engine block heater

[stroker-ace]

Does anyone run an engine block heater on their BU. In Texas, we have very few hard freezes, but the thought of a block heater for added security on those rare occasions sounds nice.

[DONTW8]

A conventional engine block heater would probably burn out.

You would need to have your block full of coolant.

If you were able to keep your block full of coolant then you could just fill it with antifreeze.

The element in those block heaters will burn out (quickly) without coolant present.

[Jimmypooh]

Does anyone run an engine block heater on their BU. In Texas, we have very few hard freezes, but the thought of a block heater for added security on those rare occasions sounds nice.

I hear a lot of people talk about using a light that emits enough heat to do the job.

[Bill_AirJunky]

I have one of those cheezy magnetic block heaters. Frankly I don't think it does much. And it would obviously only protect the engine itself, not the water pump, exhaust manifolds, heater or shower. Shop lights will work too, but they burn out so you have to keep an eye on them.

I think a bilge heater is a better choice. Boatsafe & Xtreme sell them for around $300.

And even that is not going to protect your heater core if it's under the driver's dash. I have a pair of radiator flush Ts on the heater lines in the bilge compartment. Pop the caps & the core drains into the bilge. Separate the exhaust hoses, pull the knock sensor, pull the shower hoses, open the hoses up by the thermostat, blow some compressed air in them all, bump start the engine and done. Cover the boat & plug in the bilge heater. Takes me about 5 minutes.

If it's really cold then I do the anti-freeze too. But that process would work fine for any of the winters I saw in Dallas.

Edited October 2, 2009 by Bill_AirJunky

[stroker-ace]

The more I thought about it, the more stupid it sounded. I am around diesels all day, so the idea just popped into my head. It really isnt going to help anything without fluids in the engine anyways.

I dont have a heater, so at least I dont have to worry about the core.

Hell, I could just run a single halogen light in the engine compartment if I was that worried about it...I guess.

[Michigan boarder]

Also, how cold does it have to get to cause damage? Water obviously freezes at 32 degrees, but we've had boats on lifts down to 26 degrees overnight in early spring and not had any problems. In my poor college days when we drove beaters that leaked every fluid in them we'd have straigt water for coolant and had overnight temps down around 22, but never had any problems either. I think it depends on how long the temp stays that low. So if it's 43 during the day, and hits 25 at night, back up to 40 at daytime, you're probably OK because the short spell of cold air isn't enough to pull all of the heat out of the boat, especially if it's covered. But if it's 25 degrees for 72 hours straight, maybe that's when you start to worry.

[mattm]

I run a heater designed just for this purpose. Here's the website http://www.xtremeheaters.com/ If you go to their website you'll think twice about a lightbulb or conventional space heater. If you get one I'd opt for the larger heater. I have a 247 LSV and I use the small heater. My neighbor has a 230 Sea Ray with the large heater. On really hard freezes (near zero) I've checked my boat and the water in the bilge was frozen while his boat was fine. Winters in Tennessee are pretty mild but last year we had a couple of freezes that froze the water around my lift. During such freezes I play it safe and drain my block in addition to running the heater. You also have to have a dependable power supply. Unfortunately, cold snaps many times are accompanied by power outages. On the bright side I was out on Christmas day last year. It was sunny and 65 degrees!

[stroker-ace]

It is always sunny and 65 on Xmas in Texas. I really hate to put the boat in mothballs for the winter because we have so many warm spells and I live on the lake. Fortunately, it doesn't take much to winterize these boats (Response LXi) with a quickness...if you know how to use the most rudementary of hand tools.

Man, I would hate to burn my boat down with a light bulb...especially since if the boat catches on fire, my house will surely go with it.

Thanks for the link.

[snowrider]

I have used the magnetic style block heater also and thought it worked ok. But now we store with no access to power and especially in spring and fall freezing temps are a concern for us. But really just as easy to drain the block, manifolds, and as I learned earlier in the week drain the water from the transmission cooler. We have no heater or shower so lucky there in some ways. It was 20-25deg for 6-hrs Wednesday night and we used the boat today and all worked ok.

[SmoothWaterMan]

As "cheesy" as they seem, the magnetic block heaters do work. My JCB 410 backhoe did not have a block heater as sold new (obviously not in the northeast), and so for multiple winters I stuck the large magnetic heater on the side of the block and plugged it in. Started every time, unless I didn't plug it in. Then I'd have to tent the tractor and put a kerosene salamander under it for an hour to thaw it enough to start. The magnetic heaters aren't "instant" - they have to be on overnight to work.

Made me a believer.

Peter

[jimw]

I've also had good results with the magnetic block heater. It even cuts off when the temp gets above freezing.

http://www.carparts.com/OUR-BEST-UL-APPROV...36_N__10618.car

I've used drop lights in the past also but you do have to keep an eye on them.

[MadDogMike]

As "cheesy" as they seem, the magnetic block heaters do work.

Where's the best spot on the engine to stick it? After all, we're not using it to keep oil warm as intended, instead we're trying to keep water from freezing. I wonder if a pair of them might be a good idea, one on each side of the block? Even two of them are a lot cheaper than a bilge heater.

PS, my boat is near Atlanta, GA, so it's probably not as critical down here, but still want to be on the safe side.

[Argonaut]

I realize this thread is a bit old.

 

1) Can someone who uses the magnetic block heater describe or send me a photo of where they place it on the block?

2) For seattle where the boat would be outside on a lift in winter (such as it is) would the above Kat block heater plus one of the Davis 1000 dryers under the cover suffice?

Thoughts?

I plan to use the boat at least very few weeks year round ...

 

 

[Rednucleus]

I used a magnetic UL Listed block heater (got at local coop) on my Sanger (350 block) for several years; placed it down low on block near oil pan lip. Kept a thermometer on the air cleaner and always read above 55. This was in a garage that runs 35-45 in winter here in Marysville. One day went out to the garage and smelled "burned electric" smell. Lifted motor box to find failed and melting block heater - if not caught it may have led to a fire - so I would not buy that again.

There are threads here about good marine heaters - if I had my boat on a lift in W WA I would invest in a good one!

[Lajer]

I bought one of those magnetic heat magnets for oil pan or engine blocks as well. After reading the operating instructions it says not to use operate them in an area which flammable liquids vapors or fumes are present. So apparently they wouldn't be completely safe in the bilge.