Block Heater vs. Coolant Heater

[hockeybronx]

In trying to be proactive before the winter comes, I had a coolant heater installed in my car yesterday. Basically it was installed into one of my coolant hoses.

What would be the advantages/disadvantages between this and a block heater that actually heats up the oil pan?

It seemed to slip my mind when I bought it, so if someone could give me a quick description of how this heater that sits and recirculates the coolant works.

Thanks

[GTS Jeff]

A block heater actually plugs into the engine block through a frost plug and heats the coolant directly. An oil pan heater heats the oil so that your engine receives proper lubrication sooner.

[hockeybronx]

Yeah this setup seems to be different from both you mentioned. This is installed into a coolant hose right up at the front of my engine bay.

[Phy]

If it's an inline heater (the element is actually inside the hose), the heating action should slowly circulate the warmed coolant through your system. If it's the kind that wraps around the hose, it'll just heat the coolant in that hose.

[Weapon_R]

How much did you pay for it and where did you buy it? I don't think my car has a block heater.

[hockeybronx]

Originally posted by Weapon_R
How much did you pay for it and where did you buy it? I don't think my car has a block heater.

The block heater was $39.99 from Auto Value. I got it installed for $85.00 including a long-life coolant top-up.

[turboMiata]

i'm not sure how well the coolant heater will work. when the engine is cold, the thermostat is closed therefore there will be no circulation of coolant through the block. it's more important to heat the oil than the water.

[Zero102]

TurboMiata you wonder about the coolant heater, which I presume is just a lower radiator hose heater, because of the thermostat being closed. But the only way that would matter is if the thermostat is on the lower radiator hose. Otherwise it would be virtually the same as a normal block heater.

I had a lower rad hose heater on my 86 944, as well as an oil pan heater. It was -40, and it started like it was ~0 degrees. It sure didn't start like it was warm outside, but it was MUCH better than without it.

As with any coolant heater (including normal block heaters) you should also have an oil pan heater. It's a good idea.

The one thing to remember, is if the car is a standard, how much fun it is to drive with a frozen-solid transmission when it's that cold outside...

This year I have a different 944, and I'm installing a lower rad hose heater (despite the fact that the thermostat is on the lower rad hose on 944's), an oil pan heater, and I'm installing an oil pan heater on my transmission.
At least your transmission is directly attached to your engine. Mine's 5 feet away in the back of the car

[hockeybronx]

Originally posted by Zero102
This year I have a different 944, and I'm installing a lower rad hose heater (despite the fact that the thermostat is on the lower rad hose on 944's), an oil pan heater, and I'm installing an oil pan heater on my transmission.
At least your transmission is directly attached to your engine. Mine's 5 feet away in the back of the car

Man you really go all out... that's using quite a bit of electricity depending on how long you plug it in for.

[Zero102]

Haha, not really...
It was a 175W oil pan heater, with a 450W lower rad hose heater. I plan to add a 125W oil pan heater to the transmission on my new 944, and the same other 2 heaters.
Most engine block heaters are 800-900W, so I roughly make up 1 block heater
It works pretty well, all things considered.

[hockeybronx]

Originally posted by Zero102
Haha, not really...
It was a 175W oil pan heater, with a 450W lower rad hose heater. I plan to add a 125W oil pan heater to the transmission on my new 944, and the same other 2 heaters.
Most engine block heaters are 800-900W, so I roughly make up 1 block heater
It works pretty well, all things considered.

Fair enough... at least you definitely have all your bases covered

[kryptic]

all i can say is this.... on our semis at work we have these things called webastos... to my knowledge they circulate the coolant and warm it up.... all i know is if you set them right it can get really warm really quick in the truck

[hockeybronx]

Originally posted by kryptic
all i can say is this.... on our semis at work we have these things called webastos... to my knowledge they circulate the coolant and warm it up.... all i know is if you set them right it can get really warm really quick in the truck

Cool hopefully it'll be the same for me as well

[kryptic]

i looked up the webasto website heres a little tid bit from it "In addition, larger Btu/h producing heaters have the capability of providing engine-off interior heat."

thats what im talking about

[Zero102]

yep, but they don't make them for cars. They're what's called a circulating heater. IIRC most of them even have a pump in them. Since the heating systems on most semi's fail 'open', meaning that the heater valves are open when the engine is off, this allows for them to be placed in line in one of the heater hoses, providing for a simple installlation. This also has the side effect of providing some interior heat whenever they run. Of course, the larger ones will act rather like an interior heater.

A lower rad hose heater will not give you any noticeable heat inside the car. If you can track down a circulating heater, and your heater valve is open when the car is off, it will defrost your windshield and such when the car is plugged in, it's kind of neat. However nobody has made a circulating heater for ~10 years.

[kryptic]

go little big heat the dragon is so cute on em

[hockeybronx]

Originally posted by kryptic
go little big heat the dragon is so cute on em

[Zero102]

Haha, I was pretty interested in the blue heat thing they make for cars, until I saw it was battery/gas powered, and that it costs $1600US!!!
Yeouch. Going to stick with my lower rad hose heater/oil pan heater/transmission heater plan.

[Boostn]

So how does this inline coolant heater circulate the coolant through the block? From what I gather, the actual heating element is spliced into the lower rad hose. This element is submerged in coolant, then during the heating process by convection it cycles coolant through the radiator and block? Does that sound right? I've heard of such in-line heaters but would they perform just as well as the conventional "block heaters" (ones that fit in place of frost plugs in the block)? Would it take longer to heat up the engine/coolant this way as compared to a regular "block heater". Seems like a good idea, anything to ease those -30C cold starts.

[hockeybronx]

Originally posted by Boostn
So how does this inline coolant heater circulate the coolant through the block? From what I gather, the actual heating element is spliced into the lower rad hose. This element is submerged in coolant, then during the heating process by convection it cycles coolant through the radiator and block? Does that sound right? I've heard of such in-line heaters but would they perform just as well as the conventional "block heaters" (ones that fit in place of frost plugs in the block)? Seems like a good idea, anything to ease those -30C cold starts.

Yeah what you described above is my basic understanding on the unit I had installed in my car.

In theory it sounds like a well thought out invention, however we'll see how well convection currents run through coolant in -20 degree weather.