| Author |
Message |
phaeton
Guest
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 Posted:
Wed Nov 23, 2005 1:35 am Post subject:
Fast door heater for a frozen auto door |
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hello-
I have a 99 Ranger pickup which would otherwise be completely
irrelevant to this ng, but something I battle each winter in Wisconsin
is that the driver's side door tends to freeze shut. I can usually get
the passenger side door open and crawl across but it's a bit of a
hassle, esp. since it is a manual transmission.
I've gone all over the door looking for water leaks but can't find any.
It's freezing in a couple of small spots where the rubber stoppers
contact the door, and it must be condensation or the act of opening the
door that gets it just a little wet when I open it. Not a lot of ice,
but just enough to make me worry about someday pulling the doorhandle
off trying to open it.
So i came up with some lame-brained idea of running a small length of
wiring in the door sill with some small, localized "heat sources" in
the areas where it freezes. A hall-effects sensor (or even magnetic
reed switch) in the rear window can be used to turn the heat on if I
put a magnet (small rare-earth type, fastened to my keychain) up to it
on the outside. I can power the whole thing with the 12V accessory
jack in the dash. In theory it sounds like it'd work....
However, what should I use for the heat sources? A small bit of
nichrome wire? If Nichrome, where do I get it (old cigarette lighters
or toasters from the junk yard?) and what should I wrap it with?
Should I use tiny light bulbs (there's room for the 12V grain-of-wheat
and pea-sized HO Railroad bulbs)?
Any other suggestions/improvements would be great, even if you don't
think it will work or think this is a bad idea.
Thanks for any and all!
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John Popelish
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 23, 2005 1:35 am Post subject:
Re: Fast door heater for a frozen auto door |
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phaeton wrote:
| Quote: | hello-
I have a 99 Ranger pickup which would otherwise be completely
irrelevant to this ng, but something I battle each winter in Wisconsin
is that the driver's side door tends to freeze shut. I can usually get
the passenger side door open and crawl across but it's a bit of a
hassle, esp. since it is a manual transmission.
I've gone all over the door looking for water leaks but can't find any.
It's freezing in a couple of small spots where the rubber stoppers
contact the door, and it must be condensation or the act of opening the
door that gets it just a little wet when I open it. Not a lot of ice,
but just enough to make me worry about someday pulling the doorhandle
off trying to open it.
So i came up with some lame-brained idea of running a small length of
wiring in the door sill with some small, localized "heat sources" in
the areas where it freezes. A hall-effects sensor (or even magnetic
reed switch) in the rear window can be used to turn the heat on if I
put a magnet (small rare-earth type, fastened to my keychain) up to it
on the outside. I can power the whole thing with the 12V accessory
jack in the dash. In theory it sounds like it'd work....
However, what should I use for the heat sources? A small bit of
nichrome wire? If Nichrome, where do I get it (old cigarette lighters
or toasters from the junk yard?) and what should I wrap it with?
Should I use tiny light bulbs (there's room for the 12V grain-of-wheat
and pea-sized HO Railroad bulbs)?
Any other suggestions/improvements would be great, even if you don't
think it will work or think this is a bad idea.
Thanks for any and all!
The heating element from an electric blanket would probably be about |
the right size.
However, I suggest you first coat the gasket and stop surfaces with a
little bit of silicone grease and see if that solves the problem. |
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John Fields
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 23, 2005 1:35 am Post subject:
Re: Fast door heater for a frozen auto door |
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On 22 Nov 2005 12:50:05 -0800, "phaeton" <blahbleh666@hotmail.com>
wrote:
| Quote: | hello-
I have a 99 Ranger pickup which would otherwise be completely
irrelevant to this ng, but something I battle each winter in Wisconsin
is that the driver's side door tends to freeze shut. I can usually get
the passenger side door open and crawl across but it's a bit of a
hassle, esp. since it is a manual transmission.
I've gone all over the door looking for water leaks but can't find any.
It's freezing in a couple of small spots where the rubber stoppers
contact the door, and it must be condensation or the act of opening the
door that gets it just a little wet when I open it. Not a lot of ice,
but just enough to make me worry about someday pulling the doorhandle
off trying to open it.
So i came up with some lame-brained idea of running a small length of
wiring in the door sill with some small, localized "heat sources" in
the areas where it freezes. A hall-effects sensor (or even magnetic
reed switch) in the rear window can be used to turn the heat on if I
put a magnet (small rare-earth type, fastened to my keychain) up to it
on the outside. I can power the whole thing with the 12V accessory
jack in the dash. In theory it sounds like it'd work....
However, what should I use for the heat sources? A small bit of
nichrome wire? If Nichrome, where do I get it (old cigarette lighters
or toasters from the junk yard?) and what should I wrap it with?
Should I use tiny light bulbs (there's room for the 12V grain-of-wheat
and pea-sized HO Railroad bulbs)?
Any other suggestions/improvements would be great, even if you don't
think it will work or think this is a bad idea.
|
---
Put a little silicone grease on the rubber stoppers where they hit
the door.
--
John Fields
Professional Circuit Designer
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Rich Webb
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 23, 2005 7:59 am Post subject:
Re: Fast door heater for a frozen auto door |
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On 22 Nov 2005 12:50:05 -0800, "phaeton" <blahbleh666@hotmail.com>
wrote:
| Quote: | hello-
I have a 99 Ranger pickup which would otherwise be completely
irrelevant to this ng, but something I battle each winter in Wisconsin
is that the driver's side door tends to freeze shut.
[snip...snip...]
Any other suggestions/improvements would be great, even if you don't
think it will work or think this is a bad idea.
|
Why not the heat tape designed to keep water pipes from freezing?
--
Rich Webb Norfolk, VA |
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phaeton
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 23, 2005 9:35 am Post subject:
Re: Fast door heater for a frozen auto door |
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| I dunno... will it run on 12V? |
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JazzMan
Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Nov 24, 2005 1:35 am Post subject:
Re: Fast door heater for a frozen auto door |
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phaeton wrote:
I would suggest smearing a liberal coat of silicone
grease on all the contact points and where water is
likely to bridge and freeze across a gap.
JazzMan
--
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