How to Choose the Right Truck Heater

Anyone who owns or works on a truck knows that trucking isn’t for the faint of heart. The long hauls usually involve a lot of cross-country night driving and sleeping in. That means you’re likely to experience different weather conditions, including extreme cold that your average built-in heater can’t handle.

 

 

 

Good heating in trucks has many benefits. However, with so many types in the market, choosing the right truck heater can get tedious. In this article, we will help you in making the right choice when it comes to a good truck heater.

 

 

Let’s start with the basics.

What is a Truck Heater, and why you need one?

A Truck Heater is an efficient heating unit that utilizes fuel to warm up the truck’s interior. While a truck heater is a necessity during winters, choosing one depends on your purpose.

 

 

 

Some of the main reasons to invest in a truck heater are:

 

Ignition

You may have difficulty starting your truck. This is especially true if you try to start it again after lying dormant for a long time.

 

To run through the night

It could also be for you need to stop and sleep when night comes on a long drive. It would be very uneconomical to keep the engine idling while you sleep.

 

Warmth

An idle engine uses a lot of fuel and also emits pollutants. It is also possible that your truck cab is more spacious. As a result, the heat generated by the engine enters the truck cab through the heat exchanger. But, you still feel cold and need to add an extra heater to your truck.

 

Other than these three reasons above, there should be very few other reasons to use a heater. If you have a special request, please email us and let us know, or leave a comment below this article.

 

Why are Truck Heaters a good Investment?

 

If you have been living in a cold area, such as Alaska or Canada, your truck's heater may not provide enough heat. You will need to choose an extra heater for your truck. That's when you should consider an AUX heater or a diesel air heater.

 

 

If the heater on your truck does not have a large heat dissipation area, you will need to add a heater to increase it.

 

You might still feel cold with a large heat dissipation area. This usually happens with low outside temperatures. It can also hinder the engine from producing a lot of heat. The only way to solve this issue is by using a truck heater for ample warmth.  

Then, you need to choose a heater that can provide extra heat, such as a diesel air heater. Or, you can use a diesel engine heater to provide additional heat to the cooling system.

 

Choosing the right Truck Heater

 

If you are heating a truck engine, you may want to consider the option of a diesel engine heater. An electric engine block heater is also a good option.

 

The Engine Block Heater

 

It is important to note that electric engine block heaters usually use 110V or 230V voltage.

You cannot use an inverter to change the 12V voltage to 110V or 230V because the battery does not have enough power to supply the heater.

 

So, there needs to be a convenient power source where you park.

 

 

The advantages of electric heaters are that they are inexpensive and easy to install. The disadvantage is that the heater will not work if there is no power source.

 

The Diesel Engine Heater

 

Diesel engine heaters only need to use diesel fuel in the truck's fuel tank. By burning the diesel fuel in the heater, the temperature of the truck's antifreeze rises. This can solve the problem that the truck engine is difficult to start at in low temperature.

 

The output power of the diesel engine heater is 5KW, 16000BTU. This heat to warm up the engine is quite enough.

 

You can even set the heater to work between 65-85 degrees Celsius round the clock. To provide auxiliary heating for the cabin, you can turn on the truck's own AUX heater. It allows the coolant of 65 degrees Celsius-85 degrees Celsius to flow through the AUX heater.

 

 

Sleeping in a warm cozy cabin with this heater is an absolute possibility, and you can do this while the truck is parked anywhere.

 

Their versatility allows their use anywhere and in any climatic condition. On the downside, they are a little expensive.

 

If you want to sleep in the compartment, you can choose between a diesel air heater and a diesel engine heater.

 

The Diesel Air Heater

 

The diesel air heater works in a similar pattern to the diesel engine heater. Diesel fuel burns in the combustion chamber and heats the radiator. When cold air passes through the radiator, it heats up to an optimal temperature.

 

 

One of the most significant benefits of a diesel air heater is its instantaneous heating. The heater can provide rapid heating to the whole cabin. This is all possible because of its innovative combustion chamber.

 

It is possible to encounter frequent traffic jams in some cold areas due to bad weather such as a snowstorm. It is not only a safety hazard in the low-temperature environment; you can also put other people’s lives in danger.

 

If you encounter a traffic jam or other emergencies to maintain the temperature inside your car to wait for help, you can start the engine. It will let the fuel burn in the engine to provide heat to your cabin.

 

But, the engine's displacement is substantial. It will consume a lot of diesel fuel, and you may not have enough fuel in your tank. The truck's typical fuel consumption is 6 mpg (2.55 km/l) which will be hard to keep you going until help arrives.

 

The fuel consumption of a heater is 0.252L/H (0.266Qt/H). The truck's fuel tank capacity is about 120 gallons to 150 gallons (454L- 568L). This capacity of fuel will allow the heater to work for more than 1800 hours. This may allow you to wait until help arrives in a warm environment.

 

You can also use the hot air blowing from the heater to melt snow and ice and provide you with hot water.

 

Vvkb Fuel Heater

 

The fuel heater is another significant unit to install on your truck. Usually, the trucks use diesel which is denser than petrol. Before consuming the fuel the heater warms it up at low temperature which gives it the ideal density for use.

 

 

By using a fuel heater, the engine starts with the perfect viscosity. This allows it to revive the engine even if it has been lying dormant for a while. It is crucial to maintain the correct diesel fuel temperature. This is to ensure that there is thorough combustion and a reduction of pollution.

 

The heater comes with a filter paper which stops all the impurities from entering the engine. At low temperatures, there is a probability that the filter freezes, making it hard for the diesel to pass.

 

You can solve this problem by getting a power rating of the heater with 75W. It ensures the efficient working of the engine no matter how low the temperature is.

 

Key Features to look for in a Truck Heater

 

While there are many options to choose from, you need to check the features it comes with to get the best deal. For a perfect performance, we have listed these features that a good truck heater should have.

 

High efficiency

Investing in a heater that never fails to deliver optimal efficiency is a key need. It is one of the key features that the heater you choose must-have. You can check this by looking more at the number of elements it comes with. It can be the installation proves, the tech's information, etc.

 

Make sure it is easy to install

You wouldn’t want a device that takes days to understand how to install and then more days to install it. Units that are hard in their installation can also damage during the process.

 

When choosing a heater for your truck, make sure it is easy to install and doesn’t take much time. 

 

Make sure it is compatible with your Truck!

Imagine the sheer agony of spending so much on a heater and then realizing it does not go with your truck! A waste of time, energy, and money.

 

So do your homework and choose a unit that is compatible with your truck system and fits well. It will save you lots of trouble.

 

Make sure it fits all the Industrial Standards

This means checking to see if the heater complies with the standard RoHS, CE, and FCC regulations.

 

It is usual for good vehicle heaters to be industry-standard approved.  This ensures that they are safe, reliable, and good to use. These standards also test the unit for any flaws and allow only the best to be available for buy.  

 

It is an indicator of quality, efficiency, and safety. While there may be many cheap options out there, you may be risking your life if they do not fit the standard.

 

Research the brand

Buying a truck heater is not a cheap investment. So it is good to ensure that you are getting a good bargain from a reliable company. With so many options available in the market, it is easy to confuse better deals from the not so great ones. 

 

So go into the very nitty-gritty of the company you are buying from. It will affect the reliability, safety, and longevity of the product. Make sure the manufacturers are delivering good quality products over a consistent period.

 

Choosing the right heater for your truck can be a bit overwhelming with so many varieties out there. With a bit of research and understanding of your needs, the process becomes easy. It helps you jot down your choice with the suitable type in less time.

Looking for reliability, safety, and optimal performance? Check out Our Truck Heaters to make the right choice!