For those with block heaters

[whitenorth]

I've searched the forum and I've seen multiple answers on the subject of how long one should have the block heater on before starting. I live a few hours south of the Canada border and it can get pretty cold at times and for days at a time. So my question is for those of you with block heaters and in the colder climates, how long do you leave the heater plugged in before you start it? I live a 2 to 3 hours south of the Canada border and it can get pretty cold at times.

Before we moved further north, I'd plug the wife's car into a timer and run the cord underneath the garage door. Can't do that up here as we have plenty of mice to worry about. The timer I have is digital and I'm concerned how well it would work when the device gets really cold outside instead of inside. Is the one you use digital or is it a mechanical one? How do they stand up to getting cold? Not to concerned about it getting wet as I can put it under the tractor hood and will get removed when I unplug it when I go to start.

If it matters, I have a 1990 Ford 1520.

 

[Tpondel]

Put an outlet outside the garage?

 

[whitenorth]

There is an outlet on the outside. My 2 questions are:

How long do you leave the heater running before you start it?

How well do the digital or mechanical timers work when they get really cold?

 

[RjCorazza]

There is an outlet on the outside. My 2 questions are:

How long do you leave the heater running before you start it?

How well do the digital or mechanical timers work when they get really cold?

I have no experience in REALLY cold temps, but in my area a block heater will saturate the block and then maintain around 40 degrees F over ambient after 3 hours. We generally don't get much colder than 0f here.
I have used both digital and mechanical timers. Neither type were affected by the cold, but my preference was mechanical timers with a weather proof cover (think holiday light timers).
I currently use a wifi smart outlet that I can control by schedule or my phone. It's not weather resistant.

 

[Rustyiron]

The question is CA's border, North or south

 

[whitenorth]

The question is CA's border, North or south

Sorry, Canadian border.

 

[whitenorth]

I have no experience in REALLY cold temps, but in my area a block heater will saturate the block and then maintain around 40 degrees F over ambient after 3 hours. We generally don't get much colder than 0f here.
I have used both digital and mechanical timers. Neither type were affected by the cold, but my preference was mechanical timers with a weather proof cover (think holiday light timers).
I currently use a wifi smart outlet that I can control by schedule or my phone. It's not weather resistant.

I didn't think about the holiday type light timers.

 

[rScotty]

We live in an area where most winter nights are 0 F or below. We don't use a timer and don't know anything about them. The barn has an outside socket that can be turned on from inside the house. Block heaters draw very little amperage. I use a clamp-on ammeter probe on a Fluke VOM to check that the block heater is drawing power.

If it's to be a tractoring day, I connect all the cords the night before, then power up the outlet to turn on the engine block heater from 3 to 6 hours before I am going to start the tractor. Block heaters draw very little amperage. I use a clamp-on ammeter probe on a Fluke VOM to check that the block heater is drawing power.

After about three hours the coolant and engine block feel warmer than the rest of the metal on the tractor. I'm guessing 30 F. Nothing seems much warmer than that if I leave the block heater on for twice as long. My guess is that the coolant is thermocycling due to the density difference between the engine and radiator.

Our tractors range from a compact Yanmar to a 100 hp JD. They all start good down to close to zero, I use the heater below about 35 F. My feeling is that the block heater pre-heat reduces cold engine wear. Surprsing to me, they all seem to heat up about the same amount in 3 hours, so maybe 3 hours is too long. It all depends on the temperature and wind. If it is really cold and windy I use a heavy blanket and tarp over the hood - just do something inside that day.
Hope that all helps,
rScotty

 

[whitenorth]

We live in an area where most winter nights are 0 F or below. We don't use a timer and don't know anything about them. The barn has an outside socket that can be turned on from inside the house. Block heaters draw very little amperage. I use a clamp-on ammeter probe on a Fluke VOM to check that the block heater is drawing power.

If it's to be a tractoring day, I connect all the cords the night before, then power up the outlet to turn on the engine block heater from 3 to 6 hours before I am going to start the tractor. Block heaters draw very little amperage. I use a clamp-on ammeter probe on a Fluke VOM to check that the block heater is drawing power.

After about three hours the coolant and engine block feel warmer than the rest of the metal on the tractor. I'm guessing 30 F. Nothing seems much warmer than that if I leave the block heater on for twice as long. My guess is that the coolant is thermocycling due to the density difference between the engine and radiator.

Our tractors range from a compact Yanmar to a 100 hp JD. They all start good down to close to zero, I use the heater below about 35 F. My feeling is that the block heater pre-heat reduces cold engine wear. Surprsing to me, they all seem to heat up about the same amount in 3 hours, so maybe 3 hours is too long. It all depends on the temperature and wind. If it is really cold and windy I use a heavy blanket and tarp over the hood - just do something inside that day.
Hope that all helps,
rScotty

Yes it does. I was thinking of putting a canvas tarp over the hood as well to block the wind.

 

[newbury]

I live a few hours south of the CA border

Hours doesn't equal distance. And certainly not climate.
I've lived in Northern, Vt. and had 40 below. I've lived in the Seattle area and never saw below 0 degrees F. And I'm sure there are some areas that are "a few hours south of the CA border" that it goes well below 40 below.
In Vermont sometimes (rarely) we'd turn on the block heaters all night. In Seattle never had to use a block heater.
So either tell us the lowest temps you expect or experiment.
The tarp is a good idea.

 

[whitenorth]

Hours doesn't equal distance. And certainly not climate.
I've lived in Northern, Vt. and had 40 below. I've lived in the Seattle area and never saw below 0 degrees F. And I'm sure there are some areas that are "a few hours south of the CA border" that it goes well below 40 below.
In Vermont sometimes (rarely) we'd turn on the block heaters all night. In Seattle never had to use a block heater.
So either tell us the lowest temps you expect or experiment.
The tarp is a good idea.

Do see -25F a few times during the winter that can last a couple of days. Although I've been told it has been longer at times in the past (only 3rd winter here and first time I will be here all winter). Otherwise, it can range between 0F and 30F most of the time.

 

[bcjmmac]

East coast/north of Maine
30 minutes is generally long enough in our area
Over night lows of -20C (-4F) not uncommon

 

[whitenorth]

East coast/north of Maine
30 minutes is generally long enough in our area
Over night lows of -20C (-4F) not uncommon

30 minutes? Everything I've read so far is 3 hours seems to be the common response. I've also read responses of people leaving it run all night. Based on the heater with my wife's car that is not necessary but, that is gas engine and this is my first diesel. Yours is the shortest timeframe I've read so far. Looks like I'll have to experiment based on outside temp.

I'm just trying to get an idea on how to get it to reliably start without doing damage due to it being to cold. Maybe I'm being to cautious but, like I said, this is the first diesel engine I've personally dealt with and trying to learn everything I can. My BIL has helped me a lot also but, I don't want to keep bugging him with questions all the time.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Yep, three hours seems to be well documented to be about as long as it takes to make a Ram with a Cummins as warm as it'll get. Of course, engines and block heaters are different between different vehicles.

As far as doing damage goes, it's probably not a big deal with modern motor oils. So far I've never plugged my Ram in, but then it has never been below -10 when taking off with it. And that's with the grid heater disconnected, by the way.

 

[bmaverick]

Do see -25F a few times during the winter that can last a couple of days. Although I've been told it has been longer at times in the past (only 3rd winter here and first time I will be here all winter). Otherwise, it can range between 0F and 30F most of the time.

If you are south of CA, that puts you in Mexico. I don't recall temps dropping that low in the south.

 

[number two]

30 minutes may be a little brief,but an hour or a little more makes a big difference in starting.
Don't forget block heaters have a design life.
Also,don't forget to unplug the block heater before starting-the heating element is fragile when in use.
Good Luck!

 

[Williy]

If you you can turn the power to the garage from the house
then plug the tractor in the garage and then 2 or 3 hours
before you want to use the tractor turn the power back on

willy

 

[not2old]

Before I built my shop where my sled stays loaded on the truck, I used the tractor to load my sled every weekend. I remember needing an hour to reliably start the tractor and if it got three hours, it would start without using the glow plugs. Temperatures would vary between 35F and a few degrees below zero. I don't know what would happen if it got colder as I would stay inside and find some other kind of fun.

 

[LHF2019]

If a good block heater. Half hour should be sufficient. Running much larger equipment and half hour will take the chill off. An hour is better. The old JD 404 engines I prefer couple hours.

No experience with timers.

 

[JimRB]

I use Rotella T6 synthetic oil in my JD and my Dodge Cummins. I run Delvac synthetic oil in my VW diesel car. I think it flows better in cold starts that traditional oil. I have plugged the heater in for the Dodge a few times. The way that Cummins engine sits with no aerodynamic covers like the VW has, I think the heater spends a lot of watts heating the cold air. The only time I attempt to plug in the Dodge is on the rare cold and windy morning.

I live about 850 miles south of Canada. We get a week below 32F every winter. Maybe two weeks of cold every other decade or so. Last year was chilly. The days or nights of 10F are quite few. ;-)