How To Install A Heater Control Valve
Reading Fourth dimension: 5 minutes
When the temperature outside begins to drop, it'southward important to have a functional heater within of your car. On some vehicles, a component called the heater control valve plays a vital role in heater operation—and keeping your cabin warm.
How Does a Heater Control Valve Work?
Some vehicles (more often than not older models) have a heater control valve. Equally its name implies, the heater command valve controls the flow of coolant through the heater core.
To have a better understanding of the heater control valve, it's of import to showtime know how your car's heater works.
How Your Automobile'southward Heater Works
Your car's heater relies on hot coolant—from the engine'south cooling system—to warm the cabin. A typical cooling system has iv master 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 upwards heat) and toward the thermostat. The thermostat blocks coolant menses to the radiator until the engine reaches operating temperature. So, the thermostat opens, allowing coolant to period from the engine to the radiator. After beingness cooled in the radiator, the coolant returns to the water pump to repeat the cycle.
The water pump likewise forces hot coolant through the heater cadre during the cooling system's cycle. A pair of hoses connect the heater core to the cooling organisation. When the commuter turns on the climate control system'due south fan, a blower motor forces air across the heater core, transferring heat into the cabin.
The Role of the Heater Control Valve
On almost vehicles, coolant flows through the heater core whenever the water pump is turning. A blend door, which routes airflow toward or away from the heater core, regulates the temperature of the oestrus coming out of the vents.
But there are also some vehicles that use a heater control valve to manage the flow of coolant through the heater core. Depending on the arrangement design, the heater control valve may be ordinarily closed (blocking coolant flow until activated) or normally open (allowing coolant flow 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 control valve functioning:
How Do I Know If My Heater Control Valve is Bad?
An inoperative heater is the near mutual sign of a faulty heater control valve. Heater command valves can likewise develop coolant leaks. Of course, other faulty components tin can produce the same symptoms, so you'll desire to exam the heater control valve to ensure it'south to blame.
How Do You Test a Heater Control Valve?
Practise yous suspect your car's heater command valve might exist faulty? To be sure, you'll desire to perform a thorough diagnosis earlier replacing the valve.
Annotation: The method for testing the valve will vary, depending on the system design. So, it'southward a good idea to consult a repair manual or repair database before you begin testing.
Begin past performing a visual inspection of the valve, looking for leaks and other obvious signs of harm. If everything looks okay, you'll want to move on to checking the temperature of the valve's inlet and outlet hoses past doing the following:
- Bring the engine up to operating temperature and switch the heater to the hottest setting.
- Bank check the temperature of the valve's outlet hose (between the valve and the heater core)—information technology should feel almost equally hot as the valve'due south inlet hose.
- If the outlet hose is noticeably cooler than the inlet hose, the valve is probable stuck airtight, preventing coolant from circulating through the heater core.
But before condemning the heater control valve, you'll want to brand sure that its command 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 control circuit is working properly.
Heater Control Valve Location
The heater control valve is typically in line with the heater core's inlet hose, which is often near the vehicle's firewall, but the verbal location of the valve volition vary by vehicle. To determine the location of your automobile's valve (if it has i), information technology'southward a skillful idea to consult a repair transmission or repair database.
Can Y'all Featherbed a Heater Control Valve?
Some people opt to bypass a faulty heater control valve rather than replace it. Unfortunately, bypassing the valve tin cause several issues.
If the valve is removed and the hose is connected directly to the heater cadre, hot coolant will be running through the core all of the time, potentially resulting in climate control functioning problems. On the other hand, if the valve and heater core are both bypassed, the vehicle's heater volition be inoperative.
In either scenario, bypassing the heater command valve is not a good thought because the modification compromises the cooling system'southward integrity. Because heater command valves are generally adequately affordable and piece of cake to replace, your best bet is to replace the valve rather than bypass information technology.
Whatsoever information provided on this Website is for informational purposes merely and is not intended to replace consultation with a professional mechanic.
Source: https://www.carparts.com/blog/how-a-heater-control-valve-works-with-diagram/
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