Forgot and left the block heater plugged ino

[motownbrowne]

Hopefully you didn't intend it but this comes off to me as being a real di**k.

Yep, I agree. No one made him sit down at your computer and read about tractors online.

 

[CobyRupert]

I worry about attracting rodents with the heat. Reasonable concern or not?

Seems like it would be, especially if plugged in 24/7.
Once you plug in and and have a heat source, then yes wind chill stripping that heat away is real. I'm curious if, or why, vehicles experience it otherwise.
I did the opposite test of the OP last week, when I thought I'd plugged the tractor in, it looked like I did. but the picture shows what I discovered.
Oops, must of did that when I was pulling the other end of the cord to the tractor.
I wondered why it started so hard! Turns out, you have to plug it in ALL the way!

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

That tine is begging to catch a spark?

 

[Egon]

I worry about attracting rodents with the heat. Reasonable concern or not?

Yes it will. Cats also.

 

[herringchoker]

Yes it will. Cats also.

Yes, cats also. I used to keep the dump truck in my avatar plugged in 24/7 when on call for hauling snow. The heater was a humungous thing on the oil cooler of the Cat 3406B engine which was just the right size for a kitty cat to snuggle up on top of. Many times that's just what happened, so I always checked before starting to make sure there weren't two Cats under the hood.

 

[npalen]

If wind chill is not a factor why put a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator for cold weather? Just asking.

Edit: Okay, I guess the restriction of ANY air is going to warm up the coolant system faster.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

I leave my Kioti plugged in all the time.

 

[Gcorron]

Life safety generators, emergency fire pumps, and the like have block heaters on 24/7/365. Many of them do use thermostats, but they are not allowed to cool off completely unless taken out of service.

My 97 Dodge Cummins gets plugged in about October, and unplugged about April. Mostly because the beast has a huge cooling system, and if I'm not driving for an hour, I ain't getting any heat! I also block off the air flow at the grill.

You most certainly will not harm one by leaving it plugged up, but I have always contended that you can 'spoil' one by plugging them in, meaning they will start cold, but will whine like your teenager when you get them up for school on a cold morning!

George

 

[Egon]

If wind chill is not a factor why put a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator for cold weather? Just asking.

Edit: Okay, I guess the restriction of ANY air is going to warm up the coolant system faster.

The cardboard was quite common at one time. Also switching thermostats winter and summer was done.

 

[motownbrowne]

If wind chill is not a factor why put a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator for cold weather? Just asking.

Edit: Okay, I guess the restriction of ANY air is going to warm up the coolant system faster.

Wind chill won't make anything colder than the ambient temperature. Once you have a heat source though, cold wind will strip the existing heat away (cooling the mass to to ambient temperature) faster. At least that's how it works in my mind. I could be wrong.

 

[avc8130]

The only thing the OP hurt was his electric bill!

That would've been ~$10 on my bill.

ac

 

[sandyc]

Just purchased a countdown timer from Amazon and installed same on the power cable to my block heater. You can set the time for one, two or more hours. Looks like it will get used tomorrow morning! Now the following morning and the switch works great! At my age I might forget and leave heater plugged in but this count down switch solves that issue.

 

[JWR]

The block heaters have a built in thermostat.

So do the in-line radiator hose units. (At least the ones I used years ago.)