Engine Block Heaters: Does A Diesel Engine Need A Block Heater?

Have you ever imagined living in this modern world without cars? It is challenging.

During the olden days, people have built boats out of logs or rode animals as their mode of transportation. Years later, inventors have started developing a much more efficient way of traveling. Today, the carriage has been made easier.

Numerous car companies have popped out throughout the time and started selling many car options-- from the small ones to family vans and even big trucks. With all these different varieties, there are several essential things you need to remember, and knowing the parts of your car and how to take care of it are just some of those things.

Suppose you are a car owner, whether, for personal use, public transport, or deliveries, you should know how to properly maintain your truck if you want to ensure its longevity. Your car’s engine can be sensitive, especially if you drive in a country where the temperature could drop to a temperature of negative degrees Celsius during wintertime. If that’s the case, you might have heard about needing to plug in your vehicle’s block heater to ensure its smooth start. But first of all, what does an engine block heater do?

See here the compatible engine block heaters

What is a Block Heater, and what does it do?

A block heater is a device used during cold climates to ensure your engine will start smoothly. Its primary purpose is to warm up your vehicle’s engine before starting. An engine block heater is usually used for cars, but it can also be used in aircraft engines.

When you start your car engine, the oil will move through the engine block to lubricate the moving parts. This process allows your vehicle to run smoothly. However, during wintertime, where the temperature could go as low as -20° C or sometimes even lower, the oil thickens up, which makes it gooey. This will prevent the oil from moving through your vehicle’s engine, which causes the machine to work harder and may cause undue wear. This will eventually result in using more fuel and producing much more emissions.

The engine block heater keeps your vehicle’s engine block at an ideal temperature to keep the oil thin so it can quickly move around where it’s supposed to go.

When should you plug in your block heater, and how long should you use it?

In using a block heater, the temperature is the most important thing you should consider. This will determine when and how long you should use your block heater.

Newer models of vehicles can start at temperatures as low as -22°F. One official rule of thumb is to plug in your block heater if the temperature drops to 5°F. But to be safer and to ensure a better running engine, it is better to plug it in when the temperatures are below 15 degrees.

As for the length of time to use an engine block heater, anywhere between two to four hours is the recommended time. Again, this would also depend on how low the temperature is. Plugging it in for more than four hours is just going to be a waste of electricity, but it will not harm your vehicle. You could use an electrical plug timer that will activate the block heater plug at certain times. This saves you time and money.

Different Types of Engine Block Heaters

Engine block heaters have different types. Some engine block heaters are used on the exterior block, while the others are incorporated right into the engine. Some variety heats the fluids, and some heat the chunk entirely. Here are just some of the different types of heat blockers.

1.Freeze Plug Heater

This type of block heater is the most common out there. This block heater has two components: the heating element installed in the port of the engine block and a block heater cord. Typically, the heating element of this block heater is already installed in your car beforehand, especially in countries that experience cold climates. All you need to purchase is the cord.

The heating element will heat the coolant in the engine, and the cord will supply the power. From the name itself, Freeze Plug Heater, this type of engine block heater will require being plugged in. One end of the cord should be plugged into the heating element to use it, while the other end should be plugged into an electrical outlet.

To know if your Freeze Plug Heater is working well, all you have to do is to check if the cord is not damaged. To inspect this, you need a block heater tester. This tester will let you know if your block heater has power and if the block heater is drawing power from the outlet. You can also try listening as you plug it in. An undamaged block heater would sound like a water boiling and sometimes even pinging from the metal starting to expand.

2.Block Heater with Circulating Pump

Unlike the freeze plug heater, this block heater with a circulating pump is an external tank heater. This block heater connects to both your heater core hose and engine block drain. This is how this kind of blocker heater heats your coolant system. The heated coolant will then push the cold coolant through the engine block, to the heater core, to the radiator, and then finally thermosiphons it back to the heater. This process will keep the coolant at an ideal temperature and will allow the heat to stay. The preheated coolant system will permit you to start your engine smoothly without worrying about frozen hoses.

3.Magnetic Engine Block Heater

This type of engine block heater is not the most recommended one, but it can still save you if you don’t have the block heater heating element installed and your car won’t start; this can provide you with a solution. All you have to do is attach it to the oil pan, intake manifold, or in the block heater heating element of your vehicle.

This block heater is more recommended for pipes and smaller engines like snowblowers, chainsaws, snowmobiles, and the likes.

To conclude, if you need an engine block heater, the answer is yes. You will need this more, especially if you live in a country that has winter weather. Engine block heaters won’t only keep your vehicle’s oil thin and running smoothly but can also be a tremendous aid in keeping your car’s engine in great shape.

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