heater discovery !!!

[john1701a]

I just plain could not figure out why some owners have said there heater wasn't hot enough. I've always been comfortable in the winter, with no concern of ever needing more. Prius has kept me warm through 4 of Minnesota's cold seasons now. Today was no exception. The drive to work at -6 F degrees was quite pleasant. So what was the problem with the other Prius... or were the owners of those cold reports victims of human nature? After all, I was one in the past.

Years ago, I discovered that my home humidifier worked better if I didn't follow my instinct. To get maximum evaporation, you'd think that the maximum speed for the fan would do that. But it turns out, that's far from the truth. The faster the air travels through the wick, the less opportunity it has to absorb water. So, reducing the speed increases output. That's counter-intuitive, but it definitely works. And there's a side benefit from that. Slower is more quiet.

Knowing that. I that I'd try the same with the heater. After all, that does make sense. Air passing through the heater-core would have less opportunity to absorb heat the faster it is moving.

And sure enough, that's exactly what I found. That's why I've been so warm all these years. I've always used the slow setting on the heater. The output from the vent is actually greater the if you don't use a fast speed. Heat is what you want, not a blast of barely warmed air.

Try it. You'll be surprised. A slower fan speed will produce greater heat.

[jfschultz]

:idea: Call Dan Rather, call AP, this is NEWS. John1701a, the Prius guru, found something new!

[Charles Suitt]

Compared to John, I live in 'mild' Dallas Texas - however - we just had light snow, some icy streets and 19º F temperatures this morning. My Prius was outside and the snow covering became quite icy. I started the Prius, set temperature to 68º F, went back inside. Upon returning (about 7-8 minutes) the windshield was adequately clear. I did set the system to "READY" mode so the ICE would run to maintain the traction battery properly.

I have found the heating system about the same as our '96 Camry - adequate or better.