Yea but wind doesn't count when we're talking temperature on something that wind doesn't have an effect on.

Also to keep it on topic, IIRC (and mine is included in this), block heaters are standard for Canadian trucks, too.

 

Block heaters are a necessity on diesels, they also do help on gas motors as far as starting but no much for instant heat. You can also use a magnetic heater on the oil pan to help warm the oil.

 

Right. Windchill is irrelevant, heats coolant, and ONLY run for 2 hours or so. Overnight is too long, wastes electricity and can cause problems.

https://www.f150forum.com/f118/block...4/#post5024996

 

2 Hours is ideal but I just do it when I go to bed since I don't get up early enough to plug it in

 

I always used block heaters living here in Maine. Kat was the brand I always bought. It was installed in the hose going from the water pump to the firewall heater core. It would heat and surge heat and surge pushing and eventually heating the coolant. If I left my heater control button set on windshield the heat overnight as the coolant would flow through would have half the windshield defrosted in the morning. I'm not sure about the factory block heater. Probley goes in the freeze plug port in the block like a tractor block heater. But 'back in the day', the Kat ones worked great.

 

As per owner's manual:


Using the Engine Block Heater
Make sure the receptacle terminals are clean and dry prior to use. Clean them with a dry cloth if necessary. The heater uses 0.4 to 1.0 kilowatt-hours of energy per hour of use. The system does not have a thermostat. It achieves maximum temperature after approximately three hours of operation. Using the heater longer than three hours does not improve system perform.


I used mine for the first time last night (-6 ambient temperature) for 3.5 hours, and it did cause the engine to reach operating temperature several miles sooner than when it normally would in the winter months. Having the engine oil warmer upon start-up to better protect the engine can't be a bad thing.

 

Many years ago, they invented a thing called a timer...

 

Ha I thought about the timer but my normal shift is starting work at 2pm. Plenty of time to plug it in 3 hours early.

 

I put a Kat block heater on my '92 F150 last year. 5.0 V8. It made a huge difference. I could start the engine and be ready to drive in under 5 minutes. Before the block heater, I'd sometimes have to idle for 20 minutes before leaving the driveway. Temps were about +20.

I also mounted an outdoor timer on a post in the garden, adjacent to the driveway. I just ran a long extension cord through the bushes. I set the timer to come on about 3 hours before I intended to leave for work. It would run for 3 hours, then shut off until the next morning.

I'll probably wish to have one in a month or so, but the 2.7 EB seems to warm up quickly enough for now.