 16 awg does 20 amps and the cheap 18 awg does 15 amps. Unless the heaters internal components will burn up I think with a direct connection to the battery using silicone wire this heater will be able to run longer than 20 minutes. I will try it for 1 hour later when I find time.
@@jstewart627 Your findings are exactly correct. You don't want to be pulling this kind of current from the lighter socket. Many have retrofitted theirs with battery clamps and hook it straight to the battery, along with lower gauge wire, and it works much better. There are also other heaters out there that are purpose built to hook to the battery directly.
@@jaykay18 ya, I am being cheap, but good to know. I am running this heater for 2 hours in my garage now to see if this model fails. I will let you know if it fails.
@@jstewart627 Thanks, can't wait to hear back.
Wow! Where has this been all these years when I needed one for the car with a bad heater core? LOL
+shark70007000 It's been right there on the shelf at Harbor Freight!
I use 2 of them in my old beetle and it knocks the chill out. Not bad at all.
I'd imagine it works quite well in there!
Thanks for the review. I have a project I want to try this on so I'm just curious about it putting out 150 degree heat which you provided in your informative review. Thanks.
I did buy one but it said to only run it for 20 minutes before shutting it off to let it cool, so I took it back. Maybe you can ignore that warning? Maybe that's simply to keep the battery from running down and nothing to do with the device overheating?
Also, I have one of the Lasko 200 watt AC heaters. It puts out a bunch of heat and a good airflow. This would be around 144 watts. Should it feel that much different than the Lasko?
Finally, it maybe would have been helpful if you would have put a kleenex or something in front of it to show air movement. But thanks for taking the time to review it.
Thank you Jim! As for the 20 minute warning, if you have a suitable power supply, you could try running it for longer than 20 minutes. That warning may be there to prevent it from internally melting the plastic, but in this regard it's probably to prevent people from doing stupid things with it. Sure, like anyone actually reads directions.
I ALSO have one of the Lasko 200 watt heaters (th-cam.com/video/Y9IDRXLQ058/w-d-xo.html). Would this Harbor Freight thing put out less heat? I'd think so, considering it's 12 volts, and trying to pull a considerable amperage through the wires, which would create more and more resistance.
As for the kleenex idea, I find that to be a useless measuring tool. I used an anemometer, which gave you real-world numbers to determine the airflow. Ever see offices where they hang ribbons or paper strips from the ceiling vents so they can see if it's on? Yep--that's what they are there for--to see if it's on or off--it doesn't give any sort of accuracy in measuring airflow whatsoever.
I bought this yesterday because the blower in my vehicle stopped working. It worked for literally 5 minutes and now the cigarette lighter in my vehicle doesn't work anymore. During the 5 minutes that it was working, there was no hot air.
Apparently you didn't heed my warning.
I have a Dodge Durango and heater kept blowing the 15 amp fuse. I had to run a cable direct to the battery along with a new cigarette lighter and fuse attachment. After I set everything up the heater wouldn’t run. I retraced my steps to ensure I didn’t miss anything when I checked the fuse it blew the 25 amp fuse. I put in a 30 and it immediately blew it also. Finally I put in a 40 amp fuse and it’s been working fine. My commute is about 40 minutes each way and it runs the entire time clearing the windshield enough for me to drive and also raises the temperature some what higher than the outside temperature. The cable, cigarette lighter and fuse attachment ran me to 45.00 at auto-zone.
I would strongly suggest you put an ammeter on there and find out how much it's actually pulling. Back in the old days when people had fuseboxes rather than circuit breakers, a common "quick fix" was to use pennies in place of a burned fuse. Most of those who forgot and overloaded the circuit again burned their house down. It sounds like that's what you did by replacing fuses with larger values. Check first with a meter.
jaykay18 separate single fuse housing directly attach to cable. Factory fuse box not touched.
Weird. The smallest wire is the one that will heat up and break, and that would be the 15 amp fuse in the unit itself. Perhaps that's made to such "exacting tolerances" that it's way more than 15 amps that it can handle.
Good to defrost windshield...sounds good to use until spring until I get to to the resistor under the dash! Great review and thanks!
Finally! Someone who understands the point of this device! Thanks RangeRover!
jaykay18 Oh yeah anytime JayKay!
I love this Harbor Freight defroster because it helps me get the kids to school. But it shorts out the fuses of my 12-volt cigarette lighter within about 20 minutes, maybe less. Is there an alternative to using that as a power source, if it blows out my lighter (and I have to change out fuses)? I don't know what I'm going to do with Winter setting in? And it's suppose to snow tomorrow! Brrr... What about a handheld battery jumper that charges with a USB cord? Could I safely plug it in with the jump cable adapters and have the battery pack charging meanwhile from a USB charger for the 12-volt? Or could I use the Harbor Freight Probolic Heater (I love that thing!), and just plug it into a plug adapter for the 12-volt cigarette lighter and not only melt the ice but heat the van?!! I drive a 2006 Honda Odyssey.
Any ideas would be truly helpful.
I'm afraid you're going to get a lesson in how this all works, unless you want your van to catch fire, which would be far worse.
The FIRST THING you need to do is read the instructions that came with the heater. It says to use it UP TO 20 minutes. If you're blowing fuses in the van, that means it's overloading the circuit. And it's GOING TO overload the circuit. Just like in your house, you may have had maybe the washer going, then went to vacuum, and the circuit breaker blew. That's because both were on the same circuit. You still got a good few minutes of vacuuming in before it blew though. That's exactly what's happening with your heater and the wiring in the van.
Any heater requires a TREMENDOUS amount of current. If you have that current available to supply to the device, everything's fine. If you don't, problems start happening. It's extremely dangerous to leave this to heat the van while you're doing other stuff. ANY space heater, of ANY kind, should NEVER, EVER be left unattended. I use space heaters in my house from time to time. In the event I have to leave the room for any reason, even for just 10 seconds to grab something in the next room, I switch it off. They are quite dangerous devices.
The next issue is, cars run on 12 volts. The house runs on 120. If you have an electric stove or oven, you may have noticed that it runs on 240 volts, that's because you can deliver quite a bit more current at that voltage than you can under 120. Even 120 is quite limited, then you go to the car which is 12 volts, and you have 1/10th of that.
Even if this heater ran for 20 minutes, even 30 minutes without blowing fuses and burning down the van, do you want to come outside to a dead battery? Or, if you're leaving it running, use the heat the van came with. If the heat doesn't work, this heater is no substitute, get it fixed.
As for using the jump pack, you can do that, but you'd have to hook the clamps onto the plug (most that have lighter sockets won't deliver the current needed). Even then, wouldn't the pack be better used when you're stranded 500 miles from home and have a dead battery, in a bad neighborhood? Not to mention, it's going to take hours upon hours upon hours to recharge the battery pack, not a very efficient way of working. EVERY DAY, recharging it.
Using your parabolic heater off an inverter, once again, is an incredibly inefficient way to heat. The power needed for the inverter, in order to power the heater, far exceeds what your lighter socket can put out. You can't get something for nothing. If that inverter were hard-wired to the van's battery, and you had a special deep-cycle battery, you might be able to get away with that, but again, you run the risk of killing the battery unless the van is running.
My best recommendation would be to go out and start the van early and let it run. Again, if the heat in it doesn't work, get it fixed.
Could this slightly heat up a single cab truck and would there be any problem using it in a 57 chevy
You've got to check the fuse going to the cigarette lighter sockets and see what they are rated for. If it's 15 amps or higher, yes, it will work.
It's entirely possible it can slightly heat up the truck, but it depends on how long you're going to leave it on. If you're going to leave it for 15 minutes, you probably won't notice any appreciable difference. An hour, maybe, more than that, probably yes.
As far as the 57 Chevy, as long as there's a cigarette lighter connection and it's rated for at least 15 amps (I would expect there would be--practically everyone smoked back then), then yes. You might inspect the wiring going to it first, you never know what may have happened over the years.
74.4 Infrared with the fan, but was that your house temperature?
Yes, that was the room temperature.
Have you measured how many amps this unit pulls when heating?
No, but that doesn't sound like a bad idea in retrospect. The manufacturer did, which is why there is the 15 amp fuse in place, but who knows how accurate their measurements were! It's going to pull between 10 and 15 amps, but since most vehicles will only deliver 10 amps through the lighter socket (unless it's an older vehicle), I'd be really cautious about using it. Next time you have the hood open on your car, take a look how thick the wires going to the headlights are. I understand there are 2 of them, but most cars protect that with a 30-amp circuit breaker--now you can see how thin of a wire they use to carry 15 amps..
How do you use it in the car if it can't be plugged into the cigarette lighter?
You can plug it in the cigarette lighter, IF you check the fuse for your lighter socket first and ensure it can handle it. Otherwise you'll blow the fuse in the car and have a bigger mess than you started with. Alternatively, you can chop the plug off, hook alligator clamps to it and run it directly off your battery.
jaykay18 Thank you for the information, however how would you have it attached directly to the battery from inside the vehicle?
Kyle Blank Well if you're attaching directly to the battery you'll have alligator clips. That being the case it'll be temporary, so you'd open the hood to connect the clips, run the wire out from under the hood by the cowl, and basically crack the window open.
For a more professional install you'd have to follow an existing cable that runs through the firewall, and feed the wire through there. Typically that's going to be more trouble than it's worth.
jaykay18 I see, thanks.
I have yet to see a positive review on these things. I understand why you didn't video using this in the car, but honestly, a true review will be put to the test. Meaning, actually take it and plug it into a car during winter and see how well or how crappy it works. But if this puppy blows fuses when plugged in, and gets as many horrible reviews as it has, it really needs to be recalled.
I understand what you're saying about putting it to the test. But it's simply not going to do what people expect it to. There's only so much current that can be delivered over 12 volts, that's the major setback. And it's not a design flaw with the unit either. Ever since the Japanese car invasion in the US, since about the mid 1980s, they've been using cheaper and cheaper wiring since. Nowadays the only thing people use a cigarette lighter for is to charge their phone. So if you go and plug this power-hungry heater into that lighter socket, which is now wired with "Christmas lights" wiring, you stand a good chance of blowing the vehicle's fuse.
This is not a defect with this product at all. The fact of the matter is that NO 12 volt heater will work better than another. Again, there's only so many amps that can delivered over the wires they use, and nowadays the cars have cheapened out even more on their wiring.
The other problem is people expect the world from this thing, and it doesn't deliver, simply because it can't. Cars have always used a heater core which has hot coolant from the engine circulating through it, to heat the cab. The heat is available and free. Most people are under the impression that when the heat in their car breaks, they're simply able to buy a 12 dollar heater, plug it in, and it'll work the same. If you've ever needed a heater core replaced in a vehicle, you'd know it's hundreds and hundreds of dollars in labor. If it were so easy to plug a 12 volt heater in, wouldn't auto manufacturers have switched to using that, so they can save the manufacturing costs? Nobody thinks these things through first, they jump to conclusions and blame the product.
Exactly. He should know this.
That might work as an aid for a room heater to use with solar power.
Perhaps, but it's still a considerable amount of current; you're not getting 15 amps through a solar panel. If you have a deep cycle battery, then yes, but it'll drain it pretty quickly.
@@jaykay18
Just guessing, but I doubt it uses anywhere near 15 amps with that tiny cord, plastic housing, and that rating is just so people aren't irresponsible using it.
I have 4 group 29 batteries in my bedroom solar system, which has run a 400 watt heater, a 550 watt air conditioner, and a fridge plus a freezer for days during power outages (not together at the same time). These small solar systems can be great; large batteries, good Sun, and God's grace makes a great setup.
Probably more like 13 amps, but remember that's at 12 volts. The other devices you mention sound like they run on standard 120 volt power through an inverter. And yes, if you have a nice big battery bank like you describe, it should run it for some time.
@@jaykay18
Thanks for the video, gave me several ideas, ways to use the solar more effectively!!
Have a good day!!
We have a landrover discovery II. The heater core went. We can't afford right now to get it fixed. Nice time to blow. Anyway, my son will need it to defrost the windshield. We do have a lighter socket in front and in the rear of the vehicle. Do you think we could use one for the front and one for the back? Also, will we be able to use this in a 2001 Landrover, the voltage ok on that. Don't know if it's 15 AMPs or not.
+Lucy Hennessey I'm not the maker of the car, unfortunately, so I can't directly answer that question. I would check the fusebox(es) and see what fuses they have for "cig" or "acc". I can guarantee that using one for the front, and the back, will DOUBLE your heater repair bill to include a new alternator.
Personally, I think you missed the point of this video, it's not going to heat the car to anything acceptable. With all due respect here I'm going to get brutally frank and say if you can't afford the repair bills of such a vehicle, you should really not own it. Again, I mean no disrespect, but with a high-end vehicle, you have to expect high-end repair bills. I would use one, and only one, and it's going to take some time to defrost the windshield before he gets going. That means going out 20 minutes early and firing it up and letting that run for a good 20-30 minutes. Sometimes the inconvenience outweighs the cost. You're best, and safest, getting it fixed sooner than later.
I live in Michigan. Front window frosts on the inside. Takes at least 20 minutes of engine running after work to safely drive home at night. I stay with the car, don't want it stolen, cold wait & just want to get home. I agree with this review. If you need a heater, spend more money on something intended for that purpose. If you need to defrost a window so you can get on the road 5-10 minutes quicker, this seems to be putting out enough heat to do that.
Right, it can help maybe, but it's not going to take the place of what's built in to the car.
I like it. Cars take 10 minutes to even start throwing heat. Then it takes even more time to clear the window once it starts. This throws heat during the 10 minutes I would otherwise be just sitting there freezing my arse off and wasting gas. Hate to admit sometimes starting to drive with half the windshield still frosted. Can't possibly be worse than having nothing at all. Still takes time, but expect it to be much less.
Agreed! For your next mod, wire it directly to the battery rather than through the cigarette lighter and it'll probably work a little better than it has been. Car manufacturers ,use the absolute cheapest wiring they can get away with. If you ever saw the wires that go to your headlights you'd compare it to Christmas light wiring. That wiring to the cigarette lighter, while it can just barely handle the current of the heater, is also starving the heater of current. I guarantee you, the wiring of the car would be quite warm if you felt it. Not enough to burst into flames, just enough to feel uncomfortable to you or I, while still being in safe limits.
Hi I would like to get your info on this for my needs.I have a very small green house 4x4feet. I Have the harbor fright 45 watt solar set up with one ex 15 watt panel all set up in the green house with 2 big deep cycle boat battery s.i can add more if needed.I am thinking of getting 2-or 3 of these just to keep the Temp up a few degrees with out it paying for electric from my house. Also in line is a 2000 watt inverter off the batterys. If needed .thanks for any help u can though into this set up.
Quite honestly you might do all right with a couple of these, but they pull quite a bit of current. I honestly don't know how long the batteries would last, it also depends on your solar exposure. Personally I think you're fighting a losing battle trying to use electricity to heat off solar.
On the other hand, a company called Lasko used to make (they may still be available) a device called My Heat. It was a small electric heater, 120 volts, but only uses 200 watts. I have a review on one. 200 watts is not a lot of power, running one of those heaters for 5 hours costs 1 kilowatt-hour. If a kWh in your area is 20 cents, 10 hours a day will cost only 40 cents a day. If your solar can supply that then it's even better.
it helps heat my single cab 🚚 a little 👍
15 Amps @ 12 volts = 180 watts of "heat". (0.8 Ohms) assuming that it's actually a 15 amp load. More likely it's around a 12 to 13 amp load to provide a margin of safety for 15 amp fuse.
Trying to heat anything with 12 volts DC is incredibly inefficient. That same 15 amp load @ 120 VAC (house current) would equal 1800 watts of "heat". BIG difference.
Absolutely. You need more voltage for big loads. While this item may not be great for its intended purpose, it is certainly proof of concept.
Right. People don't understand that you'd need over 100 amps of 12 VDC to get anywhere near the amount of heat you'd get from a "plug in" space heater at home at 120 VAC.
You'd drain a typical car battery in minutes and most small car alternators won't support a running load like that any how. You'd need 12 volt hook up wiring the size of jumper cables LOL.
Yes, absolutely. I know all that, I bought this as a toy really, because that's about all it is. Should heat up the inside of a Hot Wheels car no problem!
Right again.
Actually, this little heater doesn't "suck". It does the best it can with what it has to work with. It's simple math and Ohm's Law principals. Peace!
Thanks for saving me some money.
+Patty Baker No problem, I've got to tell it like it is!
1:10
You said "Most cars will Not support this".
So that means,
this will Not work most of the time !
Most people are wasting their money.
The problem is, it takes an enormous amount of current at such a low voltage. To carry such current, you need good wiring going to the socket in your car. Most car wiring is garbage, just barely enough to work. So if you plug this into your little rollerskate Kia, chances are it's going to blow the fuse in the car or damage something. An old Chevy truck from the 70s, on the other hand, it'll work great.
@@jaykay18 what about 2000 Dodge Durango...power outlet says 12 volt 20 amps?
@@kimclement1672 It's got more amperage than the heater uses, so the wiring can support it.
@@jaykay18 thank you!
@@kimclement1672 You're welcome.
👍
Thank you.
It blows...........really.........not good for anything.
This is my review, not yours. I NEVER said it was good for its intended purpose, I bought it to have a ceramic heater that runs on 12 volts. It WILL heat the box it came in without a problem.
jaykay18
You'll see where it says "comments" "share your thoughts" . That is what you have there. People that buy it are not trying to find a ceramic heater to run on 12 volts. Most people that buy a product buy it with the intention of using it as advertised. If that is what it does, then they should label it "Ceramic Heater- Able to Heat this Box"
SimRaceFree Good thing no one ever reads the video description where I put a whole bunch of information about its limitations. It's not that it can't do it's job as advertised; it _CAN_. It just takes a lot longer than most people think. Because of the "limitation" of running on 12 volts, and most cars only allowing 15 amps max through the cigarette lighter, it can only do so much.
To make this device work like most people want it to work (fast), it would require thick cables and battery clamps.
SimRaceFree
Most people are idiots. They don't understand the inherent limitations of 13 Amp 12v DC power.
Yes, perfect. My point exactly.
Oh be becareful you can blow your lighter fuse, that could be a BIG PROBLEM!! LOL!!
Yes, I made sure to stress that.
I don’t understand how that is a BIG PROBLEM when you can just change the fuse?
I bought one and I used it once and then it just quit. Junk, and I'll save the parts.
I BOUGHT mine for parts.
But ooal n' ooal
That's the New Yawk accent there...
jaykay18 lol heyt it's a he'll of alot better than the Wisconsin accent