Block Heater Use, Sparingly or all the time if need be??

[gordyo]

I found a block heater cord on my F-150 5.4L V8 when I was installing my Fire Lights in the grill this summer. Since I am on the Fire Dept. and I get called out alot during the winter during inclement weather and cold evenings and must often wait for the truck to warm up enough to keep the windshield clear after ice scrapper use, when I respond, I was wondering if anyone can see any reason why I should not use this every night during the winter to keep the block warm so I can start the windshield defrosting right away and get rolling alot quicker or is there a chance of damaging something??:feedback

[bryan]

Jeff,
Block heaters are very costly to use. They will make the electric bill go up quite a bit in the winter months. I have a timer that goes on 3 hours before I get up and shut off right around when I leave for work. My bill goes up every month but nothing crazy.


In the on call scenerio, I can't say much. Have you tried a remote starter? Maybe you could hit the button when you hear the call and by the time your out the door it will have the truck semi warmed up?

[atgreene]

I use my block heaters whenever there is a chance to have to use the vehicle. Plug it in when it's still hot from driving and leave it, warming a cold engine an hour or so before use doesn't work very well from my experience.

I will say, with 4 block heaters plugged in the night before a storm, my meter is spinning like crazy.

[Snowboy]

I've never noticed anything different with my truck plugged in for 3 hours on a timer. Defrost or heat is not any hotter then if It hadn’t been plugged in.

I have a remote start on my truck so when I go out to plow I hit that warm the truck up and away I go.

Also I have no block heater cord it got caught up snow under the fender when back dragging somehow and it tore the plug end off of it.

Dave.

[Pelican]

The only thing that will be damaged is your electric bill.payup

Make sure you use an extension cord that is heavy enough for the load and everything will be fine. My trucks need about 4 hours to heat up from cold.

[chtucker]

I figured it was a buck a day for my 5500.. I think they are 1000watts or so. I have mine on a timer (make sure you get an appliance timer) to go on every day at 2am at stay on till 6am. I also have remote start...

As a firefighter it is unknown when you are going to leave.... so to recieve any benefti you would have to have it pluigged in most of the time.

Its up to you? I guess

[Mark Oomkes]

Jeff, I thought that's what the side window was for? I hate it when I hit the washer fluid, get all the crap melted off, take off and then it fogs up. I just make sure to wear a hat and goggles. :geekboy

About this time of year, all of our diesels start getting plugged in. Never figured it out exactly, but it doesn't seem to add that much to the bill. And I'm in the same boat, it's plugged in all the time.

[Pickering Snow]

First i have never plugged the 6.0l's in if theres a benny to owning them they start fast in cold weather. The Kubota and the 97 7.3 are on gang timers they come on at 10 at night and shut off at 3am 2am being the roll out time for us on a normal push.

Its a horrible trade off to plug in or not to the 7.3 just flat starts hard cold if not plugged in one year after having it plugged in all the time i didnt like the electric bill went back to not plugging it in and it cost me a 475.00 starter so the trade off in Elec is not worth the damage.


Not sure about the Cummins in the 650 seems to start good so far with the cold we have had here not sure if ill plug it in or not. Has far has having the block heater on to get me warm quicker usally by the time all the drivers show up we have a brief meeting and clear them of snow there warm enough inside to be comfortable.

[EZSnow]

Are the block heaters running at 1000W 100% of the time, or do they cycle on and off? Once the nights are consistently below freezing, mine is plugged in every night, no timer. I plug it in as I shut down and go in for the night, using a lighted-end extension cord, so I can peek out and make sure the breaker hasn't tripped. I haven't really noticed much difference in my electric bill- it's the natural gas bill that kills you in the winter!

I figure it takes less energy to maintain the temperature in an already warm engine for a few extra hours than it would to heat one up from dead cold, and it's ALWAYS ready to go.

[PSDFordMan]

Just a thought.

Whatever the difference your electric bill may be probably gets somewhat made up for in fuel saved by not having a vehicle run in the driveway for 20 minutes every morning, not to mention the wear saved from a sub-zero engine starting up.

:burnout

[Wizard]

I have mine on a timer, and only plug in when it under about 10*. I think the timer is the best of both worlds. If it clicks on 3-4 hours before you need to start it, it gets it as warm as is would if it was plugged in all night, they only put out so much heat. Derek, they're on full boar from the time you plug it in til the time you unplug it. It's a simple 110v heating element, no resistors, timers, or other circuits to cycle it. I have not noticed a difference on the bill... It's the 220 heater in the garage that kills the electric bill! Let me just say you only forget to shut it off and leave it on all night once... :geez

[apgarconstruction]

I have mine on a timer, comes on at 2-3am and no matter how cold it is, they start a lot easier, it's less strain on starters, glow plugs, and you get heat faster. i just pick which truck i'm going to use the next day, usually the 97 now, because the new truck isnt setup with at trailer yet(springtime), and plug it in when i get home from work. the timer does the rest. i have a heavy duty cord and they do run about 1000-1200 watts. my wife hasn't ever complained about the electric bill being high.

[billfires]

It seems to me that in the past I have seen a short extension cord that had an adjustable thermostat built in to it so you could set what outside temperature you wanted the block heater to come on at. I don't remember where I saw it though. Bill C