Block Heater + Coolant Pump

[Blue Angel]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

You don't need forced circulation for 1000w.
Waste of time + money.

I disagree. Any heater, regardless of output, will certainly benefit from the use of a circulation pump.

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

If you still want a pump don't use a dish washer pump, that sounds like a bad idea on so many levels. Get something that can handle engine bay heat, hot coolant and cooling system pressure for years.

Agree completely, though I'm not sure the DW pump would be a complete failure... I was planning to do some testing before putting it in (my residential water supply is ~60 psi), and locating the heater so it would work properly even without the pump operational. Even at that, there would still be several long term durability questions left unanswered.

I may have an OEM auxiliary coolant pump like the one you've suggested on it's way soon. If it works out I will feel much better knowing I've got the right tool for the job installed under the hood. I will probably install ball-style shut off valves in line with this heater/pump system just in case.

[Blue Angel]

Originally Posted by Piwoslaw

I assume that the engine is already insulated? Going to waste a lot of watts warming the outdoor air without insulation.

No more than any other conventional block heater installation I wouldn't think.

The key to the system's efficiency will be knowing how long to have it turned on for maximum effect and minimum waste. Once the engine is up to it's intended temperature, every minute that goes by after that will equal energy wasted.

Either way, there are several studies published advocating the use and benefits of engine block heaters from fuel economy, emissions and long-term engine durability standpoints. A few watt-hours wasted here and there should more than be made up for in fuel and emissions savings.

[Blue Angel]

I should add that my primary motive for installing a block heater is to get enough heat out of the engine that I can safely defrost the windows and get a little cabin heat on my way to work.

The little 1.4L engine in this Cruze takes FOREVER to warm up on my easy commute, and on colder days in the winter it never gets to full operating temp before I get to work. This is with the use of the factory installed 200W oil pan heater.

I'm not doing this to save money, though it will be nice to see a slight fuel economy benefit if things work out that way. Adding the pump to this system is mostly to satisfy my OCD, which rarely allows me to plan a project without trying to make it the best it can absolutely be. Cost is not the primary motivator here, though as with anything it is a factor.

[oil pan 4]

See this on engine heaters:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ing-25512.html

[Blue Angel]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

See this on engine heaters:

Thanks! Some interesting info there. So my 1000W Zerostart should be plenty for my 138hp engine.

Neat project with the water tank heater element, BTW.

The reason I chose the 1000W heater size instead of the larger 1500W size was the power draw limit of a typical 120V 15A circuit. I don't have the luxury of 240V supply in my garage and I would like to run this heater along with the 200W OEM oil pan heater and maybe even a small adhesive pad heater on the bottom of the transmission. A regular wall plug can only give so much... I'd like to keep total power to 1500W if possible to keep from overloading the breaker.

[xBox]

Originally Posted by Blue Angel

Thanks! Some interesting info there. So my 1000W Zerostart should be plenty for my 138hp engine.

Neat project with the water tank heater element, BTW.

The reason I chose the 1000W heater size instead of the larger 1500W size was the power draw limit of a typical 120V 15A circuit. I don't have the luxury of 240V supply in my garage and I would like to run this heater along with the 200W OEM oil pan heater and maybe even a small adhesive pad heater on the bottom of the transmission. A regular wall plug can only give so much... I'd like to keep total power to 1500W if possible to keep from overloading the breaker.

Blue Angel, did you ever complete this project? I'm thinking about doing something similar with our xB to try and cope with these Vermont winter days.

[oil pan 4]

If you built a hot water heater rig like mine you could do it for under $50 and cut your warm up times more than in half. Only difficult part is wiring in 220 volt power.
Or use a much smaller 120 volt, 1500 watt heater element.

[xBox]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

If you built a hot water heater rig like mine you could do it for under $50 and cut your warm up times more than in half. Only difficult part is wiring in 220 volt power.
Or use a much smaller 120 volt, 1500 watt heater element.

Please tell me more about your setup

[oil pan 4]

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ghlight=heater