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It's going to be around 20 tonight and I thought I might plug the block heater in for the first time. Is it bad to plug it in right before I go to bed and then unplug right before I start it up? It would be plugged in about 9 hrs. total. I don't have a timer to start it early in the morning and I ain't getting up at 3 or 4 in the morning out of the warm bed! Are there any hazards plugging it this long?
Why not connect an extension cord to the truck, run the other end of the cord into the house through a window or door and leave it unplugged all night? Then when you get up plug it in.
I read somewhere that the truck needs three hours to heat up and if the temp drops below 20 it is suggested that you plug it in, and if it gets below 10 then you almost have to. Just a little FYI.
Block heater draws about 7.5 Amps of current or about 900 Watts. I've played around with different times and found 3 hours to be ultimate. Anything more did not make a difference, at least in my area. I use it all winter, truck just runs sooooo much better and have heat much quicker, within a few miles.
Timers can get spendy but found one at Ace Hardware for about $14.00. It is the mechanical type rated at 1200 Watts and you put little pins on the timer face for start and stop times. It is also fully grounded and waterproof. I've used the past couple months and give it my stamp of approval.