What are cigarette lighter heaters and how do they workif at all?
One of the cheapest and easiest solutions is to plug a heater into you car’s cigarette lighter socket.
But do these niche contraptions actually work?
Do Portable Cigarette Lighter Heaters Work?
Cigarette lighter heaters are designed to convert energy from your car’s electrical system into heated air.
The problem is they can only draw so much power, so the resulting heat is paltry.
That also means they cannot stand in for a standard vehicle heating system.
That makes them better suited for very simple things like defrosting the windshield or warming up hands.
Cigarette lighter heaters are too weak to stand in for a standard heating system.
Another option is a residential space heater plugged into aninverter.
Both of those options are limited by the amount of power that your cars electrical system can put out.
Abattery-operated heatercan also be effective if you merely want to defrost your windshield.
The Problem With Car Heaters and Cigarette Lighters
Cigarette lighter plugs are low in wattage.
Most of these circuits are wired with 10- or 15-amp fuses.
None of these solutions can serve as a replacement for a factory-installed heater.
Always follow installation and use instructions specific to the heater you choose.
12 volt car heaters, even those wired in this manner, still tend to be pretty weak.
Even the smallest residential heater is capable of putting out more than enough heat for a car.
Allows for use of more powerful heaters.
Residential space heaters can put out more heat than 12 volt heaters.
Can effectively replace a non-functioning car heater.
Residential space heaters consume a lot of power.
Your charging system may not be able to handle even a small space heater.
Most residential space heaters are dangerous to use in confined spaces due to fire hazards.
Either of these options can work if installed properly.
