American Red Cross ARC1006 Auto Heater/Defroster

by Team Products

Product Features

• Designed to quickly heat your vehicle
• Supplements your vehicle's system
• Easy to use 12-volt operation
• Swivel base and pullout handle directs air where you need it
• Includes a mounting kit

Product Details

Owner's Manual Click here [734kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 7.8 x 12 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000W35GRW
• Item model number: ARC1006
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #90,630 in Automotive (See Top 100 in Automotive)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

American Red Cross Auto Heater/Defrosters are designed to quickly heat your vehicle without waiting for the engine to warm up. These heaters are plugged into your vehicle's 12 volt outlet and offer quick visibility. The pullout handle or swivel base is used to direct air where you need it most.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Only for 20 amp rated socket, February 17, 2008

By 

Gord Wilson "alivingdog.com" (Bellingham, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: American Red Cross ARC1006 Auto Heater/Defroster (Misc.)

I gave this product five stars, but there is still a caveat. Nothing on the packaging says so, but the defroster has a 20 amp fuse in the cord, near the plug, and is designed for a 20 amp rated lighter/ accessory socket. Many small cars are not rated that high, which would put a strain on a small alternator. That said, the question then arises if it can be any good at such a low price. I say yes, for its intended usage. It's not made to replace the heater in your Lexus (why would it be?). As the Red Cross branding suggests, it's designed for emergency situations, but also for general purpose use.

This defroster comes with a mounting plate you can slide it on and off of, and has a handle that swings out of the side to make it portable. There's a three position rocker switch on the side with "fan", "heat" and center off. The cord is about six feet long, quite heavy guage wire, contains a 20 amp fuse near the plug, and plugs into the cigarette lighter (now often called the accessory outlet). The instructions suggest mounting the plate on the dash with the included screws, being careful to miss wiring, airbag, etc. The defroster is mounted on a ball so it swivels and tilts. There's no adjustment to tighten it, so eventually it may get loose. For emergency use, you can just slide it off the plate and plug it into a 12v lighter jack, flip out the handle and it's ready for de-icing. The heat position also runs the fan, although the fan only position runs the fan faster. If you ran the defroster for any length of time, you'd want to have the car on so as not to run down the battery. I would have liked to use this defroster in my back window, since my Dodge Shadow didn't come with a factory rear defroster, but as it's only for a 20 amp socket, I'll have to keep looking.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is NOT like a full car heater, but it is fast, January 9, 2008

By 

HMMWV "God, Country, Corps" (santa clara, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: American Red Cross ARC1006 Auto Heater/Defroster (Misc.)

You should not expect to ever get more than 13.8V * 10A from any cigarette lighter socket - that amounts to about 130-140 watts depending on your car voltage at the time. Most home heaters are 1500 watts, not 130 watts, so this is like 1/10 of a plug in house heater. It does, however heat up instantly and can be used to defrost those hard to reach areas on the windshield or supplement the cold spots in your car where you have an outlet and need a little heat. It's also nice to have while your engine warms up and the thermostat opens!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars IT WORKS., December 26, 2007

By 

Steve A. Garcia "Renoboy" (Fort Lewis, Washington) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: American Red Cross ARC1006 Auto Heater/Defroster (Misc.)

IT WORKS. BUT DUE TO ITS SMALL SIZE, IT TAKES ABOUT TEN MINUTES TO WARM-UP MY TRUCK. I FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS AND POINTED IT TOWARDS THE WINDSHIELD. I DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD AND I DON'T EVEN BOTHER USING MY TRUCK'S HEATER.
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A REAL BLAST FURNACE, THIS PRODUCT IS NOT FOR YOU. IT WILL DEFROST THE WINDSHIELD AND IT WILL GIVE YOU SOME WARMTH. I LIKE IT.