Fast warm up ideas: Double engine block heaters

[skyking]

That's my deal, I will run a timer to avoid wasting KWH. If an hour does it I am typically up an hour before departure, so just switching it on will do it for me. I think the truck is going to be a 2 hour minimum, with a 5 gallon coolant capacity and 950 pounds of engine iron.

[slowmover]

90-minutes is what AH64ID claims is minimally effective next door to you in Idaho. Even in Texas it's close. Two hours is better.

[Xist]

You use a block heater in Texas?

[oil pan 4]

It was almost -10°F in the texas panhandle this past weekend.

[Grant-53]

For the diesel snow plow trucks here in the Northeast a circulating block heater seems to work best.

[oil pan 4]

It was cold enough here last week that the wind shield was frosting up going down the highway, with all the heat going to the defroster vents.
I may get one of those portable 10,000btu/hr IR heaters to put next to me.

[AlaricD]

Originally Posted by Xist

You use a block heater in Texas?

I use one in north central Oklahoma; it's nice turning the key and seeing the temp needle jump up. Moves slightly less the colder it is outside, but moves nonetheless.

I get into closed loop slightly faster (better economy/lower pollution) and I get the windshield cleared (and get cabin heat) quite a lot faster. It makes my drive to work more efficient, more comfortable, and potentially safer (the windows are easier to clear), and I don't have to get out to the car extra early to mess with it before heading to work.

Does it actually pay for the energy use in fuel savings? I have no idea, since I've not attempted to measure. But the comfort and convenience is worth it.

[oil pan 4]

All you have to do is hit one thing and it will wipe out any savings people think they are getting from cold cranking and hitting the road with iced up windows.

[AlaricD]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

All you have to do is hit one thing and it will wipe out any savings people think they are getting from cold cranking and hitting the road with iced up windows.

Definitely. You see those people that clear out a tiny square in the windshield and then tear off down the road. It's too cold, you see, to stand out there and do the whole thing-- and they haven't got the TIME to sit there waiting for the engine to warm up and let the defrosters do it for them, so there they go, to heck with everyone else.

Good thing the block heater has made my windows clear off with minimal effort before I leave the driveway, so I can better see and avoid them.

[ctgottapee]

Thoughts...

Toyota engineers have given us a clue as to what's important with their thermos reservoir for the heated coolant in Pri models.


If you are warming just the oil (in the pan at the bottom separated from the engine by a gasket) then the engine is not pre-heating, and after a pump through the engine, the heat is extracted and it's not likely enough. There is more coolant and it's job is to transfer heat, and it runs through all the engine.

There are lots of failure and maintenance issues with an in-pan element. If you are going to only heat the oil, it is likely best but only if you time it properly. Leaving it on overnight will experience the same losses as just using an outside stick on pan heater.