so i'm gunna be using my block heater this winter;
how long should I be having it on for before I get in my car? Is an hour too short of time to give it, to heat up? And how long can it go on for?
I want to set the timer so that for the 1 1/2 -2hrs before I get in the car the block heater is on.
Also how powerful is the heater in our cars?
Back in the day (well days when I had the wagon), I would plug the car in before going to bed and left it on overnight.
I've read that 4 hours is more than enough.
here we go:
"Why Four Hours?
A study conducted at the University of Saskatchewan found that about 95% of the maximum possible temperature is obtained by the end of the fourth hour. The results indicate that keeping the block plugged in for more than four hours (where there is continuous power) is a waste of electrical energy.
Source: MB Hydro Fact Sheet"
what about any wear/tear caused by the heat?
could i potentially, and theoretically leave the block heater on for a month without causing damage to the internals of the engine, or anything? I mean, it would wear out the heater but I think you may get the point.
edit: assuming the heater is made of undestructibilium, what if I DID leave it on for a month straight?
(11-20-2010, 04:02 AM)Mystake Wrote: [ -> ]what about any wear/tear caused by the heat?
could i potentially, and theoretically leave the block heater on for a month without causing damage to the internals of the engine, or anything? I mean, it would wear out the heater but I think you may get the point.
edit: assuming the heater is made of undestructibilium, what if I DID leave it on for a month straight?
Well, I can vouch for the fact that they have a finite life span, so it is best not to leave it on longer than needed.
I base it on the outside temperature. If it is really frickin' cold (below -20C) then I would use a timer to turn it on about 3 hours before I want to leave. Less time if it is not quite so cold. Even an hour helps.
"Someone" in my house (aka SWMBO) left the block heater on my '95 Escort plugged for a couple of days once. When I drove it, I found out that a fair volume of coolant had disappeared (it overheated and there was not enough coolant to keep the thermostat consistently open). No signs of any external leakage. My theory is that the water portion of the coolant mix had been slowly boiled away. After a tense inspection, I topped it up and all was well. So, for that reason, I certainly don't recommend just leaving it plugged in.
Oh, one last thing: personally I don't use a block heater if the car is in a garage attached to the house. There have been cases of the cord shorting and starting a fire. Since I have had to replace many plugs on block heater cords, I guess I can see how this can happen.
Bob
Just a word of warning, when I used my block heater on my focus when I first got it durring the coldest night, in 2004 it was plugged in every night like usual, when my brother-in-law came home and went to plug in the land rover as he was walking over to get the cord he noticed sparks and all sorts going on from the wire leading out from the hood, and there was burn marks on the grille from it on my yellow focus.
So,make sure you check the cord regularly and tuck it back under the hood when not in use, and if the car is used make sure to check the cord to see if it has any wear or tear on it from the previous owner not putting the plug away after use.
also when I left my first focus plugged in all the time after many snow storms there was nothing on the hood or around the cowel as it melted all off, so there are some benifits to plugging it in over night if your wanting to do that.
If I was ever to use mine(which I never have). I would put it on a timer. But alas, she be 8 years old and never been touched. I suspect it will rust out before burning out.
ive got a similar but cheaper one. It doesn't do minutes though, lol. Only hours.
but it gets the job done. I think I'll be setting my heater to come on for 2hrs prior to me getting in it. seems best. wouldn't take long for it to heat up the rest of the way anyway so no biggie.
thanks guys.