Can You Use a Car Heater to Heat Your Home?

[hammo]

car heater to heat house??

Hi everyone. So i had a brain wave and thought id put it out there for help or advice. I have just moved into a new house and thought id start looking into heating for the upcomming winter. I thought about buying a new 19 kilowatt wood burner to heat the living area of the house and to heat the downstairs bedrooms i thought about using a wetback on the wood burner to circulate hot water through a copper pipe to the bedrooms and to pump the hot water through a car heater in each room so the 12 volt fan would blow hot air into the rooms and thus work better than a normal hot water radiator...So what do you think?/?

 

[Danger]

Welcome to PF, Hammo.
There is one important thing that you didn't specify. Did you buy the house, or just rent it? That will determine the limits of what you may do.

 

[hammo]

yes we now own the house so anything is possable?

 

[Danger]

Not necessarily anything. That depends upon where you live. You also have to consider the bylaws of your particular area. Those can range from none to very strict.
As for the plan itself, you seem to be making it more complicated than necessary. Why would you use a car heater, which relies upon the running of the engine to be functional, in a household system? That would bring in the whole problem of fuel supply and exhaust evacuation that is not normal in a home environment.
If you were referring strictly to the air circulation problem, there is no advantage to a 12VDC fan over a 110VAC one unless you are running strictly upon battery and/or solar power. If you run it through a converter from the mains, you will be losing efficiency.

 

[sardar]

I applaud your creative thinking in finding a way to heat your house using a car heater. However, I would caution against this idea for a few reasons.

Firstly, car heaters are designed to heat a small, enclosed space like a car, not a larger area like a house. The amount of heat produced by a car heater may not be sufficient to effectively heat a room, especially in colder climates.

Secondly, using a wetback on a wood burner to heat water and then pumping it through a car heater may not be the most efficient way to heat your home. There are other heating systems specifically designed for homes that may be more effective and cost-efficient.

Lastly, there may be safety concerns with using a car heater in a residential setting. Car heaters are not designed to be used in a stationary position for extended periods of time, and there is a risk of fire or carbon monoxide poisoning.

In conclusion, while your idea is creative, I would recommend exploring other heating options that are specifically designed for residential use and have been tested for safety and efficiency.