Thread: Cockpit Heat

I have always felt that the heater on my CT2K was marginal in cold weather and sure enough it showed itself to be inadequate these past 3 weeks. We have had snow with below freezing temperatures, sometimes as low as –10c, but I still managed to get some fantastic winter flying but the heat in the cockpit meant wearing plenty of clothing. The temperature coming out of the footwell was hot enough but lacked plenty of volume so yesterday I brought the exhaust and heat exchanger home and modified it. I removed the scat hose spigot from the front face of the exchanger , blanked off that hole and riveted it to the rear of the unit. Now the scat hose is only 4 inches long and is not being crushed between the bottom of the engine and exhaust unit. Took it for a flight this morning in 0c temp and the difference is great, more heat than I need.

Do all the CT family of planes use the system whereby the scat hose spigot comes out of the heat exchanger at the front ?

Mac

Mac,

We all have a scoop for the outside air up on the lower cowl.
The air flows in and around the hot exhaust then out behind the exhaust through a conytol port that has a flap that we can open or close from inside the cockpit. When it is open the heated OA flows through and into the cockpit.
The number one largest problem for not enough cabin heat is outside air leaks. I re-sealed my doors, I tape off all openings above my head. This takes care of the majority of cool air and if is is in the teens outside I can fly short sleeve shirt and be warm. If it is on 28F outside and I open the heat and leave it on too long it gets too hot for me and then I push it back in about 1/2 way. Another way to seal out really cold air is to put a 2" piece of foam wedged in the opening behind the seat that completely blocks all air. You cabin should get really toasty with that added.
I use clear 3" wide tape for the holes above my head so I can still look inside them and see either a control rod or the fuel.
Bottom line is people have more leaks than they think and the majority is from the door seals and the holes up around your head.

Roger,

Yes, I see your point regarding sealing all the air leaks. I have just fitted the ‘frame curtains’ behind the seats, they aren’t fitted as standard owing to weight considerations, and I’ve done the openings at the wing root. Now I’m looking for a shampoo or sauce bottle top to bung into the wing pin bolt holes above my head.
As you can see from the photo the scat hose has a lot less friction to overcome.

Mac

I have a CTLS and am freezing when I fly in this "teens" weather. Very cold even with the heater port all the way open. Most of my cold comes from behind the seat where the two access panels allow air to communicate with the aft part of the fuselage. Will go with the foam and clear tape over the holes, but I can't feel a bunch of warm air coming out even when pulled out completely. Guess I'll add that to the list to do at the 100hr.

John

When you all put the lower cowl back on make sure the vent for the air intake for the heat is not blocked by the rubber molding around the aluminum opening. Pull your cabin heat all the way open and with the cowl off reach in the back behind the muffler and put your fingers into the top of the heater control valve. If you put you fingers in the top it should be closed off, this is normally open when the cabin heat knob is pushed all the way back in or closed. What you are feeling is a little door that opens up to allow heat from the muffler in and when the heat is off the door is in the down position blocking any heat from coming into the cabin. When you are flying and the cabin heat knob is pulled out you should feel hot air coming in down by your feet. If not then either the tubing has come off the tee connection behind the middle lower instrument panel or the little door in the heat valve we just talked about isn't opening and closing properly. Both are easy to fix. If I didn't have my heater vent diffusers (round chrome part by your feet with holes in it facing toward the pilot) then my toes get burned. Securing the cabin of air leaks is also a must if you have really cold OAT.

John you should check the heat cut of flap as well i have seen a few badly ajusted ones from the factory that only open half way when knob pulled out to maximum ..

Mike

[I don't know if for CT2K is the same situation like in CTLS]
if it's possible check also that the cable is tight in cabin lever. you must to take apart the superior central panel [CTLS] for this.
in "close/push" lever position, the cable must not be loosened [like it was in my plane, 2nd picture].
- in 1st picture is the valve for hot air "maximum open" before adjustment;
- in 2nd, the loosened cable with the lever closed/pushed before adjustment;
- in 3rd, cable tighted, after adjustment [and the valve was indeed wide open when the lever was pulled].

alec

I just found this threat. I have a second problem at my CTSW. My heating knob is moving itself into cold position. I fixed the knob with a tape but it looks not so well. Why does it move itself?
Mike

At the back of the heater control knob behind the dash panel there is a small Allen key bolt that adjusts the friction on the slider very easy to adjust and will stop the heater knob sliding back in under spring tension from the flap ...it would seem as your in Germany you may have the twin unit in the dash if this is the case it works by a spring and friction washers if its slipping it would either need the spring adjusting or new friction washers

Mike

If you have the double unit you can pull it out and gently squeeze it with a pair of pliers so it is slightly out of round a couple of thousands and this will add friction on the side and allow you to pull it out and leave it in any position without it wanting to slide closed. You won't even know it is out of round, but it will then have some friction on the sides.