What Does A Heater Control Valve Do
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When the temperature outside begins to driblet, it'due south of import to have a functional heater inside of your car. On some vehicles, a component called the heater control valve plays a vital part in heater operation—and keeping your motel warm.
How Does a Heater Command Valve Work?
Some vehicles (mostly older models) have a heater control valve. As its name implies, the heater command valve controls the flow of coolant through the heater core.
To take a improve understanding of the heater control valve, it'due south important to outset know how your car's heater works.
How Your Car's Heater Works
Your car'due south heater relies on hot coolant—from the engine's cooling system—to warm the cabin. A typical cooling system has 4 principal components: the water pump, radiator, thermostat, and heater core.
When the vehicle is running, the engine-driven water pump moves coolant through the engine (where the coolant picks upward heat) and toward the thermostat. The thermostat blocks coolant menstruum to the radiator until the engine reaches operating temperature. And then, the thermostat opens, allowing coolant to menses from the engine to the radiator. After beingness cooled in the radiator, the coolant returns to the water pump to repeat the cycle.
The h2o pump also forces hot coolant through the heater core during the cooling system's cycle. A pair of hoses connect the heater core to the cooling system. When the driver turns on the climate command system's fan, a blower motor forces air across the heater core, transferring rut into the cabin.
The Part of the Heater Control Valve
On virtually vehicles, coolant flows through the heater core whenever the water pump is turning. A blend door, which routes airflow toward or abroad from the heater cadre, regulates the temperature of the heat coming out of the vents.
Just there are also some vehicles that use a heater command valve to manage the menses of coolant through the heater cadre. Depending on the system design, the heater command valve may exist normally airtight (blocking coolant flow until activated) or normally open (assuasive coolant menstruation until activated).
Some heater control valves are operated via a cablevision or engine vacuum, while others are electronically controlled.
The video below further discusses heater command valve functioning:
How Do I Know If My Heater Command Valve is Bad?
An inoperative heater is the most common sign of a faulty heater command valve. Heater control valves tin also develop coolant leaks. Of course, other faulty components can produce the aforementioned symptoms, so you'll want to test the heater command valve to ensure it's to arraign.
How Practice Y'all Exam a Heater Control Valve?
Do yous suspect your car's heater control valve might be faulty? To exist sure, y'all'll want to perform a thorough diagnosis before replacing the valve.
Note: The method for testing the valve will vary, depending on the organisation design. And so, it's a skillful idea to consult a repair transmission or repair database before you begin testing.
Begin by performing a visual inspection of the valve, looking for leaks and other obvious signs of damage. If everything looks okay, you lot'll desire to move on to checking the temperature of the valve'southward inlet and outlet hoses past doing the following:
- Bring the engine up to operating temperature and switch the heater to the hottest setting.
- Check the temperature of the valve'southward outlet hose (betwixt the valve and the heater core)—information technology should feel about as hot as the valve's inlet hose.
- If the outlet hose is noticeably cooler than the inlet hose, the valve is likely stuck closed, preventing coolant from circulating through the heater cadre.
Only before condemning the heater control valve, y'all'll want to brand certain that its control system is operating properly.
- If the valve is cable-operated, ensure that the cable operates smoothly without bounden.
- If the valve is vacuum-controlled, ensure that the vacuum line is properly routed and intact.
- If the valve is electronically operated, ensure that the valve's command circuit is working properly.
Heater Control Valve Location
The heater command valve is typically in line with the heater core's inlet hose, which is frequently most the vehicle'due south firewall, merely the exact location of the valve will vary by vehicle. To determine the location of your car'south valve (if it has one), information technology's a good idea to consult a repair manual or repair database.
Tin You lot Featherbed a Heater Command Valve?
Some people opt to bypass a faulty heater control valve rather than replace information technology. Unfortunately, bypassing the valve tin can cause several problems.
If the valve is removed and the hose is connected directly to the heater core, hot coolant will exist running through the core all of the time, potentially resulting in climate control performance problems. On the other hand, if the valve and heater core are both bypassed, the vehicle's heater will be inoperative.
In either scenario, bypassing the heater command valve is not a expert idea considering the modification compromises the cooling organization's integrity. Because heater control valves are by and large fairly affordable and easy to replace, your all-time bet is to replace the valve rather than bypass it.
Any information provided on this Website is for informational purposes merely and is not intended to supervene upon consultation with a professional mechanic.
What Does A Heater Control Valve Do,
Source: https://www.carparts.com/blog/how-a-heater-control-valve-works-with-diagram/
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