You'll need to connect it to a timer that can support I think 7.5 amps.
The heater is just the element and the cord.

It's not needed down here but would allow for heat faster. Depends on what your comfort is worth to you!

 

Well, there are two things in this world I just can't stand & both of them are cold weather........

Seriously though, I thought it might help a little, and besides the wife and I may end up going a little farther North than Jackson on occasion.

 

While I have no experience with the block heater on the 6.7 since Ford screwed me out of the $75 I gave them to have one, I do have a few observations. My 6.7 started every time last winter at 0F-10F without the least bit of hesitation. Our lows here in MD rarely get below 0F and are usually closer to 20F. The only thing that really seemed to make any different noise was the fuel pump (DFCM) and the block heater isn't going to help that.

With my 6.0, after 3-4 hours of being plugged in, the coolant temp would be around 100F when I started the truck. The block heater basically afforded me instant heat in the cab. While the block heater isn't going to heat the oil in the pan, it will put a fair amount of heat into the big chunk of iron that is the engine block as well as the heads and to some degree, the pistons. If this wasn't true, it would be pointless to have a block heater and they wouldn't assist like they do for really cold starts. It isn't much of an issue with common rail injection, but makes a huge difference on the old indirect mechanically injected engines that can't adjust injection timing, pressure and volume like a CR can. Some of our old farm tractors from the 60s and 70s won't start below 40F without the block heater. We don't use the heater to pre-heat the oil, we use it make sure the darn thing starts when we need it! The block heater seems to be not much more than a luxury on the 6.7 unless you are facing lower than -20F temps.

 

Real world experience has proven otherwise. The heat is ultimately transferred to the oil somehow. I see it on my Mini Maxx readouts. I don't recall exact figures, but I do know after not setting my timer properly once last winter, immediately at startup, my EOT AND ECT were up near or above 90 degrees. It did take about 2-3 seconds for my MM to boot up, but 90 degrees is pretty sweet.

 

Tom was probably confusing it with a battery blanket based on his current vehicle choice...

 

Luckily I don't live in Fairbanks, but if I did I would get a Battery Blanket x 2, and OIL PAN Heater, and continue to use the factory block heater. In addition, a winter front and potentially fuel line and filter supplemental heaters isn't a bad idea either. Of course it just depends on how "Arctic" you are going... -50F and driving 45 - 50 MPH and you can freeze your fuel lines and the block. You now it is bad when the grocery store has block heater plugs in the parking lot, because the 30-60 minutes you will spend shopping can cause the truck to be too cold to start.

Even for my winters in Anchorage realistically a block heater is all I am supposed to need. Unless I want to drive to Fairbanks or parts north in the winter.

BTW - better get a 10AMP timer, even though my block heater pulls 880 watts on the kill-a-watt meter, it is rated for 1000W which is closer to 10AMP. Better safe than sorry. And not sure if it is cold out is the heater pulls more juice.

 

I have a Christmas light timer that I used with the block heater. Pretty sure it is rated for 15 amps. As I recall it was only like $12-$15, but that was probably 8 or more years ago.

 

15amps sounds a lot better than 7.5amps...

Looks about right. Found this on Amazon has this one...


Not saying that is the best one or the one I might end up with - but a quick search turned it up. There was another one for $28.88 that looked more rugged.

On edit: Probably not the best since it has a light sensor on it too.... I don't see that as a major issue... I usually like to keep it simple and a light sensor is just another part to fail.

 

I believe most common household wall timers are 15amps as that's the standard amperage of a common 110v household circuit.

 

Makes sense that 110V would be either a 15Amp or 20amp... But someone mentioned 7.5AMP and wanted to make sure that if such a beast existed, it would NOT be a good choice to plug a block heater into.

 

As I said even with the -10 temps during the polar vortex last year here in virginia truck had zero issues starting. Heating the cab faster is my real concern, not so much for myself, but I have a 3 yr old and 1 yr old. I would like to have the cab comfortable for them. I don't have the supplemental heartier option so, the 100 bucks to keep the kids and wife happy works for me. I didn't think about getting that timer that's a good idea I'll add that to the purchase.

 

I should have said a timer that can support at least 7.5 amps. I didn't mean run one at capacity if such a timer existed. You're correct, 15 is common.