How Does a Diesel Engine Block Heater Work?
Location Normally, block heaters are installed in one of the factory freeze-plug locations. This allows them to most effectively heat both the coolant and the oil at the same time. They run off normal house 110V AC outlets, and many times the plug for the block heater can be seen hanging out of the grille. These heaters are popular in the Midwest, where winter temperatures regularly dip low enough to freeze the fluids in a vehicle’s engine. It is recommended to have a qualified shop install your block heater, but if you’re an experienced do-it-yourselfer who knows your way around an engine compartment, you shouldn’t run into too many problems. Time Frame Typically, people plug their engine block heaters in before bed and let them run until the morning, when they have to start the vehicles again. Studies have shown, however, that four hours of block-heating time is optimal and very little good is done after that point. Therefore, you can conserve power and save money by not having your
