" From: Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx> " " On Fri, 27 Apr 2007, Wrambler242@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote: " " > I don't know the technology of it enough to argue with anyone. All I know is it seems silly to heat water to heat air if your using electricity as the starting point to generate the heat. " > My thinking was that the loss you may incur due to using resistance heat to air for short durations would likely be made up over all the spring, summer,fall days you were not hauling the Pump/Water heating unit, reservoir, fluid and the factory heater box/core! Talking overall comparisons as that is what it ends up being afterall.... " " I think that's a more functional way to look at it, total power " budget/load over a period of time! " " Also, a 500W - 1000W heater isn't so big a load when you consider " the motor is some 25 - 100KW peak (more or less 750W/hp). It " weighs nothing. You could simply put a big electric heater in " the airbox that runs only if the fan is on. Strip that factory " crap out, there's another 30 lbs! the inefficiency i'm thinking of is heat transfer from that incandescent coil to the air. how much is lost to radiation, just heating the heater box up? it does have the advantage of simplicity. one of those little ceramic cubes might not be so bad. a heat pump would have greater complexity but it would also have the 'energy efficiency rating', eg. the multiplier of heat pumped vs. power consumed. and at the expense of even greater complexity it can also dehumidify the defroster air. [i'm trying to recall what a 5000btu room a/c draws - 120w?] ________________________________________________________________________ Andrew Hay the genius nature internet rambler is to see what all have seen adh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and think what none thought _______________________________________________ Amc-list mailing list Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list