Block Heater

[thirdroc17]

Everybody has their own personal needs, wants and situations. For me, I picked up a wireless remote activated switch for christmas lights for less than ten bucks. Mounted the receiving unit in a window that can be seen from the kitchen window. Then ran an extension cord to the tractor.

Push the button, if the light comes on, visible through the window, I'm gold, if not, the I have to delve farther. After several years now, I've never had to delve.

Then give it anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours, depending on how cold it is, how soon I get around to going out, etc. As was mentioned, the hardest part is remembering to plug it back in at the tractor when I'm done for the day.

 

[Dave_eng]

Everybody has their own personal needs, wants and situations. For me, I picked up a wireless remote activated switch for christmas lights for less than ten bucks. Mounted the receiving unit in a window that can be seen from the kitchen window. Then ran an extension cord to the tractor.

Push the button, if the light comes on, visible through the window, I'm gold, if not, the I have to delve farther. After several years now, I've never had to delve.

Then give it anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours, depending on how cold it is, how soon I get around to going out, etc. As was mentioned, the hardest part is remembering to plug it back in at the tractor when I'm done for the day.

Dale
I have several of the remote units you speak of. What I learned the hard way and which later was confirmed by the manufacturer, there is a temperature below which the electronic switch in the outdoor will not work. In the -30 to -40F temps the unit would not turn on reliably.

Regrettably, the manufacturers do not publish this information.

The component doing the ON OFF switching is not a relay but a TRIAC. (electronic component) and it cannot be triggered at very low temps.

A TRIAC (triode for alternating current; also bidirectional triode thyristor or bilateral triode thyristor) is a three terminal electronic component that conducts current in either direction when triggered.

If your unit is meeting your needs great. These products are just not the answer for everyone depending upon the temperature conditions where they live.

Dave

 

[Henro]

Dale
I have several of the remote units you speak of. What I learned the hard way and which later was confirmed by the manufacturer, there is a temperature below which the electronic switch in the outdoor will not work. In the -30 to -40F temps the unit would not turn on reliably.

Regrettably, the manufacturers do not publish this information.

The component doing the ON OFF switching is not a relay but a TRIAC. (electronic component) and it cannot be triggered at very low temps.

A TRIAC (triode for alternating current; also bidirectional triode thyristor or bilateral triode thyristor) is a three terminal electronic component that conducts current in either direction when triggered.

If your unit is meeting your needs great. These products are just not the answer for everyone depending upon the temperature conditions where they live.

Dave

Wow! No argument there...but who lives where the temperatures are often in the -30 to-40 degrees F range? Not wind chill, which does not relate to a tractor, but actually ambient temperature.

Sure some may, but my guess would be less than 1% of tractor owners...Just the thought of those extreme temperatures turns me immobile!

 

[thirdroc17]

Wow! No argument there...but who lives where the temperatures are often in the -30 to-40 degrees F range? Not wind chill, which does not relate to a tractor, but actually ambient temperature.

Sure some may, but my guess would be less than 1% of tractor owners...Just the thought of those extreme temperatures turns me immobile!

Especially inside the garage as mine is. Though I will admit, it's not a whole lot warmer inside than out some days.

As I originally stated, everyone's needs are different, that's what met mine.

My security cameras (because my neighbor is a criminal and he has stole from us) have a minimum temperature rating as well, and, so far at least, they've never went out, even at temperatures well below their rating.

 

[Dave_eng]

Wow! No argument there...but who lives where the temperatures are often in the -30 to-40 degrees F range? Not wind chill, which does not relate to a tractor, but actually ambient temperature.

Sure some may, but my guess would be less than 1% of tractor owners...Just the thought of those extreme temperatures turns me immobile!

Henro
Lots of Canada sees those temps. And I am not talking about wind chill temps.

I think your 1% is a little off.

Thunder Chicken, living in Northern Ontario, posted this photo of his tractor's dash temp display. FYI -39.5C is the same as -39.5F

Dave

 

[PoTreeBoy]

Henro
Lots of Canada sees those temps. And I am not talking about wind chill temps.

Thunder Chicken, living in Northern Ontario, posted this photo of his tractor's dash temp display. FYI -39.5C is the same as -39.5F

View attachment 54860

Places in the lower 48 states with the lowest average annual temperature
No code has to be inserted here.


Dave

Must be some tractor - 110 km/h at 2,000 RPM! Pulling your leg

 

[Crash277]

Must be some tractor - 110 km/h at 2,000 RPM! Pulling your leg

Haha. Probably meant truck but it’s still funny. -20 in the mornings is pretty common. i need a bigger garage So I can park everything inside all winter.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Simply replace the 'commercailly' rated TRIACs with 'Industrially' rated units. You may need to find a different manufacturer than what's 'inside the box', but the do exist. I've got them being controlled by a $1 PIC microcontroller doing remote energy control. While it doesn't drop below -20C too often, the boards are rated and testd for -35C....

 

[Dave_eng]

Must be some tractor - 110 km/h at 2,000 RPM! Pulling your leg

Good catch....... I was totally focused on the temp and completely missed the other

Dave

 

[Dave_eng]

Simply replace the 'commercailly' rated TRIACs with 'Industrially' rated units. You may need to find a different manufacturer than what's 'inside the box', but the do exist. I've got them being controlled by a $1 PIC microcontroller doing remote energy control. While it doesn't drop below -20C too often, the boards are rated and testd for -35C....

I realize there are solutions like the one I posted a few days ago from Gama electronics
GAMA
When I first bought the $10 style NOMA outdoor lighting controls years ago, I had no idea they would end up causing me lots of frustration.
I set two up for block heaters on our vehicles when the temp was mild enough so that you did not mind working outdoors, then when I really needed them to work, they would not switch ON.

Dave

 

[Henro]

Good catch....... I was totally focused on the temp and completely missed the other

Dave

Dave, I was not meaning to be argumentative in any way. AND I do not have anyway to know the distribution of tractor owners geographically, but my GUESS is that probably less than 1 percent do live in areas where the temperatures never fall below minus 20 degrees F.

Does not matter anyway. Point well taken that if someone is in the very low temperature area, they need to be aware that electronic devices may not perform as advertised.

 

[D2Cat]

Henro, when I put my curser on that blue/green box with an H in it it tells me your claim to be from north of pittsburgh pa. It works for everyone.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

The main problem with these 'remote control' devices is they are 'one way' , no confirmation the unit actually did what you wanted it to do. It only takes another $5 to have the 'remote' send back a signal saying 'yes power is switched on, xxx watts of energy being used'

 

[BobInSD]

Wow! No argument there...but who lives where the temperatures are often in the -30 to-40 degrees F range? Not wind chill, which does not relate to a tractor, but actually ambient temperature.

Sure some may, but my guess would be less than 1% of tractor owners...Just the thought of those extreme temperatures turns me immobile!

Henro
Lots of Canada sees those temps. And I am not talking about wind chill temps.

I think your 1% is a little off.
Dave

Quite a few of us in the lower 48 also. It's supposed to be less than -25 in Iowa this weekend. There's a bit of country and a couple of tractors in and north of Iowa. In general, it gets cooler as you go north. We haven't been below thirty below yet this year (-28 this morning) but we get it sometime most winters.

 

[Dave_eng]

Dave, I was not meaning to be argumentative in any way. AND I do not have anyway to know the distribution of tractor owners geographically, but my GUESS is that probably less than 1 percent do live in areas where the temperatures never fall below minus 20 degrees F.

Does not matter anyway. Point well taken that if someone is in the very low temperature area, they need to be aware that electronic devices may not perform as advertised.

Henro
A understood your point and did not take offense.

Sometimes, for reasons I do not understand, i need to get too technical over issues like the 1%

Dave

 

[Dave_eng]

The main problem with these 'remote control' devices is they are 'one way' , no confirmation the unit actually did what you wanted it to do. It only takes another $5 to have the 'remote' send back a signal saying 'yes power is switched on, xxx watts of energy being used'

Actually, thirdroc17 provided the solution to knowing if the circuit was turned on, a lower power light bulb connected to the same outlet..

In my case I have a bluish green led bulb that turns on with my block heater. From 300' it is clearly visible.

Dave

 

[owitiw]

Hello I use a block heater timer made by Power Badger. It wasn’t cheap but it was Roth every dollar. I have it set to have the BX2380 ready to operate for 6am and I also have it set to stay on for three hours so I can sleep in on weekends instead of getting up before 6am to blow snow. The Power Badger cycles through the Time, Outside Temperature and the Ready Time you select. I have been using it for 2 winters now and it does it’s job. My Kubota coolant is warmed up ready to start whenever I need it at 6am. I also keep it plugged in to a battery maintainer made by Battery Minder and the Kubota starts easily even on those -20 mornings.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

re:
Actually, thirdroc17 provided the solution to knowing if the circuit was turned on, a lower power light bulb connected to the same outlet..

In my case I have a bluish green led bulb that turns on with my block heater. From 300' it is clearly visible.

in the 1st case, it only shows power AT THE PLUG...... My friend's F150 was recalled las t year due to block heater failure. New one, less than a year old failed as well. NO current being drawn, though 120 at the plug.He was NOT a 'happy cmaper' when I showed him that...

In the 2nd case, the LED might be on the control side and NOT actually an indicator of the heater supplying power. Two different things.

It'd be interesting to know HOW that LED is connected, as I designed 'self indicating solid state relays' 2 decades ago. Not only was there an LED at the device, a signal was sent to the 'host' to confirm actual power was being used.

 

[BX'r]

While it may tell you that you have power going to the outlet it doesn't tell you if the block heater is functioning. You will want an ammeter for that wired into the system.
Your friend is lucky, I replaced one that was in use two seasons only to have it fail again after two seasons.
Does anyone know where the proper location for the block heater is, at the end or the side of the block in a bx?
My block heaters were installed in the cap sealing port and I'm wondering if that's the reason they don't last?

 

[Dave_eng]

re:
Actually, thirdroc17 provided the solution to knowing if the circuit was turned on, a lower power light bulb connected to the same outlet..

In my case I have a bluish green led bulb that turns on with my block heater. From 300' it is clearly visible.

in the 1st case, it only shows power AT THE PLUG...... My friend's F150 was recalled las t year due to block heater failure. New one, less than a year old failed as well. NO current being drawn, though 120 at the plug.He was NOT a 'happy cmaper' when I showed him that...

In the 2nd case, the LED might be on the control side and NOT actually an indicator of the heater supplying power. Two different things.

It'd be interesting to know HOW that LED is connected, as I designed 'self indicating solid state relays' 2 decades ago. Not only was there an LED at the device, a signal was sent to the 'host' to confirm actual power was being used.

What I do from time to time is to use my whole house power monitor to see what is happening. It is made by Efergy and shows KW's to 3 decimal points. i can easily see the 400 watt block heater turn on. I have found block heaters I have used to be among the most reliable stuff I own.

I understand and have experience with the high tech. In my working life I had 120 buildings spread out over a wide area controlled by digital control systems all interconnected by the internet. Keeping those systems operating so that the readings they sent out were actually correct and equipment, claimed by the system to be operating, actually was in operation, required a full time crew of about 10 people supplemented by companies like Johnson Controls' experts.

In my retired personal life I did not want to continue with the high tech solutions.

Everyone's situations are different and their solutions will reflect their lifestyle and skills.

Dave