Seat heating element. Seat heating test. Is everything so perfect in car seat heating: looking for pros and cons

Car owners spend a huge amount of time behind the wheel of a car, so comfort plays an important role. During frosts, sitting on a cold chair is not the best thing to do, since the regular heating of a car is not always enough for a full warm-up, especially when you need to get into a frozen interior early in the morning. Seat heating is a great solution to this problem.

There are two types of such a heating system: external or external (covers and capes) and built-in (mounted under the seat upholstery). To figure out which seat heating is better, it is worth considering the features of these varieties in more detail.

External seat heating

This is the cheapest option, which is most often used by drivers if the car manufacturer has not taken care of heated seats for the car. Covers and capes are equipped with heating elements:

• carbon fiber wiring;
• nichrome spirals coated with PVC sheath;
• Teflon-coated wires;
• Fiber Thermetics thermal fibre.

The power of elements for heating this type is from 40 to 100 W at a current consumption in the range of 4-8 Amperes. The external heaters are powered by the cigarette lighter. Some models are equipped with touch or mechanical control panels. The method of fastening the product depends on the type of heater.

Types of external heaters

This type of system falls into two categories.

"Capes"

Heated front seats of the overhead type are considered the simplest and most affordable. Products are made of rubberized or dense fabric, on which heating elements are fixed. Such heating pads can be fixed with special Velcro or rubber bands with hooks. To install the heated cape on the seat, it is enough to fix the lower hooks to the seat springs yourself. After that, it is enough to connect the “cape” to the cigarette lighter.

However, such simple heater options have a lot of disadvantages:

• Most models lack temperature controls, which often leads to overheating.
• The product is fixed only with a few hooks or Velcro. Because of this, the cape constantly slips.
• "Capes" do not look very nice.
• The cigarette lighter is constantly busy.
• Heated rear seats are not possible.

Cases

Products of this type can be made from a variety of materials (fabric, natural or artificial leather, eco-leather). They are installed on top of the regular "seats" and connected directly to the on-board system, which is much better than heating the car seats from the cigarette lighter. At the same time, you can install products immediately on all seats, thereby not violating the interior design.

Cases, as a rule, are equipped with additional control panels that allow you to control the heating temperature, thanks to which the risk of overheating is practically eliminated.

However, if you compare heated front seat covers and covers, the first type is much easier to install yourself. The cover is so easy to pull on the seat. In addition, such systems require the installation of control buttons that crash into the car panels. It is recommended to entrust this work only to auto electricians.

In addition, the cost of covers is much higher. However, it all depends on the chosen model.

The best outdoor seat heating systems

Most often, car owners choose the following products:

There are also special covers that are used for child seats. Among them it is worth highlighting:

In addition to capes and covers, there are also stationary heating systems, which are considered more reliable and durable.

built-in heating

These elements are installed between the skin and the foam layer of the car seats. They are made from special mats using nichrome spirals, carbon fiber and thermal fiber. Based on this, there are several features of the built-in heating system:

• Products with nichrome spirals are cheaper, but such elements can not be built into every chair design. If the system intersects with reinforcement elements, then it will have to be adjusted to the desired size.
• Carbon fiber and thermal fiber mats can be installed on any chair without any restrictions. If necessary, they can be safely cut and give them any shape. However, these models are very expensive.

If we talk about the advantages of such systems compared to covers and capes, then it is worth highlighting:

• Access to car cigarette lighter. Heating is connected to a separate power supply.
• Hidden system connection. There will be no wires hanging under your feet.
• The possibility of outputting the heating system both to the rear seats of the car and to the front.
• High reliability of the system.
• The presence of a thermostat. Thanks to this, the device will not close.
• Possibility of installation of the power supply unit in any convenient place.

Among the shortcomings of such systems, only a rather high cost of products can be distinguished. However, you can find relatively cheap models.

The best systems "embedded"

To choose high-quality seat heating, you should pay attention to the following brands:

There are no fixed systems for child seats, since such a heated seat installation will be fraught with many difficulties. However, if necessary, a heater for any type of seat can be made independently.

DIY seat heating

In order to make such a system, it is enough to purchase a heating cable. If you want to save even more, then before you do the seat heating with your own hands, you can prepare an ordinary nichrome wire with a diameter of 0.5 mm. It will act as a heater. After that, it remains to sew it on a dense fabric and attach it under the chair. The scheme of work is extremely simple. In order to make a homemade burn, you must:

• Divide 3 meters of nichrome into two equal parts (one of them will go to the “seat”, and the second will be needed for the back of the seat).
• Sew it in a zigzag onto the fabric (you can use old jeans).
• Connect the structure made to a 12 V power source.

How to check that everything is working? Very simple. To do this, you need to wait until the wiring starts to heat up. If after a few minutes the seat becomes warm, then everything is fine. If this does not happen and the wire continues to heat up, it is recommended to connect a thermostat or other device for measuring resistance.

You need to be careful not to overheat. Otherwise, a fire may occur. That is why the independent manufacture of such elements is not recommended for those who are far from electricians.

You can also make heating a little differently, using the same nichrome wire. Only in this case, it will need a little more - 10 m. From nichrome, you need to form 4 spirals at a distance of 40 mm from each other, curling the wire with "eights". For convenience, it is better to wind the spirals on nails driven into the board.

After that, the spirals are connected in parallel and attached to a dense mother (again, jeans can be used). At the next stage, it remains only to mount the relay and connect the system to a power source.

In custody

Before you install seat heating, you should check its performance. Even if we are talking about a ready-made heating system, it is worth connecting it and seeing how intensely the heating occurs before directly installing it on the car seats.

Seat heating installation service is becoming more popular every year. Despite what our scientists say about global warming, it never gets warmer in winter. Every driver knows how unpleasant it is to get into a cold car. Seat heating undoubtedly solves this problem, because. in a matter of seconds, the seat of your car becomes warm.

Everyone knows that sitting on cold surfaces is harmful and dangerous, and a car that has been standing in the cold all night warms up very slowly. The best solution to this problem would be heated seats. The installation of heating elements in the seats of your car is done by dismantling the seats, then the specialists install the heating elements in the seat and return the seat to its place. The installation of heated seats will not disturb the appearance of the cabin; only the control panel, which fits perfectly into the interior of a modern car, will indicate the presence of heating. It should be noted that thanks to modern materials used by manufacturers of heating elements, seat heating, the installation of which is carried out professionally, is absolutely fireproof and does not require additional maintenance.

Seat heating installation

We offer universal seat heaters that are suitable for both domestic and foreign cars.

Heated seats Emelya UK-1 (set for two seats)

• Price: 3670 rub.
• Price with installation - from 7670 rub.

The Emelya UK-1 set is permanently mounted on two seats, under the skin.

Short description:

The Emelya UK-1 heating element is very flexible and tear-resistant, unlike similar equipment, which is made of nichrome or copper wire.

It has two modes - on and off.

Buttons for controlling seat heating Emelya UK-1 are located in a single control unit

Heated seats Emelya UK-2 (set for two seats)

• Price: 4100 rub.
• Price with installation - from 8100 rub.

The Emelya UK-2 set is permanently mounted on two seats, under the skin.

Short description:

The heating element is carbon material.

It has electronic control units, with 8 heating modes and color indication. Equipped with protection against short circuit, against sparking - has a fault indicator. The Emelya UK-2 heating element is very flexible and tear-resistant, unlike similar equipment, which is made of nichrome or copper wire.

It has 4 heating modes, with automatic shutdown mode after 30 minutes, as well as protection against overheating.

Operating modes:

• flashing red - intensive heating, turns into strong heating after 4 minutes.
• red - strong heating.
• yellow - medium heat.
• green - weak heating.
• Turns off automatically after 30 minutes.

The main advantage of Emelya UK-2 over Emelya UK-1- this is an opportunity to install heating temperature control units separately from each other, which allows you to make the control as comfortable as possible.

What is this service?

The integrated installation of the seat heating kit is practically a factory option for heated seats. It will not hang around the seat, as in the case of a cape, and “get off” from it. The kit will not be felt through the upholstery of the seat, it will not be visible at all, it will work reliably. The heating system will not turn on in the cigarette lighter like a seat warmer cape. And the seat heating of the car will be carried out with protection, and as a result, you will get a very comfortable and useful function in the cold season, worthy of having a place in every modern car.

We use proven heating kits and give a 1 year warranty on the system. It needs to be noted that seat heating installation produced using a standard installation kit, which includes a heating element made of carbon material, placed between two layers of woven material. It has a high degree of strength as well as good flexibility. The scope of supply also includes an electronics unit that provides automatic blocking in the event of a short circuit in the system. Control and management of the system is carried out in four-channel mode using convenient control buttons.

The owner of the car himself chooses the desired mode, especially since it is possible rear seat heating installation separately from the heated driver's seat. The installation kit comes with appropriate mounting hardware, a protection relay and a whole bundle of wires that only experienced electricians can deal with. By ordering the service of a field electrician, you will be able to avoid additional time and money spent on dismantling and re-assembly, in case of improper self-installation. Such a service is cheap, besides, a field electrician will save the car owner up to 30%, in comparison with the dealer network of services.

Keep in mind

Seat heating installation adds comfort to everyone in the showroom. Heat is especially useful for the female body, but for men, you should not turn on the heating in a constant mode. Of course, heat is therapeutic for osteochondrosis and radiculitis, but it is undesirable for the reproductive sphere of the male body.

Covers made of fabric materials, as well as velor or leatherette, warm up best of all. Leather upholstery is more whimsical and has a higher heat loss coefficient. It needs a more powerful heating element, which the electrician will select individually.

How important is it

Before installing the kit, it is necessary to evenly distribute the heating element and fasten it properly to avoid displacement during operation. This is especially important for overweight drivers. Also, the electrician should check the system for a safety sensor that can automatically turn off the system in case of danger. quality seat heating installation price the question is minimal, and the benefits are obvious to everyone.

Almost all modern manufacturers install seat heating on their cars, so it is almost impossible to surprise motorists with such an innovation today. However, many questions remain about how such a system works, whether it is really beneficial, and which heating option is more practical. We will try to cover all these issues in as much detail as possible below.

History of creation: in search of truth

At its core, car seat heating is an electrical device that, when installed, is connected to the car's on-board network. The need to create such a function arose a very long time ago, but it took some time to come up with a modern version of heating, and it is difficult to name the author of this invention.

In disputes for primacy in the invention of such a useful system for car owners, two countries are fighting at once: America and Sweden. The first one is more likely to prove its innovation, since it was the Americans who, back in 1955, patented a similar idea. Its official author was Robert Ballard. Just 10 years later, the idea of ​​heated seats was implemented on the Cadillac Fleetwood car. For optimal performance, the heated seats were made of special carbon fabric.

But the Swedes stubbornly insist that the heating installed on their car was the first, although this idea was realized only in 1972. Although in time this happened later than in America, it is the Swedish version that should be considered more perfect.

But still, such attempts had their drawbacks, which is why for several decades in a row automotive designers have been working to create an ideal seat heating system. Such attention to the function of seat heating by the most famous automobile concerns is not accidental, since it was several times called the most important invention in the car (it was put on a par with the seat belt system and turbocharging).

The main aspects of the installation and operation of the car seat heating system

Often, when we talk about seat heating, we mean built-in heating, which is installed directly into the inside of the seat. Structurally, such a system includes the following elements:

1. Heating element. Often, it is a wire coated with Teflon on top and a nichrome spiral.

2. Fabric shell, inside which the heating element is hidden. This shell is most often made of carbon or thermal fiber.

In order for all these elements to start functioning, it is also necessary to have a stable connection to the car's on-board electrical network. But in order for the design to fulfill its immediate tasks, it is mounted in the back of the seat and its lower part.

When the seat heater is activated, its elements initially heat up to a temperature in the range of 35-40°C. It is clear that the constant provision of a high temperature can become unpleasant for the driver and his passengers, therefore, after warming up, the temperature drops slightly and is maintained at the same comfortable level, which in some settings can be set independently. Often, such installations also make it possible to turn off one of the parts of the heating system - the backrest or the seat itself (for example, if the car is already relatively warm, or the driver wants to save a little electricity).

But still, electronics cannot always provide accurate heating, and therefore seat heaters must be equipped with temperature sensors. Thanks to them, the heating is also adjusted.

Important! In many insurance companies in America and Europe, there is a rule: if their client's car does not have heated seats, he is credited with a higher probability of an insured event. All this speaks of the great benefits of such a system, which is why it is increasingly being installed not only by auto designers, but also by ordinary amateurs.

What problems do owners of cars with heated seats have to face?

First of all, it is a burned-out heating, which simply does not work. Since all its elements are hidden inside the seat, it is often impossible to determine the cause of the breakdown at a glance. Therefore, in order not to immediately proceed with the dismantling and “trepanation” of the chair in which the heating has stopped working, you should check the safety of the fuses. If everything is fine with them, there are two more possible burnout options for the system:

1. A switch that simply does not send a command to activate the heating.

2. The presence of a break or a burned-out area in the heating system itself.

It is often the switches that break down, since most manufacturers treat their design rather carelessly. You can verify this without disassembling the seat, although if it is in a hard-to-reach place, this can not be avoided. Removing the switches should be done as follows:

- remove the connector from the switch itself, for which we easily shake and pull the connector down a little;

Inside the casing there are stoppers, which can be removed only with a screwdriver;

After that, the switch should fully come out.

As soon as the switch is in your hands, you will see that it has 3 contacts at once. The one that is average is of no interest to us at all, since it is only responsible for ensuring that, if necessary, the indicator lamp for the switch operation lights up. But if the extreme contacts do not function, here, most likely, you will even have to resort to disassembling the device itself.

Inside the switch is a board to which the contacts are connected. If for one reason or another moisture or other liquid from the car gets on it, most likely the board will fail. In this case, it should be carefully cleaned and dried thoroughly, after which the board should resume its normal operation. Assemble the switch in reverse order.

But if the matter is not in the switch, then it will be necessary to check for integrity, in fact, the heating itself in the seat. To carry out this procedure without dismantling the seat itself, you must:

1. Tilt the seat back as far as it will go.

2. Feel the gap between the seat itself and its back with your fingers and find the place where the back upholstery is attached, remove it. After that, we look for all the heating connectors and try to pull them out of the seat, simultaneously checking them for integrity.

Since the occupation is very difficult and unpleasant, it is better to refuse it, because in order to return all the connectors to their place, the seats will still have to be disassembled. Moreover, the cause of the malfunction in this case will be obvious.

As you can see for yourself, despite all its merits, if the heating breaks, this breakdown can be very difficult to fix. For this reason, few people resort to repairs. Instead, car owners are trying to find alternative ways to heat their seats.

What can replace the seat heater?

In addition to the heating option, when the heating elements are mounted inside the car seat, there is also an option when they are located on top of the seat as a removable cape. At the same time, today it is considered to be the cape that is the simplest and most affordable for each heating option, which is suitable not only for those car owners who did not have heating, but also for those who have such a system out of order.

The design of the heating cape is almost identical to the usual one: the heating element is simply sewn into a special fabric (resistant to fire and regular use). In general, the cape is simply attached to the seat with hooks or rubber bands, which, however, very often brings drivers discomfort - the cape can slide and move, so you have to think out your own ways of fastening.

The heating cape is powered by a conventional cigarette lighter, which is both simple and economical. However, often such devices do not have a long service life, because after 2-3 seasons they simply burn out. In addition, for the constant use of seat heating, you have to purchase a cigarette lighter socket splitter.

The disadvantages of capes can also be attributed to the fact that their color is very difficult to match the interior of the car. They also have only two degrees of adjustment (although today manufacturers are trying to eliminate this drawback), on one of which it can burn in the ass, and in the second it will barely feel the heat emanating from the device. However, in cases where the installation of an internal seat heating is not available, this option is an excellent and cheap alternative.

Is everything so perfect in car seat heating: looking for pros and cons

Agree, sitting in the winter on a heated seat is many times more pleasant than on a stiff one. This is especially true for cars with leather seat covers, where the skin in winter is simply stretched excessively by cold and causes discomfort to both the driver and his passengers.

However, despite the external positivity of such a device, many medical luminaries are conducting studies proving the negative impact of heating on the health of the driver who uses it regularly. In particular, regular exposure to heat can cause not only impotence, but also complete infertility. For this reason, even with heating, you need to use it as little as possible, especially if you have a fabric seat cover in your car, which, in principle, warms up quite quickly from human heat.

To avoid “overheating”, it is especially important to install an additional sensor for heating, which will turn off the heating after a certain amount of driving time.

And if the seats need to be cooled?

In winter, everyone in the cabin freezes, but in summer the situation becomes exactly the opposite - every driver and passenger of a car dreams of an additional source of cooling. This problem was very competently taken into consideration by the Japanese specialists of the company called "Thanko" and have already managed to release their own developments to the wide market, which allow cooling the car seats.

Important! So far, this function can only be used by owners of Nissan Patrol vehicles, where the seat cooling system is standard.

According to reviews, such a system is an excellent addition to the air conditioner. After all, if the temperature of the seats reaches 60 ° C in summer, the general cooling system is not able to cool the entire interior with all its elements in a very short period of time. In the presence of additional cooling of the seats, it is they who “cool down” first of all, and then the driver begins to feel the effect of the air conditioner.

How does the cooling system work? Its basis is ordinary water, which, thanks to the presence of a refrigerated bag, is cooled, and with the help of a pump it is pumped throughout the seat, thereby cooling it. In order to use the system, 1.5 liters of pre-chilled water must be poured into it. In this case, the hose is attached directly to the neck of the bottle, and the pump is activated from the cigarette lighter.

According to manufacturers, the efficiency of such a system can reach up to 6-8 hours. At the same time, cooling practically does not consume the energy of the car, which is a good savings (especially if you abandon the air conditioner). True, such an installation is not cheap - about 200 USD.

The modern automotive industry presents car owners with more and more useful gifts that make the driving process as comfortable as possible. True, in the case of the cooling system, you must be as careful as possible so as not to encounter health problems.

Below is a number of models that are connected via a plug to a 12 V socket. Sometimes there are other options designed for homemade ones: in such cases, you need to infiltrate the offal of regular seats so that nothing is noticeable from the outside. But about them - a separate conversation another time.

The most important thing to remember when using such capes is not to forget to pull the plugs out of the socket after a trip. The fact is that not on all machines the sockets are de-energized at the same time, and therefore the turned on heater of the sirloin and other parts of the body will land the battery quite confidently. I don't want to think about fires.

It is curious that from the point of view of the law, such products, if desired, can easily be classified as prohibited. Indeed, they, like any gadgets, are not provided for by the design of the car, and therefore the entire responsibility for their use lies with the owner of the car. There is a healthy grain in this: if an alien rug is capable, for example, of getting under the pedal block, then why can’t the Chinese cape throw out a similar number? It is clear that in practice no one will cling to this, but you need to be honest with yourself, and therefore try not to mess around when installing. A pinched wire somewhere can one day make a bad joke.

However, there are much more interesting questions. And the simplest sounds like this: is such heating useful or harmful?

Let's start with the positive: useful, of course! If only because flopping into an ice chair is not very pleasant. And experienced people say that such hypothermia can lead to kidney disease and other organs located nearby. In addition, the same experienced people know: seat heating fights such nasty things as sciatica and osteochondrosis. And the men who jump out of bed at night because they “wanted to drink” or “didn’t turn off the TV” will appreciate the heating from this side as well. And then there are arthrosis, intercostal neuralgia, etc.

In other words, are you warming up? No not always. I don’t want to scare anyone, but if you suspect any tumors, it’s better to forget about seat heating - especially for those who drive for a long time. In addition, a warm place sometimes provokes inflammatory processes, with which a relaxed body ceases to fight. And also such unpleasant words as lymphostasis and puffiness - brr ... In general, consult with your doctor. If there is one, of course.

However, it can and should be easier. Getting into a frozen car, you need to heat the seat to a comfortable temperature, and then turn off the heating: by this time it is already getting warm in the cabin. I think that such advice will suit both healthy people and sick people.

The actual current consumption is about 3 A. Of the design features, we note the symmetrical connectors on the right and left: the plug can be connected from either side. The keypad allows you to select one of two heating modes. For the sake of interest, they tested for overheating: after reaching 56 ° C, the device turned off. However, according to the instructions, a timer for half an hour could work. In general, there is protection from a fool.

Price - 2700 rubles. Expensive, to be honest.

We were not honored with a description - alas ... However, everything is clear anyway: the intuitively understandable slide switch of the two modes does not raise questions. After reaching 39°C, the current dropped from the initial 2.9 A to 1.6 A. After reaching 42°C, the device turned off: the protection worked. The cost is 1700 rubles.

The products, devoid of any controls, have their own charm: plug yourself into the network and use it. This cape is made just like that: there are no buttons here - everything is as simple as shelling pears. The current consumption is 3.6 A, but it soon dropped to 3.2 A. The automatic shutdown threshold we recorded is approximately 49°C. The price is lower than others: from about 800 rubles.

I was immediately surprised by the current consumption: as much as 4.3 A. At the same time, the protection threshold is the lowest: 36 ° C. I didn’t like the termination of the wire, especially since one protective plate fell off immediately, exposing sharp self-tapping screws. However, the price is not the most exorbitant: 1000 rubles.

According to the description, the cape contains a "carbon thermal element" - I quote the developers. It must be assumed that we are talking about a carbon fiber heater - it heats up quickly, is resistant to elastic deformations and is famous for its high thermal conductivity. In addition, carbon conductors do not oxidize. The current consumption is normal, about 3 A. When heated to 47 ° C, a “cut-off” is activated, which stops further heating. Price - 1350 rubles.

For some reason, as many as three heating levels are declared, although we saw only two. The consumption current is the highest in our sample - 4.8 A. It is not fatal for the on-board network, but still a little strange: others have clearly less. It was also surprising that the built-in protection worked already at 32 ° C. Price - 1500 rubles.