Block heater timer

[big61fourby]

Cooler weather is on it's way, and I've been wondering:

1. Do you use a timer for the block heater;

2. If so, what works/doesn't work--products you've used, nifty little gadgets, etc.

[Dimsdale]

I just use an outdoor electrical timer purchased at a local hardware store. It mounts on the wall of the house and has a cover for weatherproofing. It has a short cord that I plug into an existing covered outdoor outlet. There are holes in the bottom to allow the extension cords to enter the box. I use an air conditioning extension for maximum current carrying power and the 90 deg plug that doesn't interfere with the timer box cover. Just make sure that the timer has adequate current capacity, i.e. not a cheapo one.

I set the timer for a few hours before I usually leave, increasing the time on really cold nights. Works like a charm! I also use a winterfront and park facing the sun during the day to scrounge any heat that I can while at work (probably overkill and the result of a true anal retentive!)

P.S. A bright orange outdoor extension might be better, especially if you use a snowblower!

[Robyn]

OK grasshopper
There is two reasons to run a block heater.
1- To facilitate easy starting
2- To keep the oil warm and able to flow to the critical parts of the engine.
The water heater will heat up quickly with a resulting fast start, but the oil being down in the sump and exposed to far more cold & takes much more to keep it thin and able to flow freely.
Another point here is that the use of the heater also keeps the engine from having to go through the "deep Cycle" of temperature from 190F down to sub freezing then back up.
During the cold months I keep my big rig plugged in all the time it is not being run. The savings in wear and tear are very measurable.
You will get far fewer cold soak leaks in hoses and such too.
Any time you heat these things from way cold to running temp you expand all the joints and connections. The stuff will only do that so much before something gives up.
Plug the sucker in at night as soon as you get home and leave it untill you get ready for work.
The cost for a few KW over the winter will reward you with a happy little diesel engine not to mention the tranny also soaks up heat too from the warm block.

Robyn

[murphyslaw]

I plug my rig's in when i get home than leave them till i go. all my rigs have an oil pan heater and a block heater on both sides. When its really cold i set the remote start to run the start the truck every 2hrs for about 15 min. oh and These are also my plow trucks. gotta be ready at a moments, well guess theres really no warning.

[Robyn]

Now this is my kind of preparedness.
I dont take it that far but rarely does the weather get that nasty here in NW Oregon. We can see some medium snows and temp in the single digits.
Generally what we have to deal with is mid 40's and wet for weeks on end and then a snap freeze where the temps plummet to well below freezing and everything that was wet is not frozen. Then it clears off and the temp get colder for a week or so, then we get the warm wet comes in over the cold air and we get the freezing rain for a couple days, then its gone.
This takes a real toll on the rigs that are not prepared well.
As soon as the weather gets to where the temps are in the 50's at best and into the 40's at night I plug in the big rig.
The Burbs wont get plugged in unless it gets below freezing and then thats got to be daytime too.
With 15-40 oil they doo pretty well down to mid 20's and start ok too.
Below 20 you bet Im gonna have them hooked up.
Neither of our Burbs had the heater wires ever unwrapped from their factory locations. Last winter I dug them out and snaked the plug down to the rectangle opening in the bumper for easy access in the winter

[Mark Rinker]

All of the above - plus park inside whenever possible. If you must park outside, park out of the wind (slows heat losses) and facing to the south (into the winter sun).

I have added onboard battery tenders to both of my 6.5s, so whenever they are heating, they are also topping off the batteries. Plan to do the same for the Duramax's this winter.

For trucks that may be stranded away from 110V overnight, I carry a Coleman generator that has enough wattage to run both the block heater and the battery charger. 4 hours heat/charge uses about 1/2 gallon regular unleaded gasoline.

[big61fourby]

Dimsdale--thanks, I think I might look into something like that.

If the climate here in NW Arkansas was any colder, I would just plug it in all night and leave it. We have very few cold snaps where temps are below freezing for days on end. It's mainly to help get things started in the morning--it'll be fine the rest of the day. With our temps, I could probably get away without plugging in at all, but using it seems to be much less taxing on a marginal electrical system, rods, etc...

Just looking for ideas...

[JohnC]

If the climate here in NW Arkansas was any colder, I would just plug it in all night and leave it. We have very few cold snaps where temps are below freezing for days on end.


Counterpoint

If I were you, I'd cut the power cord off your block heater and throw it away. With my '95 I didn't even think about plugging in the heater unless I was reasonably certain it's going to be below zero. With the Duramax I don't bother even then.

(OK, let the arrows fly. I do use synthetic oil in the winter.)

I started he '95 at -8 once without heat, when i got caught off guard. It didn't really seem to like it much, but it went.

If you're still serious about plugging in, I found a remote control outlet that I used. Get up, check the temp, click it on if it was cold enough. Another trick I used with a detached garage was to plug it into the garage and open the breaker in the house until I needed the heater. Whatever you use, make sure it's heavy duty. Many timers can't handle the load.