With skyrocketing gas prices around the globe, everyone is looking for a fuel-efficient car. If not fuel-efficient, everyone is looking for tips to maximize their gas mileage so they won’t have to spend extra money at gas stations.
A car’s heating mechanism and gas consumption are a big concern for such people. But should you be worried about wasting gas when running your car’s heater?
How Does a Car Heater Work?
The engine warms up after you have been driving for a while. To keep the engine from overheating, liquid or coolant is pumped to transfer heat to the radiator.
As the fluid or coolant returns to an average temperature and returns to the engine, heat is ejected into the environment within the radiator. The engine cools down in this manner.
However, a slight change comes in this mechanism when you switch on your heather. Rather than releasing the extra heat into the atmosphere, coolant (that still contains the engine heat) is passed into a tiny radiator hidden behind the dash.
After that, a fan kicks on to transfer the heated air from the radiator into your vehicle through air vents.
Does Your Car Heater Waste Gas?
Well, the straight answer is NO, at least not much. The only component which uses gas while the heater is on is the fan that circulates and throws the warm air through vents.
Moreover, the gas it consumes is nearly negligible. Unlike air conditioning, where the compressor has to produce cold air, the heat is already present in the system in the case of a heater.
The function of the fan is to collect it from the engine and send it inside the cabin. It utilizes gas because it turns on a fan to circulate warm air into your car’s interior, but the amount consumed is negligible.
The heat is already present, and it’s only a matter of transporting it from the engine to the cabin.
In reality, turning on your car’s heater is one method to avoid engine overheating throughout the summer.
So, if you feel cold, turn on your car heating without worrying about gas mileage.
Will My Car Heater Work if the AC Is Not Working?
If your car’s AC is not working, there can be many reasons. However, it does not affect the heater at all. The heater and your car’s AC have only one mutual component: the fan. Apart from the fan, your car’s AC and no other component can affect the heater.
If your car’s AC is not functioning due to the malfunction of the fan, then the heater won’t work either.
Does Turning on the Heater Cool Down the Engine?
Yes, turning on the heater cools down the engine because it needs coolant to go inside the small radiator inside the dashboard where it can cool down. The cold coolant will again go into the engine and bring down its temperature.
How Can I Improve My Car’s Gas Mileage?
There are multiple ways to improve your car’s fuel efficiency, some of which are:
- Turn Off the AC: Your car’s air conditioner consumes a lot of gas. Multiple parts of the AC run simultaneously, including the compressor, condenser, etc. Therefore, turning off the AC and not using it unnecessarily can improve your car’s gas mileage.
- Maintain Your Engine: You should always go for timely engine maintenance. A faulty engine can be your car’s poor fuel economy. The throttle body and catalytic converters are the main parts of your engine that damage the gas mileage. Therefore, make sure to go for timely maintenance and keep your car’s engine in good shape.
- Keep a Light Foot on the Pedal: Hard accelerations and driving at high revs can significantly drop your car’s gas mileage. Even if you have an automatic vehicle, keep a light foot on the pedal and drive it at low revs to yield the best gas mileage.
- Maintain the Tire Pressure: Always maintain your car’s tire pressure, and don’t let it go above or below the recommended limit. If your vehicle has abnormal tire pressure, the engine will have to put more pressure on the rotation motor to move the tires, eventually making the engine drink more fuel.
Wrapping Up
We must be aware of the various aspects that might impact our car’s fuel economy and avoid any habit that leads to more fuel consumption.
If you ask, “does heat waste gas?” it shows how serious you are about your gas mileage. Keep this habit up and always find ways to improve your car’s gas mileage and cause less harm to nature.
