Fuel Heater in Racor245

nalu · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 11:54 pm

Should I be using the heater in my Racor or should I just unplug it. I live in Chattanooga, TN. not the arctic, although it gets below freezing in the winter and I run B20 most of the time.

CATCRD · **Posted:** Fri Dec 03, 2010 4:20 pm

If you use B20 I would definitely leave it plugged in when temps get near freezing or below.

dkenny · **Posted:** Fri Dec 03, 2010 5:17 pm

that depends..
do you have a lift pump?
do you park in a garage at night..might be warmer than outside temps..
do you park for long periods of time outside when its cold?
do you need this for EMS type work? then run diesel when its cold..
do have several jars of blends you might be running to check if its frozen?

the inline heater might help with the fuel if it flows..but if it flows then you might not need to heat it..if it gels you're not going anywhere anyway..not trying to be harsh..its a reality that my wife an I also live with. also we're on the other side of the mountains down in NC near Raleigh so I would guess temps might run the same. Most of last winter we managed using everything above B25.

-dkenny

CATCRD · **Posted:** Fri Dec 03, 2010 5:43 pm

Is there a problem with the Racor heater that makes you want to unplug it? I don't see why you don't just leave it plugged in. Don't like using the amps?

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Fri Dec 03, 2010 9:37 pm

CATCRD wrote:

Is there a problem with the Racor heater that makes you want to unplug it? I don't see why you don't just leave it plugged in. Don't like using the amps?

x2

Why do you want to unplug it?
The stock units were unplugged because they had air leaks and caused problems.
the 'heater' on these really doesn't use any power unless it's cold - and that's when you
need it on.

dgeist · **Posted:** Fri Dec 03, 2010 10:03 pm

I'm in Georgia and I've only ever had an winter gel issue with B100 (yes, my own dumb fault), but I learned a lot about UN-gelling the system. The problem with the fuel head heaters is that most of them only are working if the fuel is circulating (i.e. it can go bad if you're sitting overnight). Some of the models (i.e. the Stanadyne unit that fits down the middle) warm the whole head, but I think the Racor is a bowl mount.

I'd make sure the block heater is plugged in, first, then leave the fuel heater in, carry a spare filter, a pot of warm water, and a bottle of fuelservice around with you... or you could just switch to ULSD when the temps are freezing

Dan

nalu · **Posted:** Sat Dec 04, 2010 2:58 pm

Thanks for the replies! I was having an air leak problem where the primer screws down to the fuel head. If I take a pair of pliers and tighten the heck out of it, it seems not to leak. I have rebuilt the head once b/c of this and it came back. I tracked the leak down with a Cummins lift pump that I only hooked up to see if I could find the leak if I pressurized the lines. Bubbles came out of the primer like before. I have a Kennedy coming next week. I don't use the Cummins as a lift pump normally b/c it puts out 15 psi. Good for tracking down a leak though.
All of this got me to thinking that I might be boiling the fuel or something with the heater plugged up unnecessarily.
I do park in a garage.
I have burned higher blends of bio here in the winter and haven't had any troubles.
I have burned mostly B20 from a local station for 100,000 miles without a hiccup.
Other than that, I have no reason to unplug the heater. When I bought the Racor245 from a local diesel shop, they were the ones that asked me if I was going to the arctic when I ordered the heater as well. Just made me curious. I trust you guys more. Thanks for the advice!

audiboy86 · **Posted:** Sat Dec 04, 2010 4:46 pm

The Fuel Heaters in the Racor units draw such a low current that they really aren't even noticable to our alternators. I also believe that the stock heaters actually had a higher current draw. So i would plug it in mine stay plugged in at all times and i live in South Carolina. The lowest i have seen in the past 5 years was the low teens. So plug it in and be safe can't say i have ever enjoyed degelling a fuel system. Got tired of having to do it when we did some Utility work in the moutains last year and the works couldnt understand to leave the equipment running.

dkenny · **Posted:** Sat Dec 04, 2010 5:27 pm

the racor unit I got, didn't have a heater..it could have, but I choose not to install one.
if the blend of fuel that we run gels the filter heater won't help.the block heater will help keep the engine warm..but there is nothing warming the fuel lines from the tank and nothing warming the tank. so why heat the filter? its not a right or wrong its were we live. the lowest temps we normally see are the upper teens..well above the gel point of #1 diesel.

as the engine runs it warms the fuel anyway.

what's wrong with 15psi..it feeds a gear pump. and what's use on the '03 common rail Cummins? a lift pump. not sure which one..I think they put them in the tank.. now if you thinking about using one from a 24v Cummins..please rethink..these are not well know for reliability.

-dkenny

Joe Romas · **Posted:** Sat Dec 04, 2010 6:10 pm

I've understood that as the fuel starts to jell it stops up the filter :juggle:

So leaving the fuel heater plugged in keeps the filter warm and fuel flowing through it :SOMBRERO:

VW runs the return fuel through a "T" mounted on top of the filter. Below a certain temperature warmed fuel goes back into the filter instead of the tank :BANANA:

Fuel Heater in Racor245

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