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I just found my spare lamp timer.
This one says it is rated for 15 amps! Most of the cheap-o lamp timers are only rated at a few hundred watts at most.
My engine block heater is 500 watts.
I am planning on now plugging: my block heater into an extension cord, that cord into the timer, and that timer into the KillaWatt.
That way I measure the combined electrical usage of the block heater and timer (yeah, I know the timer should use almost NONE, but I want to measure it anyways.)
Who can suggest how long I run the block heater timer for in the morning? The engine is a 2.2L 4 cylinder - and the car is parked in the driveway, not a garage.
Also, how much of the year does it make sense to run the block heater? Would it help in efficiency in the spring and fall too? Is there a certain temperature, above which, one stops using the block heater as an engine pre-heat?
-Ben
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