Block heater

[ironman1952]

So its been below freezing at night for about a month now. I have a block heater so I just plugged it in. Having it plugged in every night that is is freezing out wont hurt the engine YES ?
Thanks, Joe

 

[Mike1955]

No won’t hurt the engine. Only your electric bill

 

[Topzide]

Get an outdoor wifi plug. You can set time or weather conditions at certain time for it to come on versus being plugged in all night. I've got that for mine and love the convenience of it!

 

[RjCorazza]

There are also some simple temperature based outlets that generally turn on at near freezing, and off at warmer ambient temps. I use a WiFi plug that I can set to come on around 2am if I plan on using the tractor in the morning.

 

[ironman1952]

Great answers I will research those. Do you by any chance have a link or brand name?
Thanks so much

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

the brand around our parts is called ThermoCube. Available in bucket loads at local farm stores.

plug in the water heaters for the barn cats, duck watering stand, heat mats for the dogs, heaters for the dog houses, etc.... they come in different temp. ranges and simply plug into existing receptacle and say your block heater cord. Good for standard 15 circuit. Around here the go for about $35

 

[ironman1952]

Thanks

 

[wolc123]

So its been below freezing at night for about a month now. I have a block heater so I just plugged it in. Having it plugged in every night that is is freezing out wont hurt the engine YES ?
Thanks, Joe

Your block heater will last longer, and you will save money on electricity, if you only use it when needed. I find that 1/2 hour of “on-time”, is enough on all but the coldest days. On days when the temperature gets down around zero F or below, one hour is plenty.

I am way up north, near the Canadian border. In the cold months (November thru March) I leave my block heater plugged in at all times , to an outlet that I control from a switch on the house. If I need to start the tractor in the winter, I’ll throw that switch at least a half hour before, otherwise it stays off.

Sometimes, I’ll call my wife or kids to throw that switch, like when it snows when I’m at work and need to clear the driveway in order to get my truck into the garage, or if if I kill a deer out back, and need the tractor to haul the carcass out.

I wired an outlet in the basement to a switch in our family room. There is a 12 volt adaptor plugged into that outlet, that powers a “bow-light” on the “boat-bar” in that room. An extension cord from my tractor’s block heater also gets plugged into that outlet. I know the block heater is on when I see that light lit.

A block heater reduces engine wear in cold weather, because it allows the oil to get where it is needed faster. There is no advantage in running it longer than an hour though. My tractor starts as smoothly on a 25 degree F day, when the block heater has been on for a half hour, as it does in an 80 degree F day, without it.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

So its been below freezing at night for about a month now. I have a block heater so I just plugged it in. Having it plugged in every night that is is freezing out wont hurt the engine YES ?
Thanks, Joe

OP,

If you're not actually going to use the tractor that day, it won't hurt a thing to not plug it in. If you're going to need it, then by all means plug in the block heater.

I have mine on a timer to come on in the mornings for a few hours (that gives me a wider "window" of time I can use it) and then switch off again. I certainly don't leave it plugged in to a hot outlet all winter.

I have a block heater, a pad heater on the oil pan, and a pad heater on the hydro trans sump pan. All 3 heaters are connected to one pig tail that then gets plugged in to a 24 hr timer that I use during winter. I also use synthetic engine oil and synthetic hydraulic fluid that are rated to be used in cold climate. But we get the *real kind* of cold here. Ambient temperatures to -40 F in winter here. We call "below freezing" "springtime" and "fall weather" here.

 

[SARG]

As already suggested .... ThermoCube is the answer.

 

[Topzide]

I use the wifi devices from HF and the Smart Life app to control them. I like the dual switch outdoor plug. Allows 2 devices to be set to different times. The whole wifi smart devices are a game changer for home lighting control. No longer the 24 timers the need reseting after power outages. You can find devices on Amazon and other merchant's as well.

 

[grsthegreat]

look up Yolink on amazon. amazing product

i can turn on block heater on all my equipment with the phone or ipad. uses its own hub. my ford is nearly 800' from the hub and it works flawlessly thru metal shed and house walls.

also has timer or clock modes.

mine also uses alarms i placed inside refrig and freezers, wifes greenhouse and garden shed to monitor temps. i also have water leak sensors on system.

i just added controls to step heat pads i installed on front steps. they have outdoor and indoor rated plugs.

https://www.amazon.com/yolink/s?k=yolink

 

[grsthegreat]

problem with thermocubes, it will heat whenever temp is cold, even on days your not planing to use block heater. my ford and dodge block heaters suck down between 500-1000 watts each hour they are on. thats alot of wasted power if your not planing on using the equipment.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

As already suggested .... ThermoCube is the answer.
View attachment 838802

Here, that thing would be on from sometime in October, until sometime in April or May.

 

[SARG]

OK .... I accept the contradictions .... the ThermoCube concept no longer sounds viable.

 

[BoylermanCT]

Also consider getting a battery blanket. I found that I have much more cranking power when the battery is not frozen.

 

[Jkott]

Are you using the tractor every day? I’d suggest only running it an hour or two each day before starting.

But if you aren’t using the tractor every day, then I definitely would not keep it plugged in. My tractor’s block heaters use about 400w each, and at my electric rates, about $1.40/day. It’s definitely worth it for a couple hours on a cold day, but a waste if you aren’t using it.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

A diesel truck I had I just put a 60 watt incandescent trouble light under oil pan then an old quilt & tarp over hood draped down over both sides held down with a few bricks.
I had light on a timer only as needed.
Amazing how much heat a 60w light puts out covered like that, heat rises & warms everything.
I did same with tractor.

 

[ironman1952]

Thanks to all. I ended up finding one that allows you to program the cut-in and cut-out temperatures.
Has anyone used a heat blanket to keep the diesel from gelling?

 

[RjCorazza]

Thanks to all. I ended up finding one that allows you to program the cut-in and cut-out temperatures.
Has anyone used a heat blanket to keep the diesel from gelling?

Your best defense against gelling would be to treat the fuel. They make heated diesel fuel filters ($$) which is the first area that gelling will create a problem. You would really need to be in extreme cold to require anything but diesel treated with an anti gel additive. I use Power Service in my mostly moderate climate.