1st single digit temps° Got to 9° last night, 11° now That's down right cold, Gonna have to bundle up tonight taking the G-daughter "trick-or-treating" Camp Fire at the wood splitting area for sure. I keep the splitter in the garage, 45°, start it, tow it to the wood stack, let it run just above idle for about 10 min to warm up the oil. When done splitting for the day, it goes back inside. Cold oil could damage engine, seal & pump. Time to start plugging in the vehicles engine heaters .
My car gets plugged in below 30. Is it necessary, nope, but plugging it is makes a 25mile difference in my mileage per tank. Two tanks a week makes for $6 difference. Keep the car plugged in all week cost is about $2. Side benefits include reduced wear, and heat is on immediately
Must have cheap power. If plugged in for 10hrs a day would be about $40 a month here. I don't plug in till under -10*. I do have a tank heater for the hydraulics on my processor I need to install. Plan is to turn it on an hr or so before cutting. Only have had fuel gel twice, once was because of some biodiesel and summer fuel in the tank and the other time because it was close to -50* Probably less wear but my pickup has almost 300k and still is going fine.
Your temperature reading is not too scary (get the pun?), but the humidity reading chills me just looking at it
Guess I should have clarified, I have it plugged in whenever I'm at home, but it is on a timer that only runs for a couple of hrs in the morning, I can also turn on for 2 hrs by flipping a switch for evenings or weekends. I have the car parked in a garage so it only takes 1-2 hrs to get up to max temp. Our electrical costs are similar.
Curious can you modify a gas engine to use a block heater? I may do that this year.... Cold mode on a car really drinks gas until it warms up.
Idrive a Saab 9-2x wich is really a subaru WRX. The block heater is a coolant heater that replaces a freeze plug on the driver side front of my block. Looks like electric water heater element. Took 2hrs to install as I had to drain the coolant. What do you drive. If you want we can meet at my parents place and use their heated shop to install yours. Near M13 and M57. They usually cost 15-35 dollars, and come with the plug.
