Engine Block Heaters - 220 VAC

Engine Block Heaters - 220 VAC

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Discussion

Swiss_Toni

Original Poster:

412 posts

184 months

Sunday 24th January 2010
quotequote all
Does anyone know where I could get engine block heaters, like the one pictured, in 220VAC.

Maybe someone from a colder climate has an idea.

If not, any ideas where to look would be helpful





Edited by Swiss_Toni on Sunday 24th January 16:07


Edited by Swiss_Toni on Sunday 24th January 16:20

GTRCLIVE

4,186 posts

284 months

Sunday 24th January 2010
quotequote all
http://cgi.ebay.ca/73-95-CHEVY-CAR-TRUCK-SB-BLOCK-...

220v wont be easy to find unless its a Large Lorry block heater....

Not sure if 220v would even harm a 110v unit ? basically only a Kettle element. Perhaps one of our I=V/R friends on the forum here could elaborate ..... Just make sure that the unit above is on a 15amp fuse....

MarkWebb

983 posts

218 months

Sunday 24th January 2010
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220volts would probably blow up a 110volt unit as it would cause it to pass twice the current and produce too much heat.

Swiss_Toni

Original Poster:

412 posts

184 months

Sunday 24th January 2010
quotequote all
I agree a 110 units would just overheat and damage someting before it burnt out rather quickly!

Mind you the ebay ad has given me an idea, just ask a GM dealer!

Next question, does any one have the contact to a good parts guy at a UK GM dealer?

In any case more idea are welcome.

bluesatin

3,114 posts

273 months

Sunday 24th January 2010
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Swiss_Toni

Original Poster:

412 posts

184 months

Sunday 24th January 2010
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Do you know how much those Kenlowe's cost?

henrycrun

2,449 posts

241 months

Sunday 24th January 2010
quotequote all
was £150 last time I looked (10yrs ago ?)

Rusti Evo

537 posts

195 months

Sunday 24th January 2010
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I have the on car type being fitted. Its extra weight but we didn't fancy the dry break fittings.

http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/products/ProductDeta...

Steve_D

13,749 posts

259 months

Sunday 24th January 2010
quotequote all
The price may seem high but you have to remember the Kenlowe system is more than just a block heater. It includes a pump to circulate the water around the block and the interior heater so with the optional wiring mods not only will it warm the engine it will also defrost the car. OK so not many leave an Ultima outside in bad weather but you know what I mean.

Steve

V8Dom

3,546 posts

203 months

Monday 25th January 2010
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Rusti Evo said:
I have the on car type being fitted. Its extra weight but we didn't fancy the dry break fittings.

http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/products/ProductDeta...
wow thats cool, how long does it take to warm up the car and how much does it cost to run???
also how big is the unit fitted to the car?? or is most of the bulk what you connect outside ?

Dom

eliot

11,443 posts

255 months

Tuesday 26th January 2010
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What about a pair of 110's in series ?

spatz

1,783 posts

187 months

Tuesday 26th January 2010
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works

Rusti Evo

537 posts

195 months

Tuesday 26th January 2010
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For me the on car system is great. Low weight (5Kg?) no need to faff with the dry break couplings of an off car type (possible leaks), and just plug it in to a domestic timer set to maybe 40 minutes before departure time. Couldn't get my head round the diesel powered systems that the racers use although they are ideal when there is no mains power. Didn't bother with the cab heater obviously.

Seems the pre heater will allow the Motec'd engine to run sweetly from start up. The engine builder is big fan of pre heaters.

V8Dom

3,546 posts

203 months

Tuesday 26th January 2010
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so the block heater at the top is designed to keep the engine warm after a run until you use it next rather than heat up a car from cold, but the other block heaters are designed to heat up the coolant from cold right???

So i presume they are all designed to run with no thermostat fitted otherwise youll have stone cold water in one part of the system and hot in the other.. The normal heat up process after starting from cold is designed to circulate the water arround the engine and then at a certain temp 90 degrees or so open the thermostat which drops the engine water temp back down because it introduces all the extra water in your cold rad etc etc circulate the whole lot hot and cold before heating up the whole water systems upto operating temperature as you carry on running.

If you run this heater static, you heat up just the engine, get up the road, the therostat opens and temp drops again and you are running a fairly cool 50 degree motor again. So do the more expensive systems pump the coolant arround the whole system but get upto 90 degrees or so to allow the whole system to be hot or is it required the thermostat is removed?

Dom

Edited by V8Dom on Tuesday 26th January 22:06

Steve_D

13,749 posts

259 months

Tuesday 26th January 2010
quotequote all
V8Dom said:
so the block heater at the top is designed to keep the engine warm after a run until you use it next rather than heat up a car from cold, but the other block heaters are designed to heat up the coolant from cold right???

So i presume they are all designed to run with no thermostat fitted otherwise youll have stone cold water in one part of the system and hot in the other.. The normal heat up process after starting from cold is designed to circulate the water arround the engine and then at a certain temp 90 degrees or so open the thermostat which drops the engine water temp back down because it introduces all the extra water in your cold rad etc etc circulate the whole lot hot and cold before heating up the whole water systems upto operating temperature as you carry on running.

If you run this heater static, you heat up just the engine, get up the road, the therostat opens and temp drops again and you are running a fairly cool 50 degree motor again. So do the more expensive systems pump the coolant arround the whole system but get upto 90 degrees or so to allow the whole system to be hot or is it required the thermostat is removed?

Dom
With both types you would put it on a timer to come on a while before your journey or you just switch it on yourself in advance of departure.

The small heaters that replace a core plug are 600watt. The Kenlowe ones come as a 2 or 3 Kw.

In all cases the engine will heat through and given time so will the rad. The thermostat has a small bypass hole which will allow warm water to pass through but when the temp gets up the stat will open anyway.

An option with the Kenlowe is a small pump which will circulate the water and can be wired to also drive the heater fan which will then warm the inside of the car.

Steve

Swiss_Toni

Original Poster:

412 posts

184 months

Wednesday 27th January 2010
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I just got a price for the Kenlowe off car version and they are £400 to £600, ouch.

eliot

11,443 posts

255 months

Wednesday 27th January 2010
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Are you sure you actually need one? If the car is a daily driver and you have to start it up at 7am in the frost - then its definately useful - but if its a weekend toy, where you fall out of bed at 10am - I dont see the point.

pilbeam_mp62

955 posts

202 months

Wednesday 27th January 2010
quotequote all
From the Kenlowe information :-

"Fit a Kenlowe preheating system and save the 80% of the engine wear caused in the first few miles when the engine is cold"

Is this wear due to the water being cold or the OIL being cold ?

When I used a diesel preheater on my Cosworth DFR motor, it was because the engine had been built with such close tolerances that it simply would not turn over unless the block was warm - I think that's the main reason why racing engines need to be pre-heated.

But it was never heated beyond 60-65 degrees, before starting it, because otherwise the oil temp lagged too far behind. On that engine, it was started after 60-65 degrees of water temp had been reached, then warmed up at a constant 2500 rpm until the oil was around 70 degrees, by which time the water temp was 90+ , before the engine was used in anger.

The advice from Cosworth at the time was not to rev the motor beyond 6000 rpm unless the oil temp was at least 75 degrees (Max revs on that motor was 9500)

Regards

V8Dom

3,546 posts

203 months

Wednesday 27th January 2010
quotequote all
Swiss_Toni said:
I just got a price for the Kenlowe off car version and they are £400 to £600, ouch.
How much is the on car version??

Dom

V8Dom

3,546 posts

203 months

Wednesday 27th January 2010
quotequote all
pilbeam_mp62 said:
From the Kenlowe information :-

"Fit a Kenlowe preheating system and save the 80% of the engine wear caused in the first few miles when the engine is cold"

Is this wear due to the water being cold or the OIL being cold ?
I think this answers the questions...........

AS speed engines dont last very long without them wearing early due to being too cold....
My AS engine takes ages to warm up and I would have half the town complaining if i sat there for 5 mins warming it up with my exhausts...even when warm it runs a bit cool!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dom