winter weather,block heater, engine preheating $$$

buickanddeere · Nov 20, 2008

Does any engine will start better, wear less and burn less fuel? If pre-warmed before starting?
My former neighbors & family asked why I plugged in the vehicles with a timer to obtain 4 hrs of heat before starting. They said " mine starts without having to be plugged in". Told them mine will also start without being plugged in. Baffled looks in reply from them.
Did they notice which vehicles started the fastest with the lest wear on the battery, starter & alternator.
How much fuel $$$ is burned with their vehicles idling on the driveway 10-15 minutes waiting for the windshield to defrost. Somewhere between 40 cents and a dollar around here.
Does it make any sense to use 25 cents of electricity? Then walk out the vehicle, start it, wipe the snow off the windows & lights. Unplug the block heater and by this time the windshield is clear due to hot air from the defroster vents.
No temptation either for somebody to swipe your unattended vehicle idling in the driveway.

paul · Nov 20, 2008

4 hours is a bit much - just my humble opinion.

I ran 4 of my diesel tractors yesterday - was 28 for a high, none of them plugged in.

They get an hour or so when it is really cold out.

Can't remember when I plugged in a gas engine, hum the feed mill grinder tractor I have plugged in for an hour or so over winter on grinding day.

My BiL plugged in his diesel pickup & left it that way for 3 weeks, never did start it. _That_ was noticable on the electric bill, wow!

To each their own.

--->Paul

JDemaris · Nov 20, 2008

It costs me $1.20 per hour to run a block heater. So, it's not always a money saver.

Most newer cars and trucks start TOO good in extreme cold temps. With the older vehicles, especially with carburetors, you did a lot of cranking before starting - which got the oil pumping and engine lubed before they started.

Now? 30 below F and most of the stuff takes right off before the oil pump hardly turns. It has to cause some wear problems unless you're using some pretty good oil (especially synthetic).

I use heaters on all, but only then the temps are going below 10F.

I'm in New York, and it costs me around 30 cents an hour to run a 1500 watt block-heater. So, four hours costs $1.20. Do it everyday, and it's costing $36 per month, per vehicle. Not cheap.

JDemaris · Nov 20, 2008

I goofed - and meant to say - it costs me $1.20 for every four-hour interval of running a block heater- i.e. it's 30 cents per hour.

Mike (WA) · Nov 20, 2008

Just did the math on cost of running a 1500 watt heater for 4 hours here- just happened to have an electric bill handy. 25.6 cents. I think I did the math right- power is 4.27 cents per kilowatt hour. Say what you will about the rains here- it sure makes for cheap hydropower.

TripleRange · Nov 20, 2008

Don't know the answer to those what ifs. All I know is plugging the old diesel in for a few hours sure should be easier on the engine than a shot of ether, thus preserving the engine longer.

JDemaris · Nov 20, 2008

My heaters are all either 1500 watts or 2000 watts. Here in NY, cost is 18 cents per KWH.
One variable is - my large tank heaters have thermostats and might shut off before four hours. I've never stood out there to watch.

I'll also add that I'm on 100% solar electric - but if I DID have to buy power, it's 18 cents per KWH.

I'm no math wizard - but I believe the following is true.

1500 watt heater uses 6 KWH in four hours and cost
$1.08.

2000 watt heater uses 8 KWH in four hours and costs $1.44.

My smaller, frost plug heaters in one my diesels only uses 400 watts but must be plugged in all night to work. That comes to 4.8 KWH and costs 86 cents.

buickanddeere · Nov 20, 2008

9 cents a KW/hr here all totaled. 500W block heater would use 18 cents in four hours.
Don't think the electrical bill will break the bank account of anybody here even if it was double.
It has to be better/safer than these people driving for miles in the morning peering through a 6" dia frost hole in the windshield. As they keep scraping it off as they drive.
How long can you idle an engine for 18 cents while warming up? It has to be less drain on the battery and wear on the starter.
Not to forget the engine running with less wear, higher efficiency and lower emissions.
1500W block heater on 24/7 is silly unless it's a a standby gen set for a hospital, fire trucks or something of that nature.

JDemaris · Nov 20, 2008

500 watt heater wouldn't do much for me in four hours in a large diesel. OEM frost-plug heaters in mine are 400 or 600 watts and have to be plugged in all night to do any good.

I've got large circulating tank heaters in all my diesels (1500 and 2000 watts) that I sometimes need in a hurry. Especially for one tractor and my two diesel plow trucks. If snow is forecasted, I plug in the small heaters the night before. But, if not forecasted - and I wake up with a surprise and three feet of snow - I plug in the big tank heaters. They only need an hour or two in most cases unless it's 30 below F. My GM 6.2 diesels really need that heat. My Ford 7.3 and Dodge 5.9 - not really an issue as far as actual cold starting goes. Still want the heat though to prevent cold-starting wear.

Mike (WA) · Nov 20, 2008

By the way, you would think hydropower is the ultimate "green" power- naturally renewable, no "carbon footprint", no combustion involved. But for purposes of the requirement that each Public Utility District purchase so and so percentage of "green" power, hydro doesn't count- so our PUD still has to purchase a certain amount of expensive "green" power, despite the fact that virtually all our power is hydro. I guess the other power companies are jealous of our cheap power, and are making us "spread the wealth around" a little.

2x4 · Nov 20, 2008

jd - have you been getting any of my emails about the 045AVEQ being ready to ship? To ppc address.

Anonymous-0 · Nov 20, 2008

Read somewhere that you should always unplug the heaters BEFORE starting. Reason is that you may get and air bubble and the element could burn out from it. I can't prove it but have noticed we haven't replaced a heater since unplugging before starting.

farmer boy · Nov 20, 2008

We usually plug the Kubota in when it's below
-5C and the other two tractors have to be plugged in at about +10C. The Kubota will start without a problem but it's way easier on the engine to start it after it's been plugged in for a few hours. It costs like 35 cents to plug it in to save 50 cents of fuel + all the wear and tear you save on the starter ,battery, and engine.

Kansas Cockshutt · Nov 21, 2008

It's the only way to fly, especially in the diesel; it takes a long time for them to make heat on a cold day from the vents. All my truck have a backup- usually a tank type and freeze plug style- because they always fail when it is -10 and who wants to mess with hoses and coolant then? Best to use the other until summer when working on them is not torture.

Bill(Wis) · Nov 21, 2008

Block heaters have made me lazy. We used to stop off at the tractor shed on the way to the house after AM milking and put a torpedo heater between the rear wheels pointed toward the front end. With a tarp thrown over the hood, the tractor engine, transmission and rear end would be warm to the touch when we returned after breakfast. Now if the manure spreader hasn't completely frozen we can haul that out.

winter weather,block heater, engine preheating $$$

buickanddeere

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paul

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JDemaris

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JDemaris

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Mike (WA)

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TripleRange

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JDemaris

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buickanddeere

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JDemaris

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Mike (WA)

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2x4

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Anonymous-0

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farmer boy

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Kansas Cockshutt

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Bill(Wis)

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