diff --git a/example/heatEquation2D/src/heatEquation2D.cpp b/example/heatEquation2D/src/heatEquation2D.cpp
index d356af0e6f1..8631c3617ea 100644
--- a/example/heatEquation2D/src/heatEquation2D.cpp
+++ b/example/heatEquation2D/src/heatEquation2D.cpp
@@ -51,12 +51,12 @@ auto example(TAccTag const&) -> int
 
     // simulation defines
     // {Y, X}
-    constexpr alpaka::Vec<Dim, Idx> numNodes{256, 256};
+    constexpr alpaka::Vec<Dim, Idx> numNodes{64, 64};
     constexpr alpaka::Vec<Dim, Idx> haloSize{2, 2};
     constexpr alpaka::Vec<Dim, Idx> extent = numNodes + haloSize;
 
-    constexpr uint32_t numTimeSteps = 6000;
-    constexpr double tMax = 0.02;
+    constexpr uint32_t numTimeSteps = 4000;
+    constexpr double tMax = 0.1;
 
     // x, y in [0, 1], t in [0, tMax]
     constexpr double dx = 1.0 / static_cast<double>(extent[1] - 1);
@@ -100,8 +100,8 @@ auto example(TAccTag const&) -> int
     constexpr alpaka::Vec<Dim, Idx> elemPerThread{1, 1};
 
     // Appropriate chunk size to split your problem for your Acc
-    constexpr Idx xSize = 64u;
-    constexpr Idx ySize = 64u;
+    constexpr Idx xSize = 16u;
+    constexpr Idx ySize = 16u;
     constexpr Idx halo = 2u;
     constexpr alpaka::Vec<Dim, Idx> chunkSize{ySize, xSize};
     constexpr auto sharedMemSize = (ySize + halo) * (xSize + halo);
@@ -136,8 +136,6 @@ auto example(TAccTag const&) -> int
         = maxThreadsPerBlock < chunkSize.prod() ? alpaka::Vec<Dim, Idx>{maxThreadsPerBlock, 1} : chunkSize;
 
     alpaka::WorkDivMembers<Dim, Idx> workDiv_manual{numChunks, threadsPerBlock, elemPerThread};
-    // Timing start
-    auto startTime = std::chrono::high_resolution_clock::now();
 
     // Simulate
     for(uint32_t step = 1; step <= numTimeSteps; ++step)
@@ -169,21 +167,19 @@ auto example(TAccTag const&) -> int
             dy,
             dt);
 
-// #ifdef PNGWRITER_ENABLED
-//         if((step - 1) % 100 == 0)
-//         {
-//             alpaka::wait(computeQueue);
-//             alpaka::memcpy(dumpQueue, uBufHost, uCurrBufAcc);
-//             alpaka::wait(dumpQueue);
-//             writeImage(step - 1, uBufHost);
-//         }
-// #endif
+#ifdef PNGWRITER_ENABLED
+        if((step - 1) % 100 == 0)
+        {
+            alpaka::wait(computeQueue);
+            alpaka::memcpy(dumpQueue, uBufHost, uCurrBufAcc);
+            alpaka::wait(dumpQueue);
+            writeImage(step - 1, uBufHost);
+        }
+#endif
 
         // So we just swap next and curr (shallow copy)
         std::swap(uNextBufAcc, uCurrBufAcc);
     }
-    auto endTime = std::chrono::high_resolution_clock::now();
-    std::cout << "Simulation took " << (endTime - startTime).count() << " nano seconds." << std::endl;
 
     // Copy device -> host
     alpaka::wait(computeQueue);
diff --git a/include/alpaka/vec/Vec.hpp b/include/alpaka/vec/Vec.hpp
index d327f60ff45..376d08787d4 100644
--- a/include/alpaka/vec/Vec.hpp
+++ b/include/alpaka/vec/Vec.hpp
@@ -227,6 +227,11 @@ namespace alpaka
             return m_data[Dim::value - 4];
         }
 
+        ALPAKA_FN_HOST_ACC constexpr static decltype(auto) size()
+        {
+            return Dim::value;
+        }
+
         //! @}
 
         //! Value reference accessor at the given non-unsigned integer index.
diff --git a/test/unit/vec/src/VecTest.cpp b/test/unit/vec/src/VecTest.cpp
index d559b47a5d3..a407dc87998 100644
--- a/test/unit/vec/src/VecTest.cpp
+++ b/test/unit/vec/src/VecTest.cpp
@@ -313,6 +313,31 @@ TEST_CASE("basicVecTraits", "[vec]")
         STATIC_REQUIRE(Vec{1, 2, 3}.front() == 1); // non-const overload
         STATIC_REQUIRE(Vec{1, 2, 3}.back() == 3); // non-const overload
     }
+    {
+        constexpr alpaka::Vec<Dim, Idx> vec4(static_cast<Idx>(47u), static_cast<Idx>(8u), static_cast<Idx>(3u));
+        // compile time tests
+        STATIC_REQUIRE(vec4.size() == 3);
+        STATIC_REQUIRE((alpaka::Vec{4, 8, 3}).size() == 3);
+        STATIC_REQUIRE((alpaka::Vec{4, 8}).size() == 2);
+        STATIC_REQUIRE((alpaka::Vec{4}).size() == 1);
+
+
+        STATIC_REQUIRE(decltype(vec4)::size() == 3);
+        STATIC_REQUIRE(decltype(alpaka::Vec{4, 8, 3})::size() == 3);
+
+        using Vec3DType = alpaka::Vec<Dim, Idx>;
+        STATIC_REQUIRE(Vec3DType::size() == 3);
+
+        constexpr alpaka::Vec vec5{8, 3};
+        STATIC_REQUIRE(vec5.size() == 2);
+
+        // runtime tests
+        REQUIRE(vec4.size() == 3);
+        REQUIRE((alpaka::Vec{4, 8, 3}).size() == 3);
+        REQUIRE((alpaka::Vec{4, 8}).size() == 2);
+        REQUIRE((alpaka::Vec{4}).size() == 1);
+        REQUIRE(vec5.size() == 2);
+    }
 }
 
 template<typename TDim, typename TIdx>