When do you plug them in?

[SacandagaBrad]

I have a block heater on my TC24. Any suggestions on when to plug it in regarding overnight winter temps? We've already been in the low teens this year and it starts no problem. Of course the oil would get to the top of the engine quicker if it were warmer.

Also, do you leave it plugged in over night (that's what I plan to do), or do you just plug it in an hour before you plan to use it?

Thanks - Brad

 

[MikePA]

<font color="blue"> We've already been in the low teens this year and it starts no problem. Of course the oil would get to the top of the engine quicker if it were warmer.</font>
As you noted, the primary purpose of a block heater is to hasten the warm up of the tractor and not help starting.

<font color="blue">Also, do you leave it plugged in over night (that's what I plan to do), or do you just plug it in an hour before you plan to use it? </font>
If the weather forecast indicates I might be using my tractor in the morning, I have plugged it in the night before (depends when the snow is forecast to get to a plowable level). I usually try and have it plugged in a few hours before planned usage.

 

[Will_C]

At my Dad's house, we always had tractors plugged into a fixture that was wired with an overhead light. Whoever got up up first would turn the light on from the comfort of the house. By the time we ate breakfast and got dressed, the tractor had heated for an hour or two and was ready for work /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
I keep my Kubota in the garage now, and don't use a block heater. I just go out and turn on the space heater when I get up. The tractor and garage are warmed up when breakfast is done.
Will

 

[gerard]

I use a timer and if I anticipate snow the next morning I'll set it to come on about 2 hours before I need it. They also make a neat little gizmo called a thermocube that will allow the juice to flow if the temp is below 32deg F so you could plug it in all the time. If you garage yours I wouldn't worry about it until it gets below 0deg F or at least in the low teens. I don't use it this time of year and I'm in upstate NY

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I wired a outlet outside of the house so that one side is always hot and the other side runs off a switch in the house. If I need the tractor in the morning I flip the switch when I first wake up. By the time I am ready to go outside the tractor is plenty warm enough.

I usually use the heater if it is below 32 just to help it out.

 

[MikePA]

Here's a link to Thermocube. A couple of different models to choose from.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

There are 2 problems with diesel engines in the winter. The block or dipstick heaters only address one of them.

We run a fleet of mid-size diesel trucks, when they return from their daily runs we plug them in, they stay plugged in until we need to start them again. We start this process when the temps regularily drop below freezing for sustained periods and then we keep doing it all winter long.

We also add diesel anti-gel to the fuel to keep it from thickening up too much. Diesel can turn into something that looks similar to runny Jell-o when it gets too cold. In many areas the fuel stations switch to a lighter diesel in the winter, but not all do that.

 

[F350Lawman]

If the plug is inside with an extension cord go to Radio Shack and get their digital timer $20, if it's plugging into an outside outlet go to Home Depot and for $10 they have an outdoor "dial type"timer. This way the tractor only heats for the 3-4 hours you need heat it up in the coldest weather or 2hours ona moderately cold day. Saves you some $$.

I have the RS timer and it is rated for 1500 watts and it handles my truck's engine block heater fine in 3-4 hours if its 5-10 F outside. 2-3 hours on "regular" days

 

[Bob_In_MN]

Hey Mike,

You mentioned the primary purpose of a heater is not to aid starting, but to hasten warm-up.

Would you agree that a secondary benefit IS to aid in starting? My truck and tractor both start easier when plugged in. (Note--my definition of starting easier is that they turn over easier/faster and start quicker than if not plugged in).

I bring this up in case there's someone reading this thread trying to decide if a block heater is somehting they should install.

Bob

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Bob & Mike, I would disagree with the premise that the block heater is there to a hasten warm up, based on the trucks I spec out and the dealers I work with, they sell block heaters specifically to help start the diesel engines in cold weather. And the logic is pretty simple for that reasoning.

Diesel does not "combust" like gasoline, it "burns" and creates expansion, there is a significant difference.

Diesel engines are designed to operate at high pressures specifically becase the side effect of super-pressurizing air is that it creates heat, the heated air, and the heated surrounding mass of the engine block is what causes the diesel fuel to begin burning. It burns at a controlled rate as it is injected into the cylinder forcing the piston down and as the piston continues its decent, more fuel is still being injected into the chamber. In a technical sense, the "glow plug" is a pre-warmer, it does not ignite the fuel, it simply warms the chamber to help the heated air cause the fuel to burn. A warmed engine block may have the side effect of allowing the engine oil to flow more freely, but the point of the block heater is to warm the block so the glow plugs can finish the job of warming the chamber. Simple heat alone causes the burning of the fuel and there is no explosive effect, as you find in gas engines.

Starting a frozen diesel engine is about as hard as getting me to like some of the guys who come calling on my daughter. Now if she warms me up by telling me he is a good student, on the deans list, and has a chance at gainful employment then I might not be cleaning my shotgun when he shows up . . .