Electric heater question

[Regulo]

Hi, brain-boxes,

Can you tell me exactly how the electric heater works? Not the fiddly bits at the operating end, but how it actually heats the air. I thought it would be a bigger version of a domestic electric fan heater, but I read on another thread talk of "fluid". So, is this fluid heated by an electric element - much like a domestic immersion heater, and then the air into the cabin heated by a matrix? And if so, is it the engine coolant, or a completely self contained system? Thanks for the excellent answers you're about to give.

 

[user 258]

Hi,
My understanding is that an electric heater element, similar to that in a kettle, heats water which is then pumped into the normal heater that extracts the heat from the water and converts into air. When the engine is running and the water gets to about 65C then a valve opens which lets the hot water from the engine into the heater.
I believe the electric heater is 4.8KW when operating at maximum.
Hope that helps a little.
Kind regards,
Mark

 

[Regulo]

When the engine is running and the water gets to about 65C then a valve opens which lets the hot water from the engine into the heater.

Thanks, Mark. So the engine coolant is used initially just in the electric heater? Or are there two separate circuits, one for heater fluid, and another for engine coolant? I'm just trying to get it clear in my own nosy mind how it works.

 

[user 258]

When the engine is running and the water gets to about 65C then a valve opens which lets the hot water from the engine into the heater.

Thanks, Mark. So the engine coolant is used initially just in the electric heater? Or are there two separate circuits, one for heater fluid, and another for engine coolant? I'm just trying to get it clear in my own nosy mind how it works.

Hi,
I don't think there are two circuits as such. Rather, the engine circuit is isolated from the heater by a thermostatic valve until the engine has warmed up. The point is so that if the electric heater is operating the heated water does NOT circulate to the engine thus losing the heat to a cold engine. Once the engine has warmed up and the valve is open I am guessing it is just one circuit.
Kind regards,
Mark

 

[duetto]

at least you have a heater I can not understand why the base PHEV has no decent heater included, cannot even get it added as an optional extra.

 

[anko]

When the engine is running and the water gets to about 65C then a valve opens which lets the hot water from the engine into the heater.

Thanks, Mark. So the engine coolant is used initially just in the electric heater? Or are there two separate circuits, one for heater fluid, and another for engine coolant? I'm just trying to get it clear in my own nosy mind how it works.

Hi,
I don't think there are two circuits as such. Rather, the engine circuit is isolated from the heater by a thermostatic valve until the engine has warmed up. The point is so that if the electric heater is operating the heated water does NOT circulate to the engine thus losing the heat to a cold engine. Once the engine has warmed up and the valve is open I am guessing it is just one circuit.
Kind regards,
Mark

One circuit that can be divided in two by a valve, or two circuits that can be connected to one by a valve .... :lol:

Either way, according to the tech guy from the distributor in the Netherlands (European head office), the valve opens when the coolant reaches 60 deg C. Changes are that the heater fluid is hotter than that, when it happens.

 

[maby]

at least you have a heater I can not understand why the base PHEV has no decent heater included, cannot even get it added as an optional extra.

You can - it's called a GX4

 

[user 258]

Hi,
I actually think that the base model should have had electrically heated seats as standard. That would mitigate the lack of an electric heater on short trips.
Kind regards,
Mark

 

[anko]

at least you have a heater I can not understand why the base PHEV has no decent heater included, cannot even get it added as an optional extra.

You can - it's called a GX4

Indeed. It can go two ways: either the base model is underspec'd or it is to expensive. But it is never right. :mrgreen:

 

[greendwarf]

at least you have a heater I can not understand why the base PHEV has no decent heater included, cannot even get it added as an optional extra.

But it does and it works fine just like most other cars - except on very short journeys I don't have to waste petrol warming the bonnet up unnecessarily. :lol: If you wanted an electric heater you shouldn't have bought the GX3h.

 

[dukeinlondon]

Hi,
My understanding is that an electric heater element, similar to that in a kettle, heats water which is then pumped into the normal heater that extracts the heat from the water and converts into air. When the engine is running and the water gets to about 65C then a valve opens which lets the hot water from the engine into the heater.
I believe the electric heater is 4.8KW when operating at maximum.
Hope that helps a little.
Kind regards,
Mark

The trip info screen somehow suggests that the heater can draw up to 6kw, but i suppose you got the figure from the official specifications ?

 

[anko]

Perhaps it goes up to 6 incl. aircon. The heater by itself is 4.8.

Interestingly enough, turn on the aircon and it is reflected in EV range immediately. Turn on heater, and nothing happens. Perhaps because it cannot predict how long / how much energy will be drawn by the heater?

 

[LowOnCash]

On the 23 model with heat pump, they use the same engine coolant circuit. I ran some tests on a cold morning and just running the heat pump with the engine off, the heat pump circuit raised the engine temperature from 49 to 74 degrees in 15 min.

On certain Outlander's (image below) they also use an element heater in the HVAC assembly to heat air for the cabin which has no effect on the engine coolant. In addition these heaters do not heat the battery in any manner.

Regards - Mike

 

[kpetrov]

On the 23 model with heat pump, they use the same engine coolant circuit. I ran some tests on a cold morning and just running the heat pump with the engine off, the heat pump circuit raised the engine temperature from 49 to 74 degrees in 15 min.

On certain Outlander's (image below) they also use an element heater in the HVAC assembly to heat air for the cabin which has no effect on the engine coolant. In addition these heaters do not heat the battery in any manner.

Regards - Mike

The heat pump in 2023 model and the coolant heaters in any other models do not heat the battery in any manner as well.

 

[LowOnCash]

Thanks for the reply - As far as I can tell there is no battery heating on the 23 US models at all. I know on some older 19 models the battery had a PTC heater which operated off both level 1&2 charging as well as off the HV battery.

Regards Mike