Block Heating ... How long?

[Chevybrit]

Ok ok I know I'm going to get the 'piece of string' comments but put aside the variable watts, ambient temperature, wind chill factor etc etc and post how long you plug your block heater in for, before starting on a chilly day.

 

[snowtrac nome]

For a little 6.2 and one freeze plug heater, 1 hour should be enough to start it easily. Up here a lot of folks leave them plugged in over night, or put them on a timer. 2 heaters work better and the tank heaters are junk and just suck up electricity.

 

[155mm]

On my smaller diesels, duramax, about an hour is good.
On my big truck, single turbo Cat, all night. I tried 1 hour on the big motor, then 2 hours and it would still take 30 minutes idle and 2 miles to warm the heater up at 15-25*F. All night plugged in, 30 minutes idle, and it was warm. I have no scientific charts or excel spread sheets to back up my findings.

the poll didnt have an overnight option so i vote for the steam

 

[gimpyrobb]

Ditto. Mine is plugged in while its at the house and it still doesn't like to start all the time.

 

[NV555]

all night on the big block sub zero. 6.2 and 6.5 have been okay so far.

 

[Sharecropper]

I'm too cheap to buy a block heater. I simply keep my M1028 in a heated 8,000 square foot garage with the thermostat set at 72 degrees. It was minus 8 here this morning and my baby fired right up like it was the 4th of July.

 

[blueblaze]

As a Canadian who lives in Northern Ontario, we see temps in the winter between -20c and -40c as a norm. My M1008 will start without the block heater easily at any temperature so far, lowest I've ever started it was at -42c not plugged in and it started 3rd crank, although the throttle shaft froze on the inj pump. I always question what's wrong when I see a 6.2 having hard starts at 0c. My 6.2 starts better then any cummins I've ever owned and starts even faster or the same as my neighbors 6.7 ram. Although he thinks he wins because he gets to start his truck inside with his key fob. I know the 24v starter helps alot but I've never had a crappy starting 6.2 unless it had real bad glow plugs, bad timing, bad injectors etc. My old M1009 started at -36c for almost 2 months straight not plugged in, as we were in the bush with no electrical sources. But with all that being said, there is 2 types of block heaters for our trucks I've found. 600w or 1200w units. They advertise it for our temps as the 600w being for all night use while the 1200w is for an hour or two before start up. Also other things I've learned in regards to glow plugs, is that the wellman plugs are junk and the AC 60G's are king. But when I do plug the truck in for the odd winter adventure its usually 2 hours, I have a 1200w unit.

 

[FrankenCub]

I don't use a block heater. Don't have one installed and so far no need for one anyway. -15F and still starts fine. I love watching those Super Pooper Fords try to fire, crank crank crank...blow some white smoke...crank crank crank...rinse and repeat.
This old 6.2 fires in under 5 seconds.

 

[Karl kostman]

2/4 ton Duramax 1 hour is OK at -20 but the 855 series Cummins I never go less than 4 hours and that would be just worth it!
Karl

 

[lindsey97]

I find my coolant heater experience to be the same as 155mm stated. I tried an hour on my nhc-250's, they started but didn't like it. So I leave my class 8 trucks plugged in overnight, and it is well worth it. No stress on the starter and the truck warms up quickly.

I have also seen snow melted off the hood of our trucks, with the temps at 15-20 deg F, and the snow coming down all night.

 

[porkysplace]

Ok ok I know I'm going to get the 'piece of string' comments but put aside the variable watts, ambient temperature, wind chill factor etc etc and post how long you plug your block heater in for, before starting on a chilly day.

Wind chill has no effect on iron , whatever the air temp is is what effects iron.

Edit ; It will make it cool faster .
https://sciencing.com/wind-chill-aff...-10056448.html

 

[jasonjc]

I work at a bus shop. We have yours on a timer. 2-3hr it depend on when they start them. Had one driver just come and tell me hers would not start. I walked out waited for the wait light and it started right up less than a 1 sec. I also started all of them yester day after they sat for 2 weeks in very cold weather without being plugged in. And they all started 5.9 and 6.7 Cummins and Mescades even a Cat (it need a jump but it has sat for 4-5 weeks).

 

[dependable]

The pole choices seem limited.

I usually plug in block heater in the diesel (CUCV, Dodge or Mercedes) I'm going to use that day if the temp is lower than 20F. They will all start below that, but start quicker and smoother with the heater. Temps closer to 0F, I won't start up cold without heater unless I have no other choice.

Besides temperature, the wattage and type of block heater are factors in deciding how long to plug in.

 

[Chevybrit]

I'm too cheap to buy a block heater. I simply keep my M1028 in a heated 8,000 square foot garage with the thermostat set at 72 degrees. It was minus 8 here this morning and my baby fired right up like it was the 4th of July.

Very Good

 

[Chevybrit]

Wind chill has no effect on iron , whatever the air temp is is what effects iron.

Yes, but HOW many Angels can dance on the head of a pin?

 

[911joeblow]

So my trucks and cars for that matter all have supplemental heating. I live and work at 7000+ feet in Northern Utah. For HMMWVs and CUCVs I like the following:
Engine Oil pan heater mat 500W-1000W
Transmission pan heater mat 500W
Engine coolant recirculating pump heater 1000W (KATS and others make these)
or if I dont have the pump type above I use an inline or block freeze plug type.
I also run a 100W-300W 24V fuel filter heater to preheat the fuel (this is a must if you run bio-diesel and nice for just diesel too).
All the pad heaters are self regulating, so if they get too hot they turn themselves off.

Then these are all (minus the fuel heater) wired to a singe plug which I body mount so I can plug the vehicle in with an extension cord. For daily drivers I run the power off a digital timer to turn the heat on anywhere from 2 hours to 4 hours prior to start depending if they live inside or outside. The fuel heater is run off a toggle switch inside the cab.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Yes, but HOW many Angels can dance on the head of a pin?

Since angels are non-corporeal and do not occupy space, an infinite number of them could be present at a single point in space simultaneously.

 

[porkysplace]

Yes, but HOW many Angels can dance on the head of a pin?

Depends on how big the Angels are and if you believe in fairy tales.

 

[NormB]

Depends on how big the Angels are and if you believe in fairly tales.

Fairly tales? Or Faery tails? Of Fae I sing.

Think Planck's length and Planck's time and anything beyond that is immeasurable and irrelevant; infinite is meaningless.

Except for stupidity. Even Einstein thought THAT was probably infinite.

 

[porkysplace]

Fairly tales? Or Faery tails? Of Fae I sing.

Think Planck's length and Planck's time and anything beyond that is immeasurable and irrelevant; infinite is meaningless.

I don't know what's worst my typing or spelling , I just blame public schools with good shop classes and a era before computer and keyboards.