Engine oil heater - which electrical connectors to use?

[dmjw01]

I'm pondering fitting an engine oil heater to the sump on my '99 Chimaera 450, after reading a thread somewhere on P/H about these. It's a stick-on heater pad that attaches to the underside of the sump.

The one I'm looking at is the 250W 240V model, which should be suitable for a sump of 6 litres or more. If I understand the web site correctly this is supplied without any electrical connector.

So... my plan is to run the cable forward from the sump, cable-tying it to chassis members and terminating at a suitable connector which I'd try to hide somewhere just inside the front grille. I'd be aiming for it to be out of sight, but easily accessible so that I can plug it into a long mains cable that would go into the house. (I'd probably also use an electronic timer so that I can set it to come on a couple of hours before I drive to work, on the occasions when the roads are clean and dry enough.)

My question is: Which electrical connectors would be suitable?

My initial thoughts are to wire an IEC C14 plug onto the heater, and attach a C13 socket to the end of the long mains cable. These are the same plug/socket combinations you get on a PC, and similar to what you have on a kettle. I think they're rated at 240V 10 Amps. I'd use silicone sealant to make the wiring weatherproof.

Do you reckon this would work, or can anyone think of a better alternative?

I've just had an email reply from engineheaters.co.uk confirming that there's no plug supplied, but they're unable to advise on a suitable connector apart from trying a Land Rover dealer to see what they can supply.

Any thoughts gratefully received!

[Hedgehopper]

I personally wouldn't fancy handling a 240v socket that had been out in a 70mph spray after an hour or so on the motorway. I know the 12v connectors all get wet, but they won't kill you. Why not just put it under the bonnet?

[Barkychoc]

Personally I'd rather have this

http://www.kenlowe.com/pre-heaters/cars/index.html

[roysum]

Why don't you just place a short tubular heater (thermo tube) under the sump ?

[ralphy12345]

Barkychoc said:

Personally I'd rather have this

http://www.kenlowe.com/pre-heaters/cars/index.html

I had one of those on a diesel Discovery and what a beneficial item it was: getting into a warm cabin, easier starting, screen de-misted in no time,..... And an extra benefit was that I left home at the same time each morning, so I ran the supply through a timer that switched it on 20 mins before I walked out to the car!

R

[SILICONE KID]

What is the purpose of these heaters.

[Alexdaredevilz]

SILICONE KID said:

What is the purpose of these heaters.

No point, just some people have more money than sense, and think the have a F1 engine

[Barkychoc]

SILICONE KID said:

What is the purpose of these heaters.

Tempting though it is to say heat Daz, if you use a timer you can get into a nice warm car (or van!) without having to run the engine.

Here's another option

http://www.parkingheater.co.uk/products/parking-he...

[Ribol]

SILICONE KID said:

What is the purpose of these heaters.

Reduce warm up time and engine wear, more useful on diesel than petrol engines.

[SILICONE KID]

Where do you put the heater?

[miniman]

Barkychoc said:

SILICONE KID said:

What is the purpose of these heaters.

Tempting though it is to say heat Daz, if you use a timer you can get into a nice warm car (or van!) without having to run the engine.

Here's another option

http://www.parkingheater.co.uk/products/parking-he...

This isn't what the OP ask about though. He's talking about heating the sump to bring the oil up to temp before starting. Not bringing the water up to temp.

[phillpot]

There are a wide array of suitable plugs and sockets available that will handle such a small amperage but biggest problem I think will be water and muck getting into the plug that will be in/on the car somewhere.

Maplins may do something with a waterproof cover or there must be something in the RS components (online) catalogue ?

[dmjw01]

Many thanks for all the replies so far - much appreciated!

The benefits of engine pre-heating are numerous, and not just on exotic engines. In approximate order of importance to me, they include:

• Kindness to the engine
• Enjoying the full performance of the engine sooner in my journey
• Saving money through improved fuel economy
• Cabin warms up more quickly
• Better for the environment
• Easier starting

Here's the original thread on the stick-on heater pad I'm looking at, which has a picture showing some kind of connector hidden behind the front grille, but I don't recognise the connector:
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

Water and dirt are an issue, hence I was hoping someone would know of a purpose-made weatherproof connector designed for the job. If I have to use the kettle-style connectors, then I'd buy an extra plug to fit onto the socket while it's not in use - I could seal up the plug with silicone sealant to keep muck out. This wouldn't be completely watertight, but it would probably do. And obviously, it makes sense to plug/unplug it when the power is switched off.

I've considered the more elaborate Kenlowe system that plumbs into the cooling system and pumps heated water around the engine, but that looks a lot more expensive, and much more effort to install. It also won't heat the oil in the sump, because that's the lowest point in the engine. I'd also be slightly concerned about plumbing something into the cooling system that TVR / LandRover didn't envisage in their original design - it would be hard to know what effect it might have on water circulation when the engine's running.

The stick-on heater pad has the advantage of being fairly cheap (about £50-60), and very non-invasive.

So... my question is still open: If anyone knows of a compact, weatherproof connector that can take mains voltage (but fairly low current - 250W is probably only an Amp or two), then I'm all ears!

__
David

Edited by dmjw01 on Wednesday 1st December 07:47

[blueg33]

You can get waterproof mains connectors from any store that sells pond acessories, some of thes have screw on caps that you could use when disconnected.

Another alternative would be to look for marine mains connectors as ussed on yachts for connecting to mains supplies in marinas.

[BrianMillar]

Why not consider routing the cable into the cabin, then you don't need a waterproof connector.

[dmjw01]

Pond accessories and marine/yachting - those are great ideas that will help take my Googling in new directions. Thanks!

The only other idea I've had is caravan mains connectors, but they're quite big.

The reason I'd like to have a connector accessible from the front grille is because my car lives outdoors under an all-weather cover. I'd prefer not to have to remove the cover to gain access to the cabin, which also excludes putting the connector under the bonnet. If I can hide it behind the number plate, or maybe up next to the air filter, that would mean I only have to lift the cover up a little bit to plug the heater in.

__
David

Edited by dmjw01 on Wednesday 1st December 10:54

[sgrimshaw]

loads of stuff here

http://klassicvwkampers.co.uk/Electrical

[sgrimshaw]

Quinny said:

Anyone would think we all lived in Siberia

Today it feels like we do

[dmjw01]

Quinny said:

You read that off the packet didn't you

Ummm... no.

[SILICONE KID]

I have ceramic tiles in my garage so i put electric under floor heating in the area where the car is parked keeping the underneath nice and warm...Keep it on low ,it does not heat the garage because its just a concrete type but its going to be insulated next year..The de humidifier is a waste of time in this cold weather..