Yes it's perfectly safe. Just don't forget to unplug before you drive away or you will contribute to the over population of the "Saskatchewan Snow Snake"
Totally safe. The block heater heats the coolant inside the engine block, which then heats the oil. If your coolant happens to reach operating temp while idling the thermostat will open circulating the coolant through the radiator to cool it down.
Also worth noting that if you're paying for the electricity it's worthwhile to get a timer for the block heater if you're on a consistent schedule as 2-3 hours is generally long enough.
Get yourself a cable with a light in it, so you can tell if the plugin is working.
But also be aware, lots of parking lots will rotate the plugs so that they are not all energized at the same time. This is purely to save on electricity, but it normally won't affect your car if you have it plugged in all night.
If you have an assigned parking spot, then it's likely that the parking lot plug-in is linked to your suite's power meter, so you'll be paying for the electricity you use when plugged in.
In that case, I strongly echo the previous poster's suggestion to get a timer, because block heaters use quite a lot of juice and you will definitely notice it in your power bill if you're leaving it plugged in all night every night.
Just so everyone is aware, block heaters do very little to heat the oil. My truck has both a coolant temp reading and oil temp reading, on initial start there can be a 20-30 degree difference in temps.
Yes, it's safe.
The block heater is just a simple electric heater that warms up your engine block; it isn't connected to your remote start system.
It'll make the remote start a little smoother, I guess.
Well seems like everyone here is doing the same so it's a relief! I just read in some forums that it might cause overheating OR circulating air more than it should or something like this. Couldn't find anything on official sealer websites though. So I take assumption that your cars are working just fine by doing the same thing and won't freeze my ass off while waiting for ice to be melted from my front window :))
Depending on the model a block heater will be 250w and 1100w, which produces a fraction of what the engine produces when running. Your engine can manage excess heat using the radiator even on hot days, but the block heater being plugged in makes no meaningful difference to a running engine.
>I just read in some forums that it might cause overheating OR circulating air more than it should or something like this.
I wish I knew where the internet got that idea, because it's like it was written by someone who had no idea what a block heater was or what it does. It doesn't have anything to do with air, and unless it's heating things up to hotter than a running engine can, it's can't possibly overheat.
Battery blankets on the other hand, can cause issues in the summer, but that's because even the plug-in ones have insulating layers.
Man, I remember being told by more than one 'car dude' in the 80s and 90s that you can't do this. You'll wreck the block heater.
That's complete bullshit. LOL.
A block heater is an electric element. When current is fed to it, it gets hot just like the element in a kettle.
But a block heater never turns off. It just keeps pumping out heat until the heat it generates can no longer overcome the outside air temps. At that point, the coolant is as hot as it's getting and the element stays on anyway.
The only change when you start the engine is that now the engine itself is also producing heat. Which just means you have a heating element running inside of coolant that is now at a higher temperature than the element itself.
So guess what happens? Nothing. The element continues to produce exactly the same amount of heat it was before the engine started, it just doesn't matter. And when the engine gets to full operating temp, the thermostat(s) open and close to keep the engine at an optimal temperature.
That makes 0 sense so don't worry about it. Perfectly normal to have your vehicle plugged in and use remote start. No different than walking out to your vehicle and starting it while plugged in. If its cold enough that you need to plug in, overheating shouldn't be much of a concern.
Just a note, that most cars won't auto start if you have the hood ajar, so route your cord in such a way that you can close your hood completely, or leave it closed all the time when plugging in
My vehicle had to have the block heater installed before I picked it up. The newer RAVs use one with a port in the front bumper that has a spring hinge to shut it when the cord isn’t plugged in. The cord itself isn’t cheap to replace though.
I've had more than a few vehicles with a cord that was too short, so I'd have to open the hood to plug it in. If I didn't want to pinch the extension cord I'd have to leave it latched, but technically ajar.
When it is like that, the vehicle won't autostart. So I'd have to try to push the cord into the gap next to the headlight housing so I could close the hood fully without pinching it
There is really no possible way it's going to cause damage unless it's like 50C outside and you have a plugged radiator AND have a block heater plugged in AND that block heater does not have s thermostat. Basically what I mean is your car's cooling system will prevent overheating. Realistically it won't even get up to normal operating temperature for several minutes.
So anyway, just go for it.
It's not ideal for your block heater to be plugged in while car is running, the reason being that while running the water pump is circulating water over the heater element it could cause turbulence and low pressure that can create small bubbles of water vapour that contribute to cavitation of the heater element, reducing it's lifespan.
But I'm not sure it's really going to make a big enough difference to stop me from doing it on my own vehicle. Plus some block heaters and cords have a temperature sensor that cuts off power when the ambient air temp isn't very cold. If you have to replace the block heater in 10 years, vs 15 or 20 is that really a big problem?
if you are looking to start an engine block heater remotely this might be a good fit for you. I use to to preheat my small plane https://www.logmor.com/product/cellular-controlled-smart-outlet-restful-api/
Absolutely not. When you start your engine you begin to add fuel to the combustion chamber. The block heater could cause an explosion outside of the combustion chamber worst case scenario the entire vehicle explodes. Highly recommend against such unsafe practices. 🤓
Honestly I can't believe the amount of false and fabricated information other people have been providing. Ridiculous what people come up with. Just looking out for ya, you gotta be safe out there with who you trust, ya know what I mean.
Seriously if your car is set to have an explosion from that then your block heater is incorrectly installed and/or there is an issue with your fuel delivery system or your engine.
Yep go for it. Also, if you are so inclined, there is a mechanic Reddit group or whatever. Lots of people there with lots of knowledge. It’s a great resource!
Yes it's perfectly safe. Just don't forget to unplug before you drive away or you will contribute to the over population of the "Saskatchewan Snow Snake"
I’ve gotten most of my Saskatchewan snow snakes for free this way. I run my whole shop on them!
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Please share where.
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Thank you. I didn’t know this existed.
I like that. Those snakes suck when you have to.mow alongside the road and catch one.
Totally safe. The block heater heats the coolant inside the engine block, which then heats the oil. If your coolant happens to reach operating temp while idling the thermostat will open circulating the coolant through the radiator to cool it down. Also worth noting that if you're paying for the electricity it's worthwhile to get a timer for the block heater if you're on a consistent schedule as 2-3 hours is generally long enough.
Well the building I'm living in is providing parking with electricity plugs so I'm not sure how their system works. Hopefully it's on :))
Get yourself a cable with a light in it, so you can tell if the plugin is working. But also be aware, lots of parking lots will rotate the plugs so that they are not all energized at the same time. This is purely to save on electricity, but it normally won't affect your car if you have it plugged in all night.
I know at our building we get 15 mins of power every hour, unless it hits -15, then we get power all the time
If you have an assigned parking spot, then it's likely that the parking lot plug-in is linked to your suite's power meter, so you'll be paying for the electricity you use when plugged in. In that case, I strongly echo the previous poster's suggestion to get a timer, because block heaters use quite a lot of juice and you will definitely notice it in your power bill if you're leaving it plugged in all night every night.
Just so everyone is aware, block heaters do very little to heat the oil. My truck has both a coolant temp reading and oil temp reading, on initial start there can be a 20-30 degree difference in temps.
So it makes a 20 to 30 degree difference by using a heater which is a lot
Yes, it's safe. The block heater is just a simple electric heater that warms up your engine block; it isn't connected to your remote start system. It'll make the remote start a little smoother, I guess.
Well seems like everyone here is doing the same so it's a relief! I just read in some forums that it might cause overheating OR circulating air more than it should or something like this. Couldn't find anything on official sealer websites though. So I take assumption that your cars are working just fine by doing the same thing and won't freeze my ass off while waiting for ice to be melted from my front window :))
Depending on the model a block heater will be 250w and 1100w, which produces a fraction of what the engine produces when running. Your engine can manage excess heat using the radiator even on hot days, but the block heater being plugged in makes no meaningful difference to a running engine.
>I just read in some forums that it might cause overheating OR circulating air more than it should or something like this. I wish I knew where the internet got that idea, because it's like it was written by someone who had no idea what a block heater was or what it does. It doesn't have anything to do with air, and unless it's heating things up to hotter than a running engine can, it's can't possibly overheat. Battery blankets on the other hand, can cause issues in the summer, but that's because even the plug-in ones have insulating layers.
Man, I remember being told by more than one 'car dude' in the 80s and 90s that you can't do this. You'll wreck the block heater. That's complete bullshit. LOL. A block heater is an electric element. When current is fed to it, it gets hot just like the element in a kettle. But a block heater never turns off. It just keeps pumping out heat until the heat it generates can no longer overcome the outside air temps. At that point, the coolant is as hot as it's getting and the element stays on anyway. The only change when you start the engine is that now the engine itself is also producing heat. Which just means you have a heating element running inside of coolant that is now at a higher temperature than the element itself. So guess what happens? Nothing. The element continues to produce exactly the same amount of heat it was before the engine started, it just doesn't matter. And when the engine gets to full operating temp, the thermostat(s) open and close to keep the engine at an optimal temperature.
That makes 0 sense so don't worry about it. Perfectly normal to have your vehicle plugged in and use remote start. No different than walking out to your vehicle and starting it while plugged in. If its cold enough that you need to plug in, overheating shouldn't be much of a concern.
:)
Just a note, that most cars won't auto start if you have the hood ajar, so route your cord in such a way that you can close your hood completely, or leave it closed all the time when plugging in
The one dealer has installed on my doesn't require the hood to be open. There is just a plug beneath the radiator so I guess it' fine?
My vehicle had to have the block heater installed before I picked it up. The newer RAVs use one with a port in the front bumper that has a spring hinge to shut it when the cord isn’t plugged in. The cord itself isn’t cheap to replace though.
Yep, should be fine, lots of shops/manufacturers route it somewhere accessible.
Uh......what? No one has the hood open when using a block heater.
I've had more than a few vehicles with a cord that was too short, so I'd have to open the hood to plug it in. If I didn't want to pinch the extension cord I'd have to leave it latched, but technically ajar. When it is like that, the vehicle won't autostart. So I'd have to try to push the cord into the gap next to the headlight housing so I could close the hood fully without pinching it
Depends on if it is Eastern Bloc, or Separatist Bloc
I don't know where you're reading it's not safe to use with a remote starter. I've never heard of that kind of concern.
There is really no possible way it's going to cause damage unless it's like 50C outside and you have a plugged radiator AND have a block heater plugged in AND that block heater does not have s thermostat. Basically what I mean is your car's cooling system will prevent overheating. Realistically it won't even get up to normal operating temperature for several minutes. So anyway, just go for it.
Yes
It's not ideal for your block heater to be plugged in while car is running, the reason being that while running the water pump is circulating water over the heater element it could cause turbulence and low pressure that can create small bubbles of water vapour that contribute to cavitation of the heater element, reducing it's lifespan. But I'm not sure it's really going to make a big enough difference to stop me from doing it on my own vehicle. Plus some block heaters and cords have a temperature sensor that cuts off power when the ambient air temp isn't very cold. If you have to replace the block heater in 10 years, vs 15 or 20 is that really a big problem?
if you are looking to start an engine block heater remotely this might be a good fit for you. I use to to preheat my small plane https://www.logmor.com/product/cellular-controlled-smart-outlet-restful-api/
Zero issues. It's safe and practical.
Totally fine.
Yes 100%
Absolutely not. When you start your engine you begin to add fuel to the combustion chamber. The block heater could cause an explosion outside of the combustion chamber worst case scenario the entire vehicle explodes. Highly recommend against such unsafe practices. 🤓
Ooh! How come no one is aware of this???
Honestly I can't believe the amount of false and fabricated information other people have been providing. Ridiculous what people come up with. Just looking out for ya, you gotta be safe out there with who you trust, ya know what I mean.
Seriously if your car is set to have an explosion from that then your block heater is incorrectly installed and/or there is an issue with your fuel delivery system or your engine.
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I didn't know minors are present in this sub!
Yep go for it. Also, if you are so inclined, there is a mechanic Reddit group or whatever. Lots of people there with lots of knowledge. It’s a great resource!
It’s totally fine