Is it ok to leave it pluged in from lets say 7PM to 5AM...low 30's high 20's???

 

Won't hurt anything except your wallet.
A timer from Home Depot or Lowes is a $$$ saver.
Turn heater on 2 or 3 hrs. before you want to go.
jr

 

I leave my trucks (gas or diesel) plugged in around the clock when it gets below -25.
And a timer will cut the power used.
I usually set mine so it turns on 4 hrs before I need to leave.

 

You do not need to plug in unless temps are below 20 degrees F. The new 6.4 engine starts without even waiting for the glow plug at 30 degrees.

 

Unless 20 or below don't bother???

 

Actually you are not required to use the block heater unless it is -10 F or lower if you are using the proper oil for your winter temperatures.


If you are running for the winter 15W-40 it is recommended to use the block heater when the temps are expected to be 20 F or less.

 

the first answer wasexctly what i was goingto say,,,there is no need for it until it gets ear zero anyway if the go plugs are working. there is no " requirement "to use it ever. my 6 started at 15 below without it. long warm ups hurt a diesel more than anything. its better to drive it right off s soon as it starts. unburnt fuel whle "warming up" washes down the cylinder walls and puts raw fuel into the carnk case, not good. it far better to get the combusstion temps up to normal temps as fast as possible while driving easy.

 

Well really you should use your block heater all the time if its below 32 degrees. A warm engine wears a lot less then a cold one. If an engine never had a cold start it would last indefinitly, The most wear on an engine occurs in the first few minutes after an engine starts an gets up to operating temp. Using an engine heater can make your engine last many times longer then if its started cold.

Electricity is pretty cheap really compared to diesel fuel. It probgably costs .04 to .07 cents an hour to run a engine heater in most places. So for a whole month it would cost you if you ran it for 4 hrs about 7 or 8 bucks.

I run my heater all the time if its below 0 at night. Set the timer for 4 hours above that. These new engines are so emmission controlled anymore that a block heater can can be used means less problems for the engine an much longer engine life. So use that engine heater religiously its like putting money in the bank every time. The benefits are tremendous. Remember these engines run at 180 degrees so anything to help the heating along is a benefit.

 

Does anyone know what the wattage of the block heater is?

 

It's 1000 watts.

 

I agree with this.
I use my block heater to ease the wear on the motor when starting it up when its very cold.
At -35 the oil is thick and not moving. This is probably why engines from the southern U.S last 30% longer than Canadian motors.

 

It'll sound like a smart azz answer but just don't drive off with it plugged in!, Seen it done.

Tucked the plugs in behind the bumper to keep out of the weather, you'd be suprised how strong ext cords can be.

 

My block heater takes 7.5 amps, or about 9 cents per hour.

 

unless you want warm air when you start it up, mine isn;t warm until I drive about 7-8 miles really nice at 15 miles.

 

i use nothing but synthetic oils and lubes and the oil dosent thicken up at 10 below. i ran my big trucks for up to 1,400,000 miles and never "warmed" them up or used a block heater. if i had known, my engines could have lasted for-ever i sure would have used a block heater. i did let them warm up for a few minutes if i had to pull a steep grade with a load on . the truck had the load on, not me.