Additional heating - what is it and how to choose it?

Getting into a frozen car after a frosty night is not a pleasure. That is why modern drivers, seeking to improve driving comfort, willingly invest in an autonomous heater. Not everyone knows that this solution can be useful not only for the user, but also for the car engine.

How does a parking heater work in a car?

Currently, car manufacturers are focused on providing the recipients of their vehicles with a high level of comfort. The brands are even outdoing each other with ever more comfortable seats, more effective cabin soundproofing and numerous driver support systems. Unfortunately, the vast majority of car models still do not have a parking heater from the factory. This is due to various reasons - incl. Desire to cut costs, reduce vehicle base weight or estimated fuel consumption. The absence of autonomous heating in the proposals of automakers, as it were, blocks the popularization of this technically excellent solution.

Thanks to the parking heater, we can warm up the interior of the car even before we get into the car. We can start the device remotely, also without leaving home. Moreover, the most common type of parking heater preheats not only the passenger compartment, but also the car engine. Thanks to this, when setting off on a journey, we avoid the phenomenon of the so-called cold start, which has a positive effect on the durability of the power unit.

Types of parking heater for a car

Water parking heater

The most popular type of parking heater used in passenger cars is hydronic heating. This type of installation is based on the installation under the hood of a special unit connected to the coolant circuit in the engine. When the water-based parking heater is turned on, the fuel-fired generator generates heat that heats the coolant in the vehicle's system. This increases the temperature of the engine. As with the operation of the unit, excess heat is directed through the ventilation ducts to the vehicle interior.

If we start such heating in advance, before we hit the road, then we will not only sit in a warm, warm car interior, but also start the engine, which has already warmed up to operating temperature. The preheated oil will not be cloudy, which will lubricate all the necessary components very quickly, reducing resistance in operation. Then, to a lesser extent than during a cold start, i.e. crankshaft and piston shaft bearings, cylinders or piston rings. These are key elements for the operation of the engine, the possible replacement of which is associated with high costs. By using a water park heater during the winter months, we can significantly increase their lifespan.

Air parking heating

The second most common type of parking heater is air heating. This is a slightly simpler design, not related to the car's cooling system, but requiring more space. This type of parking heater is most often chosen for trucks, passenger buses, delivery and off-highway vehicles, as well as construction and agricultural equipment.

The principle of operation of the air parking heater is based on the use of a heater that takes cold air from the passenger compartment, heats it up and re-supplies it. The unit is started by the presence of a glow plug that ignites the fuel supplied by the built-in pump (needs to be connected to the vehicle's fuel tank). The mechanism can be controlled remotely using a special remote control or a smartphone application. The air parking heater is a simple solution that allows you to quickly increase the temperature in the vehicle interior (faster than in the case of water heating), but does not affect engine warm-up. Thus, in this case, we are talking only about improving user comfort, and not about the additional benefits associated with running the engine in more favorable conditions.

Electric and gas parking heater

There are other types of parking heating on the market - electric and gas. These are solutions designed mainly for motorhomes and caravans, i.e. vehicles that can fulfill a residential function. In this case, we are usually dealing with simple installations. The element of the gas parking heater is a gas cylinder or a special tank for liquefied gas. The burning gas releases heat through a special heater or heating screen.

In the case of an electric parking heater, an external voltage source must be provided. This solution works well, for example, in a motorhome parking lot. It is enough to connect the cable to the socket and the heater or the heater inside the car starts to work.

A kind of curiosity is an electric parking heater designed for cars, which, thanks to the use of flow heaters, can heat the car engine. The advantage of this solution is the ease of installation and fuel-free operation of the vehicle. The disadvantage is the need to disconnect the power cable from the car every time before the trip and the consumption of electricity.

Installation of parking heating - opinions

Many drivers are wondering if it is worth installing an autonomous heater on their car. The arguments "yes" here are, first of all, the comfort of using the car in the cold season and (in the case of water heating) the creation of favorable starting conditions for the engine. The disadvantage is the cost of installation - some people do not want to overpay for equipment that is used only a few months of the year.

It is worth noting that installing a parking heater in a vehicle can pay off. The installation itself consumes very little fuel - often only about 0,25 liters per hour of operation. If a running generator warms up the engine to operating temperature before takeoff, it will use significantly less fuel after starting than after a cold start. The savings will be greater the more often we drive a car for short distances. You should also remember about less wear on engine components, which is reflected in the durability of the unit. Overhaul of the engine - if necessary - can cost many times more than a parking heater, even from a high price segment.

Autonomous heating - which installation to choose?

Webasto was a pioneer in popularizing the parking heater as a solution for civilian vehicles. To this day, many people use the name of this company as a synonym for the parking heater in general. Another tycoon in this market is the German company Eberspächer. It is also worth checking out the offer of other, less well-known brands, whose products may be available at lower prices.

More manuals can be found on AvtoTachki Passions in the Automotive section.