Well, no...it'll just use LOTS of power...

That's basically like leaving a small air conditioner go full blast all night.

 

If you use a timer, make sure you use a heavy duty 15 Amp+ Unit.

You take a risk of a fire with those wimpy 'Christmas Timers'

I bought one of these at a local surplus store for $20 and hard wired it into a seperate circuit within 10" of the front of where I park my truck. Then made up a dedicated 2 gang outlet for it. And a 15' 12-3 extension cord. Works like a charm, and I feel comfortable if I need to plug in both trucks.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/6GA86

Here's a good, inexpensive unit designed for outdoor use.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/1XC71

 

just damage to your wallet. I read somewhere it take 3 hours to propely warm up the engine. like others said just make sure your timer is rated for 15 amp & at least 1200 watts.

 

how warm does the engine get? Is there an easy way to tell?

 

In 3 hrs, mine gets warm to the touch. I'd guess it's close to 100 degrees coolant temp??

 

If I leave mine plugges in for a day it will reach about 112. However, once you start the engine it goes below 100.

 

Not true. It's a resistive load, if the voltage goes lower, the current goes lower.

If a 50 foot 14 gauge wire will work, so will a 100 foot or more 14 gauge wire, you'll just lose more power in the cord, and end up with less power in the heater itself. I actually use a 25-foot 16 gauge cord with mine, every day, without any issues. I'm not necessarily endorsing that, just sayin'.

What is really critical is the quality of the connections at both ends of the cord. You can tolerate some loss in the wire itself, because that heat is distributed over the length of the cord, and doesn't amount to much temperature rise. But, if you have crappy connectors on either end, they will heat up, and that can be dangerous.

My 16 gauge cord apparently has pretty good connectors on it, because after running the heater all night, the ends are just slightly warm to the touch. Barely perceptible.

 

here is my block heater and oil pan heater set up.

http://www.dieseltruckresource.com/d...09#post1938309

 

Amazon has some fairly decent prices on the 10/3 50 footers.

Link: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_hi/103-3600368-7973403?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=10%2F3+extension+cord

Richard

 

That's an interesting setup. Did you drill the bumper? How did you couple the block heater cord with the receptacle? Does the spring-loaded receptacle cover keep the road crud out or do you have to clean out the receptacle once in awhile?

 

use a hole saw to drill the holes in the bumper- i replaced the factory block heater cord with a big rig one, ( a guy on the dodge site cross reference the block heater cord) that had the same type of plug on the engine side, but had a bigger plug on the other end. that end fits inside the chrome housing. the lid keeps 99% of debris out.

 

dodgeny, where'd you get those receptacle covers from? That's a good idea!

 

genosgarage.com for the plug on the right-which is hard plastic with a rubber cover. the one on the right is all metal (chrome) i got that one from a big rig shop-cummins-kenworth shop

 

You can find the plug covers at any truck supply store or truck stop. Most tractor's have them mounted near the drivers door for there block heater. I put mine under the drivers door above the step there is a small weld seam under there and rerouted the cord. Mounted it to that seam so when i get in my truck you see the cord and puting it there it is protected from road splash and you cant see it. I have seen them mounted on the back bumber like a trailer hitch wiring on the outher side.

I used a Marinco AC Plug at a marine store it cose me $19.99

 

For block heaters, cables for the heaters, and pan heaters, the OEM supplier is Zerostart by Phillips and Temro. Their application catalog is Zerostart Catalog.
There are several plug options in the catalog, as well as cord options. Look below the applications listing. Most auto parts stores can order from Phillips and Temro (Zerostart) if you have the part number from the catalog.

For the OP, the Ford OEM heaters are 1000w, though you can get a 1500w. Wattage is voltage x amperage. This means you need to have an extension cord capable of (1000w/120v) or 8.3A. If you get the 1500w heater, it's (1500w/120v) or 12.5A. The 1500w cordage required (from an electricians standpoint) is 12 gauge/3 wire if over 50ft cord length, 14 gauge /3 wire under 50ft. Get the 12/3, you can use it more.