Cold weather - climate control not great

[CRAIGC540]

You might just have to take manual control. Turn on recirculate, turn off 'driver focused,' and turn on AC, select the window vents and turn the fan up.

I've noticed that the AUTO setting just tries to keep the temp you set with the absolute minimum fan setting which might not be enough to defrost.

In general, the AUTO setting seems pretty dumb to me, but you can override everything. Like, why does AUTO ONLY use the window vents and never the upper forward vents? Basically, people sitting in the back never get heat when using AUTO because their vents are tied to the front vents which AUTO never seems to select.

Thanks for this thread! I am totally confused with the Auto settings, auto seems to blow to hard and hot or to soft and cold.
Questions
1. when the A/C button is on does this mean the compressor for cooling the cabin is on?

2. When the Auto button is on does this only control the fan speed only or does it automatically control both E heat and A/C button?

3. Do i have to select driver focused or is it selected automatically? I seem to have to check to see if its on every time. Shouldn't it be set and forget it?

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[CRAIGC540]

The only issue I found with the HVAC system is that even with manual adjustment the numbers don't mean anything. Sometimes 70 degrees is super hot and sometimes it's ice cold. Same goes for the upper range of the scale. It's hard to explain but it's like I have to go to the opposite end of the scale and back to get it to put out what's being displayed on the temp scale.

I think that has to do with E Heat not being on when it should for higher temps, and when you go low and back to high E Heat turns on.

 

[Peddyr]

You might just have to take manual control. Turn on recirculate, turn off 'driver focused,' and turn on AC, select the window vents and turn the fan up.

I've noticed that the AUTO setting just tries to keep the temp you set with the absolute minimum fan setting which might not be enough to defrost.

In general, the AUTO setting seems pretty dumb to me, but you can override everything. Like, why does AUTO ONLY use the window vents and never the upper forward vents? Basically, people sitting in the back never get heat when using AUTO because their vents are tied to the front vents which AUTO never seems to select.

This ^^ I live in NH and it was about 21 degrees F this morning. I work in MA so I leave around very early and noticed my drivers window starting to fog up. Did exactly what lightspeed suggested and that seemed to resolve the issue.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Thanks for this thread! I am totally confused with the Auto settings, auto seems to blow to hard and hot or to soft and cold.
Questions
1. when the A/C button is on does this mean the compressor for cooling the cabin is on?

2. When the Auto button is on does this only control the fan speed only or does it automatically control both E heat and A/C button?

3. Do i have to select driver focused or is it selected automatically? I seem to have to check to see if its on every time. Shouldn't it be set and forget it?

1 Not sure, but I assume they entire HVAC system regulates the compressor based on temp & humidity in the cabin.

2 Will need to double check this, but I think that switching off E-Heat still leaves the fan speed and duct controls on automatic cycling. [[Confirmed on diner run this afternoon, you can switch off E-heat all other auto selections remain unchanged, but one touch of the auto button will turn E-heat on again, which is a nice & quick way to get it on again as the cabin chills out]]

3 With a passenger in the front right seat, it automatically switches off driver focused, but you can manually switch it on at the risk of your significant others complaints

 

[lightspeed]

This ^^ I live in NH and it was about 21 degrees F this morning. I work in MA so I leave around very early and noticed my drivers window starting to fog up. Did exactly what lightspeed suggested and that seemed to resolve the issue.

Glad it helped. Obviously depending on a lot of factors, you might have to experiment to see what clears your windows the best.

In many situations, outside air might be better than recirculate to quickly clear the frost, but obviously the heater is way less efficient that way for keeping the cabin warm.

In a relatively dry and cold situations, recirc should be more heat efficient and the A/C may or may not be needed to dehumidify the air. (I wish recirc had a 'blend' option to mix outside and inside air at different %s)

The HVAC system in the Lightning seems actually quite powerful to me. Fan is powerful on higher settings and it heats/cools quickly. The AUTO function is not very smart.

 

[CRAIGC540]

3 With a passenger in the front right seat, it automatically switches off driver focused, but you can manually switch it on at the risk of your significant others complaints

I took driver focused as both top vents on because the blue lines has both side showing on that screen.

 

[Maquis]

I'm not sure this is true if you've got AC on?

I think it is. With recirc on, all of the humidity stays in the car - there’s no way out. Without recirc, humid cabin air is exchanged for outside air, which in very cold temps, contains very little moisture.

 

[TaxmanHog]

I think it is. With recirc on, all of the humidity stays in the car - there’s no way out. Without recirc, humid cabin air is exchanged for outside air, which in very cold temps, contains very little moisture.

The evaporator coil inside the core box condenses the humidity out of the warm moist air, the condensate drains out of the box exiting the vehicle.

I think there is an energy trade off either way, either you draw in cold dry air that needs warming by the heater core or the recirculated moist cabin air that needs to be chilled slightly in the dehumidification process, either way we're expending energy.

I think I would only run recirc for a short period until everything is up to temp, then resume drawing in cold dry air.

 

[Maquis]

The evaporator coil inside the core box condenses the humidity out of the warm moist air, the condensate drains out of the box exiting the vehicle.

I think there is an energy trade off either way, either you draw in cold dry air that needs warming by the heater core or the recirculated moist cabin air that needs to be chilled slightly in the dehumidification process, either way we're expending energy.

I think I would only run recirc for a short period until everything is up to temp, then resume drawing in cold dry air.

The air exiting the evaporator is still at 100% relative humidity.
No doubt recirc is more efficient.
I think I’d start w/o recirc until the glass clears, then turn recirc on. Go back to outside air if things start to fog back up.

 

[macdian]

The cost @27/c-kwh to pre condition the truck this morning

Energy draw by the minute this morning 7:27 to 8:06, departure is at 8:15am

By the day

Hey @TaxmanHog - what is that app you’re using to track? Is it something most people use here?

 

[BennyTheBeaver]

Hey @TaxmanHog - what is that app you’re using to track? Is it something most people use here?

That is the app for his Emporia Charger, and also Emporia home monitoring system.

 

[Pioneer74]

That is the app for his Emporia Charger, and also Emporia home monitoring system.

He's using the FCSP and an Emporia Vue2 to monitor it. Same as me.

 

[jimfigler]

The cost @27/c-kwh to pre condition the truck this morning

Energy draw by the minute this morning 7:27 to 8:06, departure is at 8:15am

By the day

I just set up my same Emporia. Loving it. My wife called me a nerd.

 

[Pioneer74]

I just set up my same Emporia. Loving it. My wife called me a nerd.

Did you go with a charger, whole house monitor or just a monitor for the FCSP?

 

[TaxmanHog]

Hey @TaxmanHog - what is that app you’re using to track? Is it something most people use here?

This is the device I am using to monitor the branch circuit feeds to my FCSP.

https://shop.emporiaenergy.com/products/gen-2-emporia-vue-whole-home-energy-monitor

I'm using its main circuit monitoring clamps because of the large diameter of the conductors.

I am not using the smaller circuit monitoring clamps on my garages separate service, the other branch circuits are just for lighting, door lifts and the resistive space heater in my motorcycle workshop.

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