Block heater in B2650

[Henro]

I had a block heater catch fire right in front of my eyes several years ago. Never again. It’s not unusual either, by the way. I run a premium synthetic oil and keep a maintainer on the battery. Starts great, -20C or colder if I’m foolish, although it’s inside out of the direct weather in my tractor shed.

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I can't imagine how you saw one that was installed catch fire while submersed in coolant inside the engine.

But I do know they will quickly burn open if powered up in open air.

Actually I think seeing an installed block heater catch fire IS rather unusual. First I have ever heard of this. Certainly people have reported failed in-service block heaters...things do fail...but no fire was ever mentioned.

 

[Robin Veerman]

In my case it was actually an in-line heater, bottom rad hose, and I had smelled burning rubber a few weeks prior. The tractor shed is about a 10 minute walk from my house, so I usually would plug it in on my way home from work, have a coffee and then walk back to the shed to fire it up and blow snow. Sometimes I would walk over, plug it in while doing other chores for 20 minutes, and then fire it up. One of those times I smelled smoke. So I never left it unattended again. Then one time it began smoking like crazy right before my eyes. I had checked it over after the first time but there was nothing obvious. I called my dealer and he told me that these heaters were junk and suggested an actual block heater instead. I’ve seen several vehicle and tractor fires over the years due to heaters, whether in-line or block, I don’t know, but never again for me…

 

[Egon]

Corrosion on the electrical cord where it plugs into the heater might be the problem. Failure at this point is not uncommon.

 

[troopr31]

Corrosion on the electrical cord where it plugs into the heater might be the problem. Failure at this point is not uncommon.

I packed that connection with dielectric grease, as I do with pretty much every electrical plug/connection on my tractors/ATV’s. I’ve gotten into a habit of doing that every time I take a connection apart…