How your Car Interior Heating System Works

Car Interior Heating System

Maintaining the level of interior heat is very important to keep a high level of safety and comfortable driving in the winter season. To blow hot air at passengers, the car must direct air to the cabin interior and heat this air.

If the heat is turned on, air enters the interior in the same way air conditioners work when they blow cold air. Generally, a duct is placed in a high-pressure area, usually near the front of the car where plenty of air can flow in. This airflow then headed toward the area where it can be heated up and then splits into smaller ducts to reach into the various vents of the car.

Thankfully, the internal combustion engines have no heat shortage, so the air that has been brought through the duct can easily pass by a heater core. However, the heater core is a small radiator filled with hot coolant coming from the car’s engine cooling system. This heater core allows air to pass over it, causing heat exchange that helps cool the core and heat the air before it reaches the cabin interior.

At first, all of this might seems very straightforward and efficient to you, but the system gets more complicated when it comes to regulating temperature. If no mechanism existed to regulate the temperature inside your car, the interior temperature would be dependent upon how hard your engine is working. To regulate temperature, there are commonly two ways which include: using of water valve and air-blending.

You may also like to learn; How to Clean Your Car Interior?

Valve Method

In older cars, the valve method is more popular, with a valve regulating how much hot coolant enters the heater core based on the desired interior temperature.

Air-blending System

In air-blending systems, the heater core continues to function as usual, but temperatures are maintained between a predetermined range using flaps that allow cold air from the outside to mix with the heated air.

Why My Car Heater Is Not Working

The cold air that escapes from your car in the winter is a terrible thing, and it could even be dangerous in some environments. Some of the common signs that show your car heater is not working include:

Low Coolant

A lack of coolant in the car may prevent the heater core from getting enough hot coolant in it to heat the cabin. You should inspect this one first, as it is comparatively easy to top off coolant. Moreover, the air pockets in the vehicle coolant system can cause the heater core not to get a proper supply of coolant. This occurs when a vehicle’s cooling system is flushed and replaced without having properly bled the system, which is essential to be done on some vehicles to remove these air pockets.

Bad Blower

This sign is pretty easy for vehicle owners to detect. If your car is hot but doesn’t blow hot air, then it means you may need a new bowler fan motor. To make sure of this, check the following few things:

• Fuse
• Blower motor resistor
• Wiring, including the ground circuit

Faulty Thermostat

When your car’s temperature gauge stays at C for quite some time after it has been operating, your thermostat might not be working. Several models of cars delay diverting hot coolant to heater cores until the engine has warmed up. If it does not work, it is necessary to replace the thermostat as soon as possible.

Clogged Heater Core

When the heater core isn’t changed frequently enough, the coolant becomes contaminated, which can lead to corrosion or clogs. Before installing a new heater core, make sure you have checked all other possibilities. Installing a new heater core can be a time-consuming DIY project or a costly professional job.

Stuck Blend Door Or Actuator Of Car

A blend door inside the dash disables the flow of air to the AC side while allowing it to flow to the heat side or vice versa. In addition, several actuators help open and close the blend door, or help direct the flow of air in various directions (e.g., defrost instead of the floor or vents). It is possible that either the blend door becomes stuck or the actuators fail, preventing air from properly flowing through the heater core.

What Does Car Heater Consist Of?

You will find there are a few basic components in your heater system like:

• Heater core
• Blower fan
• Heater control valve
• Heater hoses
• Control panel for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning

There are several components in the cooling system that interact with the heating system. These are the thermostat, radiator, water pump, and coolant.

Where Can You Get Your Car Heater Repaired?

For a heater system to operate efficiently, it is important to properly maintain the cooling system. You might want to consider having your cooling and/or heating system inspected. Why not contact a local mechanic in your area?