Block Heater Questions

[MackAttack]

Can I leave my tractor plugged in all day or night??? Can leaving it plugged in for an extended time cause any damage?? I left mine plugged in all day an noticed that my temperture gauge never indicated any warmth, however the side of my engine felt warm. I'm wondering if this could have caused my trouble with my Hydro cooler.

 

[MackAttack]

I also noticed that while my tractor was plugged in I could hear a sound that almost sounded like something sizzling or bubbling from the side of my tractor and I also noticed that my coolant level is low. Sorry about the whinning, I'm just frazzled over my (aforementioned post) hydro cooler and am praying that I did not do any serious damge to my tractor "Holly"

 

[JDGREEN4ME]

I know people who leave their heaters plugged in all the time and I am not aware of them having any problems. I know for my own situation I just plug mine in an hour or two before using the tractor.

 

[tawilson]

The coolant may be low because the tractor is cold. If you mean an inch or two below the cap, that's probably normal during the winter months. Keep checking it and make sure it doesn't drop any more. The sizzling from the block heater is normal. The block heater probably won't heat the engine up enough to show on the temperature gauge. You didn't hurt your tractor leaving your block heater plugged in. I've left mine plugged in for days at a time. Putting it on a timer to warm up a few hours before you use it would save electricity and extend the life of the heater.

 

[ronjhall]

MackAttack
I plugged my <font color="orange"> Kubota </font> B2910 in yesterday morning heard the same sound from it. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
I believe the noise is from the heater starting to get warm and the antifreeze being at 10 degrees.
When tractor warmed up the noise was gone. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Egon]

The only downside of leaving a block heater plugged in for twenty four hours a day seven days of the week is the power bill.

The sizzling - buzzing noise is normal. In cold country lots of people wait to hear that sound to make sure the heater is working.

The heaters have built in thermostats, don't know how they work, so the coolant isn't boiled.

Egon

 

[Trev]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I know people who leave their heaters plugged in all the time and I am not aware of them having any problems. I know for my own situation I just plug mine in an hour or two before using the tractor. )</font>

I sometimes get up in the morning to go to work, and find I need to plow myself out. Don't have time to wait that hour or two. So I often leave them plugged in for a week or more. Haven't had a problem yet (that I know of!) /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I really do have to look at what this does to our electric bill, though. OTOH, protecting a $25,000 tractor is probably worth a few buck of electric from time to time.

Bob

 

[MackAttack]

Thanks Guys, I feel much better now. My next thing is to fix my hydro cooler... Thanks again

John Mack Auburn NY

 

[rambler]

A timer is $20 or so, get a 15,000 watt timer.

It will save you a lot of electric bill & a lot of wear on the block heater. Smart thing to do. Have it come on for an hour every day at the time you need it.

Not that you are damaging the tractor, just wasting a lot of things. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

--->Paul

 

[Trev]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( A timer is $20 or so, get a 15,000 watt timer.

It will save you a lot of electric bill & a lot of wear on the block heater.)</font>

Block heaters wear out? I guess it makes sense, but it never occurred to me as being something to take into account. The timer makes good sense. Lately, though, I never know.. I might need to plow in the morning, maybe after work, maybe in the middle of the day.. so hard to predict....

How many hours is a block heater generally good for?

Tks,
Bob