is using heat in a car basically free? *i've been hijacked!*

[Lifer]

to my understanding, it's basically drawing the hot air produced by the engine into the cabin. not like it's burning oil/gas in a burner like at home. or like a/c where a compressor needs to be cranked.

so the only energy it requires is the motor that turns the fan blades, right?
and that energy is next to nothing so it's basically free.

 

[Zugzwang152]

and you're helping to cool the engine!

 

[tnitsuj]

essentially, and it helps if you have a hole in your radiator as well.

 

[Encryptic]

Well....you do have to run the engine to keep the air warm, no? That uses gas and by extension doesn't make it totally "free".

 

[hominid skull]

Yeah it's free - more or less, apart from the blower as you've stated.

Heat is a virtually unused byproduct of cars.

 

[FoBoT]

it extracts heat from the engine, just like the radiator

the heater core is just another radiator that puts its heat into the car ventilation to the passenger compartment

so its free

 

[bacillus]

what about the petrol you have to burn to run the engine in the first instance?

 

[trmiv]

Originally posted by: bacillus
what about the petrol you have to burn to run the engine in the first instance?

I would guess this assumes you're already running the engine to drive the car.

 

[alkemyst]

I think semantics are coming into play here.

The car's heater is free in the sense that whenever the car is running the engine is producing heat and the heater core is heated. Technically the heater is always on in most cars....you have to move a plenium flap though to feel it.

Å

 

[GasX]

on a related note, if your car is overheating, turn on the heat and roll down the windows

 

[amcdonald]

Originally posted by: bacillus
what about the petrol you have to burn to run the engine in the first instance?

Cars run on gasoline stupid, not petrol. This is America.

 

[StageLeft]

Yes, if you're otherwise using the car. The engine has to release heat either through the radiator or heater core into the cabin. Any heat you release into the cabin will be less lost through the radiator, but it's going to go somewhere.

 

[Encryptic]

Originally posted by: amcdonald

Originally posted by: bacillus
what about the petrol you have to burn to run the engine in the first instance?

Cars run on gasoline stupid, not petrol. This is America.

"Petrol" is the British term for gas. Check your facts before you call someone else stupid.

This might help rectify your glaring error

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: Encryptic

Originally posted by: amcdonald

Originally posted by: bacillus
what about the petrol you have to burn to run the engine in the first instance?

Cars run on gasoline stupid, not petrol. This is America.

"Petrol" is the British term for gas. Check your facts before you call someone else stupid.

This might help rectify your glaring error

get over yourself and get a clue. He was making a joke...

 

[TheBoyBlunder]

No, because it's generated by the heat of the engine burning the gas you purchased. So, technically, it's not "free", unless you meant in the mechanical sense.

 

[PG]

When you run the defroster on many cars it turns the A/C compressor on. This will remove a lot of moisture in the air and helps..well...defrost. Running the A/C compressor will take some extra energy and hurt fuel economy, but not too much.

 

[Encryptic]

Originally posted by: Mwilding

Originally posted by: Encryptic

Originally posted by: amcdonald

Originally posted by: bacillus
what about the petrol you have to burn to run the engine in the first instance?

Cars run on gasoline stupid, not petrol. This is America.

"Petrol" is the British term for gas. Check your facts before you call someone else stupid.

This might help rectify your glaring error

get over yourself and get a clue. He was making a joke...

Oh, sorry. I'm pissing my pants laughing at his razor-sharp wit in calling someone stupid.

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: Encryptic

Originally posted by: Mwilding

Originally posted by: Encryptic

Originally posted by: amcdonald

Originally posted by: bacillus
what about the petrol you have to burn to run the engine in the first instance?

Cars run on gasoline stupid, not petrol. This is America.

"Petrol" is the British term for gas. Check your facts before you call someone else stupid.

This might help rectify your glaring error

get over yourself and get a clue. He was making a joke...

Oh, sorry. I'm pissing my pants laughing at his razor-sharp wit in calling someone stupid.

I never said the joke was funny...

have you hotkeyed the rolling eyes icon? you seem to use it a little too much...

 

[amcdonald]

Originally posted by: Encryptic

Oh, sorry. I'm pissing my pants laughing at his razor-sharp wit in calling someone stupid.

Just going for a chuckle at the expense of american ignorance. You don't have to pee yourself.
I thought the sarcasm was pretty obvious, oh well.

 

[StageLeft]

*CONFIRMED* Thread hijacking

 

[Encryptic]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
*CONFIRMED* Thread hijacking

/grabs controls and aims thread straight at the ground, reducing it into a smoldering heap of neffage

 

[bsmithy]

Originally posted by: amcdonald

Originally posted by: Encryptic

Oh, sorry. I'm pissing my pants laughing at his razor-sharp wit in calling someone stupid.

Just going for a chuckle at the expense of american ignorance. You don't have to pee yourself.
I thought the sarcasm was pretty obvious, oh well.

but some americans really are that narrow minded, so you have to watch out sometimes

 

[GasX]

so, nice weather we are having today, eh?

 

[bunker]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
*CONFIRMED* Thread hijacking

Ahem

 

[johneetrash]

so.. using heat in a car is basically free? is that like after rebate or something?