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Originally Posted by RobertSmalls
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I've put block heaters in about a dozen of my cars over the years and the circulating tank heater was far superior in every way. Unfortunately some of my favorite HF cars would not accept them so I went with multiple freeze plug types. If yours can accept this type they circulate through the heater circuit which has the bonus of not only a very warmed up engine in about 45 minutes but instant hot air on the windshield at startup.
I think the reason some cars can't use this type is that it sits too high and the heat doesn't want to rise through the engine since it's already near the top of the coolant flow. I don't remember the brand name off the top of my head but my favorite one had a little very lightly loaded check valve system and just sort of peculated the hot water through the engine. The other issue is some heater systems have a flow valve for the coolant whereas most are full pass and mix cool and hot air for cabin temp.
Economy is not just about FE, it's about the car lasting longer as well. A pre-warmed engine can go a long way even if you don't live in the great white north. Something I'm thinking of installing as well is a pre-oiler to lubricate the bearings before engine startup since most of your engine wear is 'supposed' to occure at this time.