Cold weather is slowly creeping in. I noticed my glowplug light stayed on for a good 10 seconds today. Ddepending on how much power it does use, is it okay to leave my truck "plugged in" for a few days at a time, or should I just plug it in the night before I plan on driving it?

 

njoverkill:

It sucks a LOT of juice; I think it's 1500 watts for the heater. You'd be better off just plugging it in some hours before you want to go.

Some people here have setup a time, that will turn on the power some hours before they need to go, instead of having to leave it plugged in all night.

Rene

 

WOW! A timer is a good idea. How 3 or 4 hours before use is okay?

 

The block heater is rated around 750 watts resistive load. I used an Intermatic T100 timer, but didn't like the inaccuracy of an analog dial. Last winter I used a digital timer rated for 15 amp resistive, and it works great. Very precise. 3 hours is good down to 0. 4 hours after that.

 

750 watts as the above post suggests.

 

I stand corrected....

thnx-

Rene

 

Block heaters vary in current draw. Have seen them from 750 watts up to 1500 watts. Suspect that in the colder climates they are sold in the higher wattages.
As stated previously, down to zero 3 hours with the block heater on a timer is about right. Colder than that perhaps 4 hours is better. IMHO anything longer than 5 hours, regardless of OAT is a waste of energy. One thing that many owners do not take into consideration is wind. If you are parked with the nose of the vehicle into a biting cold wind, it will tend to suck some of that heat you are generating right out of the block. So on a cold blowing night try and park facing away or broadside to the wind.

 

The timer sounds like a great idea. Since this will be the first winter for my truck, we'll see how well it starts in the cold without the block heater. It doesn't usually get overly cold here in MD, so I should be fine.

 

Definitely use a timer. I have always read that the cummins block heater is 750w. A better option is a zerostart recirculating coolant heater. I believe the dodge one is just a heat probe, where the zerostart heats and recirculates coolant throughout the block, and is thermostatically controlled. They are about $45 and are around 1500w.

 

Just to clarify a point NJoverkill,
The Dodge/Cummins uses a grid heater in the intake tract instead of the glow plugs in the combustion chambers that other engine designers chose to use.
Timer set for 3 hours before I leave for work.

Ed

 

[quote author=njoverkill link=board=17;threadid=20373;start=0#msg191154 date=1064966227]
Depending on how much power it does use, is it okay to leave my truck "plugged in" for a few days at a time, or should I just plug it in the night before I plan on driving it?
[/quote]Economically, I don't think leaving it plugged in will add too much to the electric bill. I've left mine plugged in on the weekends last winter and didn't notice any change in my bill. I'm also happy with a 3 hour timer setting during the week.

Just don't forget to unplug it before driving off. I swear that there are block-heater gremlins that plug that darn cord back in before I leave for work!

 

I started using this to remind me in the mornings that the cord was still attached.



It's a simple piece of yellow velcro that I place on the steering wheel in the 12:00 position before I plug it in at night, and remove after I've unplugged in the AM.

I haven't pulled the cord across the street since I started using this method.

 

For most of us it's roughly $.10 and hour to operate. For the new owners, it's not on a thermostat. It cooks as long as it's plugged in. Yeah the Gremlins got me good last year. I back out of my driveway extending the cord out 50 feet until it detached. Then it snowed on top of the cord. My neighbor decided to do me a favor and clear my driveway. 'wrapped and chewed 50 feet of new 14 guage extension cord around his auger. :

[edit] Good move Ed! Like the ol string around the finger.

 

[quote author=Commatoze link=board=17;threadid=20373;start=0#msg191298 date=1065008516]
Yeah the Gremlins got me good last year. I back out of my driveway extending the cord out 50 feet until it detached. Then it snowed on top of the cord. My neighbor decided to do me a favor and clear my driveway. 'wrapped and chewed 50 feet of new 14 guage extension cord around his auger. :
[/quote]How's that old saying go? "No good deed goes unpunished"?

Its pretty amazing how far an extension cord can fly when its springs loose too.