# Using a space heater to warm your car in the winter through an AC/DC power inverter?



## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

Has anyone ever thought of using a space heater to warm your car in the winter through an AC/DC power inverter/some kind of cigarette lighter adapter? I want to have my car have its own electric space heater in the passenger seat on the floor so that my car can heat up within 1 minute or so without the need to have the car idling for a while to heat up the engine or the need for an extension cord running from my garage to the street.

Does this sound like a good or bad idea?


----------



## ericj (Jun 20, 2007)

You probably won't be able to start the car or will torch the inverter. Most of those electric space heaters draw so many amps that you won't be able to run them off even the biggest inverter you could get. Most inverters can barely charge a laptop, let alone run a hair dryer. You're talking about 10-20 hair dryers.

Internal combustion engines make a lot of mechanical and combustion heat, so you could just start it and let it warm up. You could also run an extension cord out for a space heater solution.


----------



## Amocholes (Nov 5, 2003)

Sounds like a good way to run your battery down fast. 

Most space heaters will run at about 1500 watts. 
A 2000 watt inverter is going to run you 150-300 dollars. 
1500 watts at 115 volts will draw 13 amps of current. 
Since the input voltage to the inverter is only 12 volts and the power output must be at least 1500 watts, the input current will be 125 amps.


The power outlet of the car (It is no longer a cigarette lighter) has a 15 amp fuse.
Replacing the fuse with a 125 amp fuse will put 125 amps through wires designed to handle a maximum of 15 amps
Wires will melt possibly setting fire to the car.
Cars burn quickly due to all of the plastic used in their construction.
*Also:*
Possibility of space heater tipping over and setting fire to the car
See number 4

In conclusion: Not a good idea!


----------



## Evo (Jan 1, 2012)

:ditto


----------



## MN92 (Dec 21, 2012)

I'd say to just go with a remote starter. It'll be fairly hard to avoid time to warm up unless you drive it. There getting fairly cheap plus you interior and engine will be warm/ ready to go


----------



## Classified (Dec 7, 2004)

If you use the extension cord to plug it into your house, that is what I do. I would use a metal pan to sit it on. You can run a small 15A extension cord through the firewall and mount the plug in the front of the car bumper. Then once you plug it in, the heater will turn on, when you unplug it before you leave, it will turn off.

You would have to buy a big AC/DC inverter (1500W+), and a different type of battery if you wanted to do this away from your house. Which isn't a good idea.

Now, if you get a 30-50W heating pad, that can make a cheap and easy heated seat and can be run off an inverter.


----------



## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

Hmm, thank you all for the input.


----------

