Plugging in at night?

[Sparky10]

One more question on plugging in my truck on cold nights.



1) Is it ok to leave it plugged in all night?



2) Is it ok to leave it plugged in for more then one day straight?



I only have access to an outside plug at my house. So if I put a timer on it, it would be exposed to the weather. Any suggestions!



Thanks ahead of time!

Scott

 

[Bigsaint]

Scott, the only thing it will hurt is the electric bill, some members here plug in all the time. If you want to use a timer, they make heavy duty outdoor timers. Cost is around $30. 00.



Scott W.

 

[Hammer]

Yes its ok to plug them in overnite on cold nights,,Not sure how cold it gets in the part of Oregon you live in but out here in eastern PA I use mine when I know its going to drop below 32 degrees,,Some guys here even use the timer deal,to me its easier to just plug it and go,they do not use that much energy to keep it warm all nite,,Now since I drive truck when I leave and its cold and going to be cold most of the week it will stay plugged from the time I leave till I get back straight,,I have done this with all of my previous trucks and this one also with no problems,,Outside receptacle,just make sure you use the proper cord and see to it the receptacle area is not going to get any weather on it while it is plugged,,Hope this helps...

 

[Bigramguy]

It will be fine to leave it plugged in all the time. The block heater (at least in my 97 truck),is only like 400 or 600 watts or so,so it doesn't draw that much,or get the engine that hot. I find if I plug it in cold,it barely warms the truck up by morning. If I plug it in when the truck is hot,it will keep the coolant much warmer,as it only has to maintain that temp.



My chevy 350 has a 1500 watt block heater and it will warm the coolant up in less than 2 hours to where you get heat almost instantly,so I put it on a timer.



Does anyone know of a better block heater for the cummins that uses the stock location ? All the larger ones I have seen are for frost plug holes.

 

[Sparky10]

Thanks a lot for the help. Just wanted to make sure that I didn't hurt anything. Just moved up here last year from Arizona and still getting used to the cold weather tips.



It is just great to be here and not in Arizona any longer!



Thanks again guys!

Scott

 

[almitchell]

I have a timer on mine that comes on 3 hours before I leave in the mornings. I plug mine in everynight that the temperature is going to be in the 50's or lower. Figure there is less wear and tear if it is already partially heated, and it also helps get the heater blowing hot air inside quicker. I leave the end of the plug sticking out of the front so I don't even have to raise the hood. Have to get in the habit of unplugging it as I walk by every morning, of course.

 

[The patriot]

When I'm at work, it's plugged in the whole 12 hr shift.

I dont have a timer at home, so it's plugged in a lot here too. Cant hurt it.

Eric

 

[rob10858]

alot of times, especially this time of year, we travel into the ski country of nc,va, and wva. i know its best for the truck to plug in on cold nights, but most hotels dont offer the luxury of plugging in. i've never had any problems with cold starts with any of our new and old ctd's, now the powerstrokes, that's a different story.....

 

[Darel]

I used one of those stock tank thermostat plugs, worked great until some worthless POS walked off with it.

Darel

 

[Sky]

plugging your truck in, if it hits 50's? That shorts and tshirt weather. My truck has seen many 10-15 degree nights with out plugging it in and it fires right up everytime.

 

[Sparky10]

WOW, 50 degrees

I agree Sky, when it's 50 degrees I am turning on the A/C not the heater



If thats cold, come on up here and we'll show you a chilly night!



Sparky

 

[KMeek]

Zero degrees here tonight. I plug mine in every cold night (below 40 degree outside) on a timer that clicks on at about 5:30 in the morning. I can gaurantee you that you will get better mileage in the morning after it has been plugged in. I have a 3 mile trip to work and the heater is usually pumping out some pretty good heat by the time I get there except on the really cold mornings.

 

[radixr]

Ideally, your engine should be at operating temperature when it is started. I plug mine in no matter what the outside temperature is. Oo.

 

[JohnE]

Lots of factors to consider when the mean temperature drops.



Friction takes an upward leap at around 40° F.

Batteries start loosing signifiant cranking amperage and reserve once you hit 32° F. CC is measured at 32° and CCA is at 0°.

Engine oil is also on the termperature curve. 15W-40 means a 15 weight at 0° F

Cummins deisgned the intake air heaters to come on if manifold temperature is below 60°?

This is a compression ignition engine. It fires the fuel by heat of compressing the air not a spark plug. If the intake air heaters did not function the engine will probably not start at temps below 32° F. I know of many diesels that will not start without pre-heat in 70° F temperatures.



What does this mean?

IMHO, plug it in when overnight temperatures go into the 30's or use the ESPAR.



-John