--Will A Block Heater Do Anything For 5 Minutes?---

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by theclencher

Most of us drive CARS jay.

And most cars with gasoline engines don't have block heaters. Most cars have engines much larger than 1 liter. My family used to have a Buick Skyhawk, which was nothing more than a luxury version of the Chevy Cavalier, had a 2 liter engine, my Buick which has an engine that's so undersized that the car can barely get out of its own way has almost a 4 liter engine. Every diesel engine I've ever seen has a block heater installed at the factory. As I said, that was my experience with block heaters from being a vehicle maintenance officer for over 5 years for a volunteer rescue squad. You can choose to take that information for what its worth, or you can decide that the information is of no use to you. I was just posting my real world experience. If somebody has data on how long it takes a block heater to heat a normal sized engine then by all means post it. I just feel the article was not accurate as the test engine was much smaller than most engines on the road.

That's my stance on the issue, and it doesn't mean I'm "full of it", or I don't know what I'm talking about. Either take the information I've given with a grain of salt, or ignore it. I can guarantee that if you plugged in a stone cold powerstroke diesel in the winter you will need at least 8 hours to bring the engine up to temperature. At this point I choose not to argue this issue further. We must agree to disagree.

-Jay

[theclencher]

Where's your test data?

MY real-world experience jives with the test data I provided.

It also depends on where you live. In VA I'm surprised anything has a heater on it. In MN, where it gets just as cold as "N Canada and Alaska" most everything has a heater on it. Yes, little gas cars and everything.

http://www.wisconsinpublicservice.co...tertimers.aspx

http://www.startribune.com/cars/11355476.html

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache...lnk&cd=6&gl=us

[GasSavers_RoadWarrior]

The real world data says TWO heaters in a real small motor does 90% in the first hour. So umm that should apply to motors twice the size with half the wattage how?

I've got a two ring electric stovetop that I've taken camping with me, and I know that even in the middle of August, if I try to boil a kettle on the 500W burner when theres a modest breeze, I could be waiting a lonnnnng while, it gets towards practically never sometimes. That's just 2L of water in 25-30C ambients. That's due to heat loss to the environment exceeding the power you're putting into it. On the other hand, on the 1000W burner, I can have my cup of tea in 5 mins or so. Usually have to arrange things so I bring stuff to the boil on the 1000W and transfer it to the 500W to simmer, I've had occasions though where a big pot has gone off the boil and won't boil again.

Anyway, saying "640K is all anyone will ever need" for block warmers when a motor 2x the size of a geo motor is gonna have 4x the surface area and 8x the mass is ridiculous.

[GasSavers_RoadWarrior]

I don't see data I see assertions based on assumptions that aren't stated. i.e. power of heater and external temperatures, all I get from it is a big heater is better than a little one, because a big heater works faster.

Polling google, nothing particularly quotable but the consensus of opinion is, low wattage freeze plug type heaters only keep your engine from freezing overnight, 1500W circulating heaters get your car warm in a couple of hours.

[GasSavers_RoadWarrior]

By what kind of heater??? Oh yes a "typical" one, that tells us a lot.

[GasSavers_RoadWarrior]

Guy in Florida calls his buddy in Moose Factory and says "What all do you wear up there." and gets the reply "Typical clothes" so he goes visiting in January in T-shirt and shorts and freezes to death. Same with block heaters, typically a Florida car doesn't have one. Typically in the far north they have circulating block heaters, sump heaters, transmission heaters..... typically round here they come with the 400W freeze plug ones that barely make a difference in 2 hours in the only weather you actually think to use them in (damn cold)

[theclencher]

OK tell ya what. you go around telling everyone ya know that heaters have to be plugged in all night, and I'll tell people that they only need an hour or two. happy?