Having a mobile heater in the car is very useful, especially if your vehicle takes some time to warm up. If you are looking to buy, there are certain things you should know first. Here is a little help in deciding which one is best for you:
1.) The first and most important thing is safety. The design you are looking for is one that does not overheat when the heater is in use. Some car heaters have auto safety switches – they are not essential but they do add an extra element of safety. You can never be too safe when it comes to heaters.
2.) A long cord gives you the flexibility to position the heater where you want it. Watch out for models that only have a short cord that is long enough to allow the heater to only sit in the middle of the dash – you want to be able to defrost more than one section of the window!
3.) You should also consider the possibility of heating adjustments on your heater. There are models that can be adjusted 45 degrees up and down. There are also types that can be set at 90 degrees to the left or right. This is more convenient because they allow you to direct the heat at a certain window or area.
4.) If you want to solve your problems of defrosting, a car heater can help with that since they will typically heat up pretty fast. Most cars have a heated rear window, but the windshield typically isn’t. A portable heater is best used to help to defrost this and other windows. To do so, simply aim the heater in where you want the ice to defrost the fastest.
5.)The last thing you should consider when purchasing your heating equipment for the car is the temperature. I’m not going to lie to you – car heaters cannot replace a built in system, but they can make it more bearable in the Winter. When you consider that most portable heaters draw their power from the lighter socket which can only output 200W – that is not a whole lot of power. Consider going above this rating if possible.
A car heater is a handy product – just don’t expect to get the same benefits as the built in system in your car or else you will be disappointed. However, if your heating system is broken (and very, very expensive to fix!) then they are surely better than having no heating at all.
