Block Heater

Oh?? I forgot to mention, here in Montana I start plugging in when it gets in the 20's. My wife drives our X usually and has a big problem with "warm-ups". This definetly helps out the "situation".

 

Hey Duks....Can you tell me more about that autostart thing you have on your truck? Where did you get it from and how much did it cost you? Was it hard to install?

 

I don't have an auto start yet. I use a timer, if that is what you are asking about. I got it at Home Depot. It is one of those timers that plugs into an outlet and then the heater plugs into it. It was under $15. You can get them from the online store too. It is 20 amps.

 

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Thermocube source...

http://www.smarthome.com/7141.html

 

resqdawg3

I put in the remote start from the ford dealer. Works awesome. Mine does not have the option of turning on every 3 hrs and running. Those are the fancy ones. Mine is basic..I hit the button and it starts. Runs for 10-15 mins (You can set that ) and if you dont put key in ignition it shuts off. Works great, and is very easy to get use to having.
I can just see telling the grandkids " I remember when we use to have to go out and start our cars"

I dont think it helps the MPG's any though as it sits and idles away, but hey its nice to get into a warm vehicle.

Anyway, I think which ever one you choose you will like, they are great.

 

How much was that kit from Ford? Do you have a Part # for it?
Was it hard to install?

Sorry for all the questions. But this sounds like something I would seriously like to get!!!

 

I dont have a part number but it was the Silver series (they have a gold which has a few more bells and whistles ) I pd around $380 for it Installed. I dont think I would mess with the install because you have to get around the security system in the truck. Seemed like a hastle to me. I do know there are less expensive ones out there, but this one is covered with the truck warranty so I went with it.

 

what brand is yours

 

ive been testing mine out here the last few weeks.. and it seems anything in the 30's it does better if i plug it in... a smooth idle upon start up... even low 40's.. but mid 40's and up.. i dont have any problems on start up..

i just plug it in before i go to bed.. usually stays plugged in around 6 hours.. ya... i dont sleep much..

i live in north carolina.. so it doesnt get horribly cold here.. or for very long.. i think if i lived home (new york) i would go with one of those fancy starters you guys are talking about.. they seem really sweet.. and i know everyone in my family has them on their cars back there.. it is nice getting into a warm vehicle..

 

Block heaters? We don' need no stinkin' block heaters.

The last time it got down below 32 degrees was, let's see, one night back in 199 . . . heck, it was so long ago, I can't remenber. Not many sub-freezing days or nights along the so. Calif. Pacific coast.

 

here in New Hampshire it was -20 for about a month straight last year

 

Block heaters supply marginal heat, good for assisting start-up, especially in Diesel engines. Remote or timed start systems really don't do much for the engine other than letting it idle in cold conditions under no load thus prolonging the process of warming the engine to operating temperature. These are more designed for "creature" comfort. They waste fuel, add to engine wear, pollute the enviroment with fumes and noise, and in the case of Diesel engines, they really do not add much heat as the efficiency of a Diesel is so high it needs to be driven under load to really warm them up. The best alternative is a fuel fired onboard engine heater. It uses very little fuel and power compared to an engine. It heats and circulates the coolant through the engine thus gently warming it to almost operating temp. It can even turn on your defroster fan to melt ice and warm the interior. All this in half an hour! No wear on the engine, no idling! Can be set up on a timer. And, can be used as a boost heater when engine temperature just can't get up there on extremely cold days. A common problem with Diesel engines. Just some food for thought....

 

Here in southen ca. I don't need to ues the block heater. But I sill needed to know how many amps the heater uses, so I pluged it in and uesed an amp probe it pulls 7.5 amps. I didn't do the math, but I think if you pluged this heater every night it would some damage to your electric bill.

 

F250WHEELS, you didn't specify what the line voltage was when you made the measurement, so I'll split the difference between 110 and 120 VAC and use 115 VAC here (though most of the time I've thrown a meter on a line it has been a tad over 120 VAC).

7.5 A * 115 VAC = 862.5 W = 0.8625 kW.

If it's plugged in for an hour, then 1 hr * 0.8625 kW = 0.8625 kWhr.

You can check your electrical bill to find out what your local rate is per kWhr and simply multiply the number of hours you run the heater each night to come up with the cost.

This assumes that the current draw of the heater is a constant 7.5 A. The heater might cycle on/off during the time it is plugged in and the average power consumption might work out slightly lower. The current draw might also go up somewhat as the temperature drops so if someone plugged in the unit in NH their results may vary.

The other thing that many users have done is to purchase a timer so that the AC gets turned on a few hours before they get ready to hit the road.

I live in SoCal too but I grew up in Nebraska and still get back there in the winter sometimes for the holidays. I've ordered every new vehicle I've ever purchased with a block heater. For the $30 or $40 it has cost most of the time it has really been worth it.

Daryl

 

I have my heater hooked up to a timer that is rated at 1700 watts. I set it to go on around 4 AM and leave for work around 6:30
I also have on of those cords that lights up the plug end so you know when power is supplied to it
Thats just a visual check to see that the heater is being fed current and to remind me to unplug (havent pulled out still plugged in YET. Has anyone out there done that?)

Since it is a triple block plug I gave a thought to hooking up a ceramic heater to the line also. this way I can place the heater in the cab of the truck and warm the inside. I know this would draw twice the current but if I set the heater to a low setting I may be able to do it without tripping the breaker
Not so much for the heat as to clear the windows of frost. I tend to time my leaving so close that I jump in the truck and just go. And if we get a heavy frost I am usually late for work (yeah yeah I know.. get my lazy butt out of bed earlier)

Has anyone place a heater on a timer in the truck to warm it in the morning? A lot cheaper then a remote start I would think.
And I believe that most people with the exception of those in the far north where the temps are constantly below 20, use the remote start just to heat up the vehicle and clear the windows in the morning