How does a car’s thermostat work?
A car has an engine that creates a lot of heat that has to be gotten rid of and at the same time regulated so that the engine will perform efficiently and cause the least amount of air pollution. To accomplish this the car has to have a cooling system that will not only get rid of the heat, but maintain a reasonably constant temperature. In addition, the cooling system has to provide heat to the interior of the car to keep it warm in the winter.
The cooling of the engine and heating of the car is done by using a liquid that can carry the heat from the engine to a radiator where the heat can be dissipated into the air and to a heater core that transfers heat to the inside of the car. This liquid is carried from the engine to the radiator and heater core through hoses and inside one of the hoses is a device called a thermostat. The thermostat controls the flow of the liquid by opening and closing depending on the temperature of the liquid running through it. The thermostat creates a temporary blockage in the hoses that carry the liquid. Doing this causes the liquid to rise in temperature so that the engine will run more efficiently (an engine runs most efficiently at about 200 degrees Fahrenheit) and your heater will be warm enough to heat your car.
A cars thermostat is a round metal device that has the center of it attached to a metal coil that expands or contracts depending on the temperature of the liquid around it. It is located in the engine and when the temperature of the liquid in the engine reaches approximately 200 degrees Fahrenheit the metal coil expands and opens the center section of the thermostat to allow the heated liquid to flow to the radiator or heater core where the liquid is cooled. As the liquid in the engine becomes cooler the metal coil contracts and slows the flow of the liquid which in turn raises the temperature of the liquid. The metal coil is designed to open the thermostat just enough to keep the engine at about 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you have ever driven your car and the engine has over heated, the most probable cause is the thermostat has stuck closed. Or if you have driven around on a cold winters day and you heater just won’t heat up, then your thermostat is probably stuck open.
Hi,
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What happens when the thermostat is closed? Some other websites I found say that there is no flow in the engine when the thermostat is closed. But a car’s ‘water’ pump is a centrifugal pump that is connected to the crankshaft, correct? This would mean that there would have to be flow somewhere, right? Is there a secondary loop that sends coolant back to the pump until the thermostat opens up and closes when it does?
I ask because I’m thinking about using an inexpensive automotive thermostat on a different application and cannot find mixed facts about when the thermostat is closed.
Thanks,
Andrew
not too much helpfull as I need here