jlsoaz
Well-known member
I've been trying to work on energy efficiency at my house and have over the years noticed the use of energy by crankcase heaters for my heat pump/AC systems:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crankcase_heater#cite_note-6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://hvac-talk.com/vbb/showthread.php?444262-Crankcase-Heaters" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
It appears to be necessary to run this, in order to prevent damage to the system. The draw on my home energy seems to be something on the order of 20-30 watts. Not sure if it's continuous 24x7, or if it's only a portion of the day (1/3?) as one person indicated. Maybe it depends on the system.
This got me to wondering if there is a crankcase heater in a vehicle's HVAC system and, if so, whether in a BEV or PHEV it is a significant draw on energy when the vehicle is on, or off.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crankcase_heater#cite_note-6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://hvac-talk.com/vbb/showthread.php?444262-Crankcase-Heaters" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
It appears to be necessary to run this, in order to prevent damage to the system. The draw on my home energy seems to be something on the order of 20-30 watts. Not sure if it's continuous 24x7, or if it's only a portion of the day (1/3?) as one person indicated. Maybe it depends on the system.
This got me to wondering if there is a crankcase heater in a vehicle's HVAC system and, if so, whether in a BEV or PHEV it is a significant draw on energy when the vehicle is on, or off.