Reader Cory Lykins likes the benefit of remote start for heating up your car during cold winter months, but he's not so keen on the price or the waste of gas, so he came up with his own solution using a wireless light switch, an extension cord, and a ceramic heater.
Yes, this hack possibly belongs these 10 DIY hacks that could poke your eye out, but it's a fun idea. Just be careful, everybody!
Things you'll need:
- An RF wireless light switch (such as this)
- A long heavy duty extension cord (the heavy orange ones work well)
- Small ceramic heater (oscillating are the best).
Plug the switch in to an outdoor outlet and run the cord to your car. Open a car door and loop the cord around the door and into the hood seam of the car and then down into the car, so the door doesnt pinch the cord when closed. Plug in the heater and sit it on a stable surface in your car, making sure its airflow isn't blocked or it can't easily fall over. Use the remote switch to turn the whole setup on when you first wake up.
Your car's engine normally only requires a few minutes to warm up; the rest of the time is spent running the car to run the heater which consume huge amounts of gas. This way you save the trouble, however you'll have to play with the amount of time it takes the heater to warm up/defrost the car depending on the BTU output of the heater and its settings, etc.
Words of caution, make sure the heater wont get too hot, or fall over. So dont run it for hours on end. Dont let the extension cord get bent or crimped in the door. Once hit with the cold it will become VERY stiff and the copper could be damaged and short could occur in the cord. Make sure you leave all grounding plugs in place on all the cords and use GFI outdoor plugs.