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Using block heater

BillMullens Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 649 Central West Virginia   Pics

2003-01-16          47598

CTBers,
What is the proper way to use the coolant immersion block heater on my TC29? Is one supposed to plug it in a couple of hours before starting, or just plug it in and leave it during cold spells?
Thanks,
Bill

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Using block heater

DRankin Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada   Pics

2003-01-16          47606

Bill, if you are talking about the type that replaces a freeze plug in the engine: they draw little more power than a light bulb but are quite effective because of their position inside the engine, I leave this type on 24/7 whenever the engine is off and the weather is cold.
If you are referring to the "can" type that is spliced into a coolant hose and sounds like your mothers percolator when it is running, these are generally 1000-1500 watt units that will do the job in an hour or so. The only time I have left this type running overnight is when the temps hit -25 or so. ....

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Using block heater

BillMullens Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 649 Central West Virginia   Pics

2003-01-16          47615

Thanks, Mark. It is the type that replaces a freeze plug in the block. I had instructions for it at one time, now can't find them.
Bill ....

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Using block heater

DRankin Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada   Pics

2003-01-16          47618

My experience is with gas engines in Alaska but I think it pertains in this case.

The freeze plug heaters are usually a couple hundred watts and really do take several hours to warm a cold block.

If you were in Fairbanks at -60 you may never get there.

For your more moderate overnight temps it will keep the block warm very nicely, especially if you plug it in while the engine is still warm. ....

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Using block heater

BudG Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 15

2003-01-16          47637

Yesterday I bought a block heater for my B2400 from Kubota. It's brass with an element about 4" long (2" after it's doubled over) It's 400 watts. I plugged it in and checked it in a hour and a half. The temperature gague was beginning to rise. The high temperature here today was 16 degrees F.
Bud ....

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Using block heater

TomG Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley

2003-01-17          47652

I generally use mine in the -10 to 0F range. Fortunately it usually doesn't snow much when it's colder. I think block heaters come up to an equilibrium temperature in two or three hours and after that the engine isn't going to get any warmer.

Guess I've got to do that today and it's -10F now--warmer than the past few days so that's why we got some snow. I figure two hours on the block heater and battery blanket and it'll start like it's summer. I'm not certain how much a battery blanket warms the battery in two hours, but it's only another 250W.
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Using block heater

DRankin Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada   Pics

2003-01-17          47665

One thing is clear here, block heaters work quite a bit faster on tractor engines than they do on big V8's. There was no way I had ever seem a coolant temp gauge register heat using a block heater. I really didn't plug them in until it got down toward zero. ....

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