66 replies to this topic

[drummerian]

Hey people,

for various reasons i am going to try to build my own heater unit (mostly due to lack of space, but lots of space behind my fb dashboard!)

Anyway after talking to my dad about it i have a few questions.

I plan to make a heater box out of MDF for simplicity. This will fit somewhere around the passenger dash near where some people have glove boxes. I will take a cold fresh air feed from the outside from the left side (currently blocked off) fresh air vent. This fresh air vent will then go into 2 (or more) pc fans (these are 12v already) and then these will push the air through a matrix (again will use a mini one for simplicity). Then the hot hair is blasted either to the vents or the rest of the car.

I have a few questions with regards to this setup, and how fresh air in cars works. My dad claims that to stop steaming up you always have fresh air coming into the car, that comes in though the front and generally vents somewhere out the back (is this true? where does the mini 'vent'). And, am i going to have problems taking fresh air in?, i know that currently the heater uses a one way valve, altough i am not fully sure as to it's purpose?

Thanks

Ian

[bert998]

originally the car would be vented via the eyeball vents in the dash.

These are then doubled up a few years down the line via holes in the sills

[drummerian]

originally the car would be vented via the eyeball vents in the dash.

These are then doubled up a few years down the line via holes in the sills

haha true true,

so whatt would you suggest for me then bert? i have a fresh air intake, any ideas for getting it out

[secondopsman]

without sounding rude it seems a hell of a lot of trouble messing with the computer fans and mdf.Cant you just modify the existing mini heater to fit.
Pete

[bert998]

I have considered this option myself to lose the heater as the original mini one is damn ugly!

Someone on here recently put up a link to some powerful computer fans, might be worth having a look.

Getting the air out is just going to be a case of making a couple of channels and a flap. There's no reason why you couldn't make two smaller slimmer heater boxes, one blowing warm air to the occupants tootsies and one dedicated to the windcreen.

[minisilverbullet]

An option, easier than mucking about with comp fans and matrix's could be to buy an 12v aux heater. take its guts out and re shell it how and where you want it.

[drummerian]

without sounding rude it seems a hell of a lot of trouble messing with the computer fans and mdf.Cant you just modify the existing mini heater to fit.
Pete

if anything i think that would be more work really

[drummerian]

An option, easier than mucking about with comp fans and matrix's could be to buy an 12v aux heater. take its guts out and re shell it how and where you want it.

i had considered this, but with running a computer, headlights and wipers this is already a strain on the alternator in my car, would prefere to just use the engine for heat really.

[drummerian]

I have considered this option myself to lose the heater as the original mini one is damn ugly!

Someone on here recently put up a link to some powerful computer fans, might be worth having a look.

Getting the air out is just going to be a case of making a couple of channels and a flap. There's no reason why you couldn't make two smaller slimmer heater boxes, one blowing warm air to the occupants tootsies and one dedicated to the windcreen.

exactly, it's realy not very complicated and it would hide nicely out of the way in otherwise wasted space

[Ethel]

I'm looking at building a heater for the plaggy beast too. Your dad does have a point about ventilation, it would help to be able to dump the humidity. Some cars did have permanent vents but not the mini, there are windows you can open. Cold air is blown straight into the heater box, there is a simple valve affair opposite the inlet hose but without a means of closing off the inlet it's only likely to open when the car is barely moving.

It might be worth a poke round a scrappers, many heater controls work via cables, which could be an easy way to operate any flaps and valves. I got hold of a bilge blower to use as a fan. I'll probably use corriboard and polystyrene sheet to build the case. If you want to keep the cost down 4 inch ducting used for tumble driers and domestic extractors is quite a bit cheaper.

[drummerian]

I'm looking at building a heater for the plaggy beast too. Your dad does have a point about ventilation, it would help to be able to dump the humidity. Some cars did have permanent vents but not the mini, there are windows you can open. Cold air is blown straight into the heater box, there is a simple valve affair opposite the inlet hose but without a means of closing off the inlet it's only likely to open when the car is barely moving.

It might be worth a poke round a scrappers, many heater controls work via cables, which could be an easy way to operate any flaps and valves. I got hold of a bilge blower to use as a fan. I'll probably use corriboard and polystyrene sheet to build the case. If you want to keep the cost down 4 inch ducting used for tumble driers and domestic extractors is quite a bit cheaper.

thanks ethel!

so what to you recon with regards to a 'fresh air outake'

[dave21478]

Will PC fans flow enough air? I would be dubious myself.

Before you break out the jigsaw and sticky backed plastic, have a look at the Car Builder Solutions website...
http://www.cbsonline...heatac-95-c.asp
they do a few universal heater units. Perhaps a tad pricey for you at £140 ish, but they are very compact and I will bet will be way more effective than some home-made effort.

They also have a big range of ducts, flaps, sliders etc.

[dave21478]

As for an air outlet, most modern cars have vents in the boot behind the trim panels that vent to the outside behind the rear bumper - this just isnt feasble on a mini. The only semi-feasable solution is to have some kind of vent and ducting through the boot floor, but you will loose what little spacethere is in the boot if you do this.

[danrock101]

PC fans will definatly not be enough

[Ethel]

Rear opening windows do the job well enough in my experience. Some of the bigger fans do claim to shift a decent volume but that could drop off dramatically when they have some back pressure to cope with.