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I bought my diesel truck used with one already installed. A week ago I finally got around to spending $10 on a timer and plug heads to make an extension chord. Power consumption costs less than 20¢ for 4 hours of warm up. I am extremely pleased with the results and will be using it for weather under 40-50F from now on. Truck never had a problem firing right up even in weather dipping down to 0F with neg. wind chill. However the real benefit is that she runs smooth as butter right away and I have substantial cabin heat within a few miles. No cold front either. Next time I have a gasser for the winter I will install one on it as well.
I like the ones that go in a freeze plug, although I am not using one on anything I'm driving right now. You will definitely save some money on fuel, and have reduced engine wear, they are cheap to operate, no way can you get the same level of heat from burning fuel in the engine for anything like the same money.
Big stationary Diesels like at power plants are always kept warm with what are essentially block heaters.
Somebody on here had an incident where they had a block heater short out and start a fire on their car, IIRC.
BTW you mentioned wind chill, wind chill does not matter to machines. People and animals yes, but the actual temperature is what a machine responds to.
Somebody on here had an incident where they had a block heater short out and start a fire on their car, IIRC.
Oh geez... yeah its pretty imperative to have these things on a low amperage breaker for safety reasons. I wonder what type of heater... the freeze plug types are just simple resistor elements, not much can go wrong.
We have block heaters on our fleet of 1500 diesel busses and they definitely help.
But some of our newer busses have Webasto Parking Heaters....talk about slick! You can call ahead to the bus on your cell phone and activate the Webasto...and when you get there, all the heaters are blasting hot air and the motor cranks up like it's summertime. Or you can set it's timer for when you want it to light....really cool system.
I have a remote starter so no need for one, not to mention I'm in a rented condo so no outside electrical outlets.
A remote starter will not help you the same way a block (or lower radiator hose) heater will in extreme conditions.
The idea of the heaters is that the starter will not work as hard turning over near solid lubricants, not just giving you a pre-warmed car to ease into.
There used to be battery warmer blankets too, back when I lived in the great white north.
I forgot to plug my pu in one night and at -36 degrees I was surprised that my 6 yr. old original battery actually started the truck. I could not get it out of 1st for about 3-4 miles though.
A remote starter will not help you the same way a block (or lower radiator hose) heater will in extreme conditions.
Never said it would, but when it's the only option it's a hell of allot better than nothing.
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