The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Heater switch

What type of a switch is used for the fan motor on / off in a 49pickup? can you use a toggle as the heater has a temp control or maybe a high/low type switch to control the speed, would like some input please.

saderdog,

If you only want to turn it ON and OFF, a good quality toggle switch will work. The heater blower motor doesn't draw lots of power.

Making the blower motor speed adjustable is another matter though. Slowing the motor from its designed speed by reducing voltage would require a rheostat, and it would have to be designed for the voltage and current application.

The specialty suppliers should have switches listed that were actually used on these rigs for the blower motors. Have you looked in the LINKS tab for folks that deal in Stovebolt stuff.

Stuart

would like some input please.

What type of a switch is used for the fan motor on / off in a 49pickup?
-> Here are aftermarket 6v & 12v heater switches. They are sold by most restoration parts vendors.

can you use a toggle as the heater has a temp control
-> yes (some GMC trucks used a three-way toggle switch)

or maybe a high/low type switch to control the speed,
-> yes

The high low will only control amount of heat by fan speed. The way to change the temperature output is by controlling the amount of hot engine coolant going through the heater core with some sort of a mechanical valve.

In 49 they most likely used the rheostat fan switches that hung under the dash. Take Tim's link then put "heater switch" in the search box.

Thanks, Tiny

The I guess that the search code did nor persist beyond my session.

The original switch was not a rheostat-type but no one makes the original-style switch. The original switch looked like this with a black or ivory/white "lever".

Tim

I sure haven't found anyone repoping the paddle switches but I see them fairly regularly on ebay. My 55.1 had the red rheostat switch under the dash.

Tiny I had a paddle switch that was sporadic so i purchased a rheostat type as shown in the classic parts $11.95 and it work like a hot dam it even lites up ... I took the bulb out the lite was to bright... the heater works great now... Peter

Guess I found out what that mysterious switch was for under my dash, then. Looks to be in good shape...

Yup, they were used to control the heater, defroster & I've seen a couple on ebay that had "fog" on the paddle which I'm assuming were to control the fog lights. I don't see why you couldn't use one to control about anything that needs a switch. As long as you don't exceed the amperage capability of the switch, the switch doesn't care.