How long do you plug in?

danoid · **Posted:** Tue Jan 26, 2010 10:24 am

Now that the Christmas lights are down I've moved the timer into the garage and hooked up the block heater(s) to it.

Currently the heaters kick on about 3½ hours before I leave (and turn off about an hour after I leave - if it's still plugged in I must no be going anywhere), and it cranks over like it's springtime.

Anyone else try something like this? Seems like it should save a little electricity over leaving it plugged in for 14 hours.

CHenry · **Posted:** Tue Jan 26, 2010 10:46 am

danoid wrote:

Now that the Christmas lights are down I've moved the timer into the garage and hooked up the block heater(s) to it.

Currently the heaters kick on about 3½ hours before I leave (and turn off about an hour after I leave - if it's still plugged in I must no be going anywhere), and it cranks over like it's springtime.

Anyone else try something like this? Seems like it should save a little electricity over leaving it plugged in for 14 hours.

I use a timer also because like u said, it saves elec. And a couple hours is all it takes.

ac5501 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 26, 2010 11:05 am

CHenry wrote:

danoid wrote:

Now that the Christmas lights are down I've moved the timer into the garage and hooked up the block heater(s) to it.

Currently the heaters kick on about 3½ hours before I leave (and turn off about an hour after I leave - if it's still plugged in I must no be going anywhere), and it cranks over like it's springtime.

Anyone else try something like this? Seems like it should save a little electricity over leaving it plugged in for 14 hours.

I use a timer also because like u said, it saves elec. And a couple hours is all it takes.

I'm gonna try that. My electric bill took a bit of a jump this month and I'm sure the block heater played a part in that.

Blockman · **Joined:** Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:11 pm **Posts:** 37

Plug in timer is a great idea / practice in temps above -25 c.. I was able start my crd ...just barely after a full night of being plugged. Oh yah it was - 57 c on that particular morning! You guys stateside will have no issues. I routinely have frozen motor mounts in winter.

CHenry · **Posted:** Tue Jan 26, 2010 11:42 am

Be sure to use a timer rated for 20 amps

UFO · **Posted:** Tue Jan 26, 2010 12:22 pm

CHenry wrote:

Be sure to use a timer rated for 20 amps

20A x 120V = 2400W. No way. I'd be surprised if it was as much as 1000W. My Mercedes was 400W.

CHenry · **Posted:** Tue Jan 26, 2010 12:42 pm

UFO wrote:

CHenry wrote:

Be sure to use a timer rated for 20 amps

20A x 120V = 2400W. No way. I'd be surprised if it was as much as 1000W. My Mercedes was 400W.

I don't know what that's all about...
Your heater is not 20 amps but your timer needs to be rated for 20 amps or it will melt.
Don't believe me try it but call your insurace man first.

DynoPax · **Posted:** Tue Jan 26, 2010 1:04 pm

Approximately for the same amount of time as you do... And it starts without problem :mrgreen:

Timer is a must!

UFO · **Posted:** Tue Jan 26, 2010 2:05 pm

CHenry wrote:

UFO wrote:

CHenry wrote:

Be sure to use a timer rated for 20 amps

20A x 120V = 2400W. No way. I'd be surprised if it was as much as 1000W. My Mercedes was 400W.

I don't know what that's all about...
Your heater is not 20 amps but your timer needs to be rated for 20 amps or it will melt.
Don't believe me try it but call your insurace man first.

I used a 15A one for years without melting. Relay switching of inductive loads is easy with AC voltage. DC is another subject.

CHenry · **Posted:** Tue Jan 26, 2010 3:16 pm

Come to think of it i think the timer i melted was the one I used on my Ford PSD block heater and its likely pulling more amps. :dizzy:

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Tue Jan 26, 2010 4:34 pm

I only plug in when it drops below 15 degrees F. Also, I plug in before bed and let it go all night.

This season I've thought of only plugging in for an hour or two in the morning before I leave...wonder if that would be sufficient?

UFO · **Posted:** Tue Jan 26, 2010 4:50 pm

LibertyCRD wrote:

I only plug in when it drops below 15 degrees F. Also, I plug in before bed and let it go all night.

This season I've thought of only plugging in for an hour or two in the morning before I leave...wonder if that would be sufficient?

At least two. I plugged my Mercedes in with a 3 hour time, and that was sufficient. I'm lazy now, I just plug my diesels in at night and let them heat soak.

CATCRD · **Posted:** Tue Jan 26, 2010 5:17 pm

I use a 15A timer for 2 hrs. 3 or 4 if it's really cold.

The heater is 400W and the engine temp doesn't get any higher after 3-4 hours so it's not even worth leaving it in longer.

mikey1273 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 26, 2010 5:18 pm

I got an outdoor Timer I don't know what it's rated for. I just wanted a simple one that bould be used outside and was grounded but Lowe's was sold out of the more simple ones so I got this one that is a box on a steak with Six outlets. I set it to run 3 hours before I leave for work in the morning and an hour after too. it seems to work well but I only use the heater if it gets colder than the 30's over night.

DGM635csi · **Posted:** Tue Jan 26, 2010 7:26 pm

I run my block heater from an indoor timer for 3 hours before I leave for work in the morning. The timer is rated for 15amp draw, or 1200 watt maximum with inductive resistance. I also run a thermo cube in between the extension cord and the block heater plug. The thermo cube will not turn on unless the ambient temperature is below 35° F.

warp2diesel · **Posted:** Tue Jan 26, 2010 11:04 pm

I have a Ambient Temperature Thermostatically controlled switch that turns the heater on at 0 f, that way my wife can leave her TDI plugged in when it is cold and not worry about it if I am gone.

http://www.chromalox.com/catalog/resources/DL2.pdf

Found it in the dumpster, replaced the bad micro switch, reset the thermostat, and mounted it outside the garage.

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Wed Jan 27, 2010 1:08 am

warp2diesel wrote:

I have a Ambient Temperature Thermostatically controlled switch that turns the heater on at 0 f, that way my wife can leave her TDI plugged in when it is cold and not worry about it if I am gone.

http://www.chromalox.com/catalog/resources/DL2.pdf

Found it in the dumpster, replaced the bad micro switch, reset the thermostat, and mounted it outside the garage.

Do tell, what were you looking for when you found it in the dumpster?

flman · **Posted:** Wed Jan 27, 2010 6:28 am

I haven't plugged in since the days of my Ford Navistar 7.3 naturally aspirated mechanical diesels, all the block heaters are virgin in my electronic diesels. I don't even know if the heaters work? TDI's don't even come with a block heater.

geordi · **Posted:** Wed Jan 27, 2010 1:35 pm

For the TDI crowd, or if you want to be adventurous and have a coolant heater, tdiheater.com sells FrostHeaters that are custom kits for the VW oil burners.

I've been thinking about getting one of those for the Jeep, just b/c I don't like the parasitic load of the clutch heater wasting my diesel when I have free electricity instead.

As for the time question: Wal-Mart in the garden department sells a 20-amp rated outdoor mechanical timer (no relay, its a hard switch, so it is truly rated) for like $20 or so. Probably made in China, so mentally figure it is REALLY rated for 15 amps... And you STILL are far in excess of what the 400 watt heater wants.

I set mine last winter for a 2-3 hour run time and it was just fine... Until the night I didn't use it, and had to get a new turbo the next morning.

ColoradoCRD · **Joined:** Sun Dec 10, 2006 9:25 am **Posts:** 60

The area I live frequently drops below 0 F and I don't use a garage. I have been using a timer since I bought the CRD. I typically plug in daily from November through April. The cheapest timers work fine. I never leave it plugged in all night in order to avoid big utility bills.

I have settled on preset heating cycle of 1 hr, 30 minutes. Any more I think is a waste. If I forget to plug in at night, it helps to plug in the morning if only for a brief time. 20 minutes results in a noticeable difference.

How long do you plug in?

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