Tech Tip #215: The Ins and Outs of Engine Block Heaters

Many of our customers have engine block heaters in their industrial engines.  As with everything else in life, there are some things you should know to get the most out of a block heater.

Block heaters are usually rated at 150 to 1500 Watts and varying based on engine size.  They do a good job of maintaining coolant temperature, but only if plugged in at normal operating temperatures. When you come back from a job at the end of the day and are planning to get started again bright and early, plug the block heater into your woodchipper, backhoe or whatever equipment you need the next morning while the engine is still warm.  This foresight will help maintain more heat overnight and help you to start right up in the morning and maybe let you enjoy your coffee a few moments longer when you need it most!

• Avoid Complete Cooldowns

Block heaters are not going to warm up an engine when it has been parked outside and not run for a day or two. If the engine coolant, lube oil and the engine block itself drop to a low outside temperature, say 0º F, you are in for a struggle to get it back up to a starting temperature. So, plug the engine in every night just after you shut it down, even if it is going to be a few days.

• Double Up

IIn extreme circumstances, say northern Maine in January, a large Perkins Series 1106.6 or Deutz BF6M2013 diesel engine that is parked outside can cool off faster than the block heater can warm up.  In these situations, it is beneficial to run a dual block heater setup to maintain the temperature.

• Avoid Ether

When you are tempted to use Ether, we recommend that you just put the spray can down and back away slowly from the engine. Go inside for a cup of coffee instead, your connecting rods will thank you. In modern Diesels with a “Grid Heater” instead of glow plugs, you can start your engine on fire or cause an explosion by using Ether.

• Oil Heaters

If you are one of the many that does not have a water-based coolant running through your engine like on a Deutz 912/913/914 or 1011/1011F/2011.  Use oil pan heaters, there are serval styles but the one that works the best in my opinion is the silicone pad style, they are easy to double or triple up on.  They are also very lo profile and can be glued on easily if you clean the surfaces off prior to application.

We hope that this Foley Engines Tech Tip has been helpful. We believe that Tech Support Matters™ and publish this ongoing series of Tech Tips for the industrial engine community. We welcome your feedback. Foley stocks and has engine block heaters for most industrial engines including Perkins, Deutz, John Deere, etc., all ready to ship on the same day.

To contact Foley Engines directly, email us at info@foleyengines.com or call us directly at 866.821.2454. We are different; we want to help.