Question for Cold-climate people

[Brock94]

I'm thinking about installing a heater to keep my engine warm and wanted to know if anyone has experience with oil heaters. Of course most people use block heaters, but the oil heater is easier to install and claims to be better.

For those who don't know, the oil heater is a heater pad that sticks onto the bottom of the oil pan, then plugs into AC to keep the oil warm at night. The manufacturer claims that this is a superior way to heat the engine than using a block heater.

Does anyone have experience with these? What do you think of them?



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[celly]

Block heaters are pretty much standard fare on most vehicles up here in the Great White North. I've heard of those heaters you mention, but never actually seen them in action. Are you sure block heaters are that hard to install? I've never done one myself, but I remember being told they're pretty simple.

 

[410Fortune]

block heater = remove freeze plug, replace with block heater freeze plug.

 

[Brock94]

I don't think it's that hard to install a block heater, but I understand you do have to drain the coolant and punch out a freeze plug. I'm sure I could do that, but with the oil heaters you just clean the bottom of the oil pan and stick it on-- plus they're much lower wattage for a given application-- so there's electricity savings as well if they work.

They use 250W (compared to 750W or so for a block heater) and claim to keep the oil at operating temperature and the cylinders at about 85F as opposed to block heaters, which only warm the top of the engine and not all that cold oil in the pan. You can even use one to heat the tranny pan.

All this is not so important where I live (in Connecticut), but I often go up to northern New Hampshire in the winter where it is often colder than -20F. I also do a lot of short trips while I'm around home, so it would be nice to have the engine warm and save wear and tear too.

 

[Rick]

An oil warm could be good, and bad. Good, because it allows the oil to flow freely, bad because it could build up condensation in the block due to the temperature differences.

 

[410Fortune]

Also take a look at the bottom of your oil pan. good luck getting a flat pad to stick to the aluminum pan, it has ribs all over it and just getting it in there will be a chore.

 

[JasonF]

What good does an oil heater do you? All the oil is sitting at the bottom of the engine, so you will be warming a pan full of oil. On the other hand if you warm the coolant, it is surrounding the combustion chamber, keeping the whole engine warm. Seems much more effective to me.

Jason

 

[Glacier991]

I grew up in NW Montana, not far from the Canadian border... Now my part of the state there was warmer than the eastern part of state where arctic cold could sneak down unimpeded thru Canada, but we still had periods of cold (I loved it then and I love it now... the wannabes stay inside and the can-do's go out) Anyway I had a friend who had a: battery heater, an oilpan heater, a block heater and a tank type heater! One year back in Dinosaur days we had a -30 snap and he was always happy to tell you he could SIT in his truck (on a battery charger full time as well) and just run the heater fan and be warm. (He was sooo full of shjt) anyway.... one day when I had him alone I was teasing him about his electric bill..... but asked seriously of all those, and after his experiences... if he could only have 2, what would they be for extreme cold? His reply was: a tank type heater and the battery heater(!)

As for oil? Run full syn 5-30 in winter. That's my 2 cents.

ps. He later went to the North Slope and loved to tell about leaving the diesels run 24/7.. I've sprayed ether into an intake stack on a towed diesel rig at about 10 above and it was not fun nor easy, so I believed his stories.

 

[96limitedX]

i swear by block heaters(they come on all new cars/trucks up here)...i have been using mine on my '96 OHV and its a whole different truck when you start it when its been pluged in VS not being pluged in..now i have only had it down to -20 so far..but with what i have seen it does a great job of warming things up. i have heat within 3 mins when its been pluged in all night and -10 outside.

 

[BrooklynBay]

I once saw in a performance catalog a special thermos style antifreeze reserve tank that connected with the washer tank. It stored antifreeze, and maintained it at a hot temperature for an extended period of time, and had some sort of tubing coming out of it that was wrapped around the washer tank to keep the washer fluid warm as well. The result was faster starting, and the ability to defrost, and clean your windshield even though the engine was off for an extended period of time.

 

[rookieshooter]

What good does an oil heater do you? All the oil is sitting at the bottom of the engine, so you will be warming a pan full of oil. On the other hand if you warm the coolant, it is surrounding the combustion chamber, keeping the whole engine warm. Seems much more effective to me.

Jason

Jason, I really don't know which is better, but remember that oil that's being heated in the pan will go thru crank between journals of crank and bearings up thru pushrods if any around camshaft thru oil rings of pistons and to top of heads and thru rocker assemblys. It is the viscosity of the oil at low temps that really make the engine work hard at starting in cold weather. I have even used a spot light under oil pan during the night and have the engine start right up next morning.

 

[Mbrooks420]

I'd rather have a block heater. As 410 mentioned they probably won't stick well to thwe finned bottom. Of course the stick on pad heaters claim to be better. It wouldn't be good marketing if they didn't.

You probably lose a bunch of heat right out the other side of the pan. I highly doubt it would heat the motor through the cylinders to 80 degrees, maybe in a fairly warm windless garage. And if you happen to go in a ditch or rub the motor on anything the pan heater is probably toast. As for an electric bill, hook it up to a timer, and have it kick on 2-3 hours before you wake up.

Another option is the type that you cut the lower rad. hose and put inline. They have a small circulating pump to run the coolant through the block.

 

[GRainMOnkey]

here in nw iowa wifes 91 tracer has a block heater yet my 93 ex doesnt.. didnt make much sense to me i know a few people that have the same year and have heaters... i know some say get those in line coolant warmers or what not but wasnt sure what would be best so just wentand bought a house that the garage has its own furnace

 

[410Fortune]

You guys a light bulb is typically enough heat to keep an engine from freezing up and keeping the oil warm, coolant liquid, easier starting, etc. Any sort of heat on the block is going to help.

For storing a boat through the winter a 75 watt light bulb in the engine box will keep frost from developing and the block from freezing up.
You just have to check the bulb every couple weeks!
Now a car might require a little bit more wattage but you get the idea.

I have a 4.0L that came with the factory block heater. It's simple and you can remove the plug for summer time.

 

[Turdle]

My thought
An engine is a hunk of metal( heat sink)
Combustion that happens at the head, warms everything, so it stands to reason that heat applied aywhere to block, heads, oilpan, will be conducted thru the metal. Also, oil moves away from heat to cold, so it seems an oilpan heater would warm the oil and move it up.
Another thought-once heated, oil retains more heat than water
If it will stay attatched, sounds good
I might want one also so let me know