manxmike Posted March 14, 2022 Report Share Posted March 14, 2022 Does anyone know if there is such a device as a 12 volt hairdryer that actually works? The ones we have had in the past have been absolute rubbish, no heat and no blow. I've even looked at rechargeable ones, but they only blow cold air when on battery, for heat they have to be plugged into the mains. Help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 14, 2022 Report Share Posted March 14, 2022 (edited) 6 minutes ago, manxmike said: Does anyone know if there is such a device as a 12 volt hairdryer that actually works? The ones we have had in the past have been absolute rubbish, no heat and no blow. I've even looked at rechargeable ones, but they only blow cold air when on battery, for heat they have to be plugged into the mains. Help! We have never found one that works. We started looking over 35 years ago when first started caravanning. Good luck in your quest but I fear it is a lost cause. Edited March 14, 2022 by The Happy Nomad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
booke23 Posted March 14, 2022 Report Share Posted March 14, 2022 (edited) I don't think such a thing exists. The problem is that 12v sockets are usually limited to 15 amps, so that's what 12v hair dryers draw. That is equal to 180 Watts, which is next to nothing in heating terms. So on a warm day you might feel slightly tepid air blowing from it but that will be about as good as it gets. Years ago I bought one of those dash mounted electric fan heaters. They are marketed to enable you in instantly clear your windscreen with warm air on a frosty morning......it too was rated at 180 watts. It was next to useless. On a frosty morning I think it sucked in the air at 0 degrees and perhaps warmed it to 10 degrees! Edited March 14, 2022 by booke23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsmelly Posted March 14, 2022 Report Share Posted March 14, 2022 This is an easy one to answer. They dont exist. The problem however is easily solved. Dispose of the high maintenence female that these things invariably are purchased for. My first missus needed such crap, the present one of over thirty years living aboard didnt have one, she doesnt now even in a house. High cost wimmin are replaceable. Or blokes if you are that way inclined. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy D'arth Posted March 14, 2022 Report Share Posted March 14, 2022 The best boat hairdryer is a T O W E L. Doesn't flatten your batteries. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hudds Lad Posted March 14, 2022 Report Share Posted March 14, 2022 I manage with a towel, and i have quite a bit of hair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sueb Posted March 14, 2022 Report Share Posted March 14, 2022 gas operated curling tongs work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cuthound Posted March 14, 2022 Report Share Posted March 14, 2022 A 3kVA inverter, used with the engine running, will power a mains hair dryer without killing the batteries. However Mrs Manxmike will have to wait until at least 08:00 to dry her hair. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puffling Posted March 14, 2022 Report Share Posted March 14, 2022 Pick a sunny day to perform the washing of the mane. Towel first, then out in the sun to finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyG Posted March 14, 2022 Report Share Posted March 14, 2022 26 minutes ago, Puffling said: Pick a sunny day to perform the washing of the mane. Towel first, then out in the sun to finish. So, once a month in winter, strange. I keep hair short, towel dry, then put on a big bobble hat if I'm going out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo47 Posted March 14, 2022 Report Share Posted March 14, 2022 It follows from Ohm's Law that a 1200W heater for a 12V supply would draw 100A, which would require some pretty massive cables. When my wife's original hairdryer element failed, I found that the fan motor actually ran at 12V DC derived by a tapping from the heater element and a small silicon rectifier. Removing the element, fitting a 12V car plug and wiring the mains lead to the motor, allowed its use as a cold air blower. Better than nothing, but not by much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post beerbeerbeerbeerbeer Posted March 14, 2022 Popular Post Report Share Posted March 14, 2022 Sit in front of the eco fan 👍 1 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted March 14, 2022 Report Share Posted March 14, 2022 Using batteries for anything involving heat is asking for trouble, unless like Nick, you run a nuclear power station on board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen-in-Wellies Posted March 15, 2022 Report Share Posted March 15, 2022 10 hours ago, Goliath said: Sit in front of the eco fan 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUMPY Posted March 15, 2022 Report Share Posted March 15, 2022 C uses a travel hairdryer runs off the inverter draws 900w and worked well on a 1k inverter. Only downside is don't try it on half power as that just puts a diode across the supply and the inverter doesn't like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manxmike Posted March 15, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2022 Some excellent replies, thanks to all. As I thought, it's basically a no go, having said which I am surprised that Mr Dyson hasn't invented a hair dryer that needs no electricity, works off the movement of the planets and can also be used to clean your teeth, trim your toenails and dispose of members of extinction rebellion when they chain themselves to lock gates or glue themselves to slip roads on the M25. Nanu nanu schazbot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hudds Lad Posted March 15, 2022 Report Share Posted March 15, 2022 2 minutes ago, manxmike said: Some excellent replies, thanks to all. As I thought, it's basically a no go, having said which I am surprised that Mr Dyson hasn't invented a hair dryer that needs no electricity, works off the movement of the planets and can also be used to clean your teeth, trim your toenails and dispose of members of extinction rebellion when they chain themselves to lock gates or glue themselves to slip roads on the M25. Nanu nanu schazbot! Mr Dyson is too busy buying land, he’s something like the 25th biggest landowner in the UK now, must need the grazing for all those ballbarrows that are now put out to pasture Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan de Enfield Posted March 15, 2022 Report Share Posted March 15, 2022 22 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said: Mr Dyson is too busy buying land, he’s something like the 25th biggest landowner in the UK now, must need the grazing for all those ballbarrows that are now put out to pasture He owns more land than the Queen. His agricultural business (Beeswax) has been of huge benefit in Lincolnshire and country-wide, particularly his 'environmental' 'energy-crops' and the glasshouses for strawberries so they are available in March and saves thousands of 'carbon miles' importing from Israel etc. How much land does beeswax Dyson own? We now have 35,000 acres of farmland and we produce 35,000 tonnes of wheat, 9000 tonnes of spring barley, 15,000 tonnes potatoes, 9000 tonnes of vining peas, and 100,000 tonnes of energy crops. If we are no longer importing all our grains from Russia, we may be very grateful for his Wheat keeping 'bread on the table', and Barley in our beer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted March 15, 2022 Report Share Posted March 15, 2022 2 hours ago, Loddon said: C uses a travel hairdryer runs off the inverter draws 900w and worked well on a 1k inverter. Only downside is don't try it on half power as that just puts a diode across the supply and the inverter doesn't like it. Diana does the same. That another 5Ah it takes from my 24 volt batteries. This is normally in the morning just before I start the engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady M Posted March 15, 2022 Report Share Posted March 15, 2022 I would dry my hair in the sunshine or sitting by the stove, depending on which is available. If neither, visit a warm pub. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy D'arth Posted March 15, 2022 Report Share Posted March 15, 2022 2 hours ago, Loddon said: C uses a travel hairdryer runs off the inverter draws 900w and worked well on a 1k inverter. Only downside is don't try it on half power as that just puts a diode across the supply and the inverter doesn't like it. In series surely, or else BANG! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUMPY Posted March 15, 2022 Report Share Posted March 15, 2022 15 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said: In series surely, or else BANG! Yes I didn't say parallel or series It was early is my defence for not being more specific 😉 37 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said: Diana does the same. That another 5Ah it takes from my 24 volt batteries. This is normally in the morning just before I start the engine. As C takes a while to get ready for the world I am usually already on the move before the dryer goes on 😱 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo47 Posted March 15, 2022 Report Share Posted March 15, 2022 (edited) 30 or so years ago it was common for small mains TVs that could also be used on 12VDC, to have a diode connected in reverse parallel across the 12VDC input. The idea was that, when the power lead was connected with the correct polarity, the diode did nothing, but if the lead was accidentally connected the wrong way round, the diode would put a dead short across the 12V supply and blow the fuse. It's sometimes referred to in industry as crowbar protection, from the concept of sticking a crowbar across the terminals of a power source in an emergency to provide a dead short in order to trip the supply's own circuit protection rather than breaking a series connection. When TVs used cathode ray tubes, the alternative of putting a diode in series would have caused excessive voltage drop. Edited March 15, 2022 by Ronaldo47 typos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Todd Posted March 15, 2022 Report Share Posted March 15, 2022 20 hours ago, Ronaldo47 said: It follows from Ohm's Law that a 1200W heater for a 12V supply would draw 100A, which would require some pretty massive cables. When my wife's original hairdryer element failed, I found that the fan motor actually ran at 12V DC derived by a tapping from the heater element and a small silicon rectifier. Removing the element, fitting a 12V car plug and wiring the mains lead to the motor, allowed its use as a cold air blower. Better than nothing, but not by much! Not really Ohm's Law (I = V/R) but the definition of Watts = Volts * Amps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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