Block heater without plugging in
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
From: Western Mass
Block heater without plugging in
Got a question for the pros here. I have a 03 with a 7.3. I plug in at night if it's going to be under 20's or so, makes the starts a bit better. The next couple days are going to be around 6-8 degrees during the day. I'll be at work, and no place at all to plug in. Has anyone here ever set up a battery / inverter and hooked it up to the block heater? Any idea what size stuff I'd need? I think the block heater is 1000w, not 100% sure though. I searched and found someone who made a suggestion of doing this, but no details and I didn't see anything after that saying if he went through with it.
Could I just use a jump box or battery, hooked up to a 1500w inverter, then a timer set for a couple hours before I leave work and plug it into that?
Could I just use a jump box or battery, hooked up to a 1500w inverter, then a timer set for a couple hours before I leave work and plug it into that?
Moderator
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 164,377
Likes: 82
From: MA
Got a question for the pros here. I have a 03 with a 7.3. I plug in at night if it's going to be under 20's or so, makes the starts a bit better. The next couple days are going to be around 6-8 degrees during the day. I'll be at work, and no place at all to plug in. Has anyone here ever set up a battery / inverter and hooked it up to the block heater? Any idea what size stuff I'd need? I think the block heater is 1000w, not 100% sure though. I searched and found someone who made a suggestion of doing this, but no details and I didn't see anything after that saying if he went through with it.
Could I just use a jump box or battery, hooked up to a 1500w inverter, then a timer set for a couple hours before I leave work and plug it into that?
Could I just use a jump box or battery, hooked up to a 1500w inverter, then a timer set for a couple hours before I leave work and plug it into that?
On a side note Chris..
Why not take a few minutes and joine the MA chapter.. You can do so by clicking on the link in my sig..
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
From: Western Mass
I've got an inverter and battery hanging around, maybe I'll play around with it this weekend.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 17,988
Likes: 207
From: La La Land
What is the amp-hour rating of your batteries?
How many batteries do you have?
From that information, you can figure out how many "watts" of heat you have stored.
If that heat goes into heating the engine, how much will be left for starting?
There's a reason that Ford didn't just make a 12-volt block heater available.
Wanna ' guess what it is?
(Hint: Think capacity)
Pop
How many batteries do you have?
From that information, you can figure out how many "watts" of heat you have stored.
If that heat goes into heating the engine, how much will be left for starting?
There's a reason that Ford didn't just make a 12-volt block heater available.
Wanna ' guess what it is?
(Hint: Think capacity)
Pop
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
From: Western Mass
Not going to use the truck batteries, I agree that will leave me dead pretty quick 
. I'll just use a deep cycle off the boat that's in winter storage anyways. I'll check what the amp hr is on it.
I was thinking of a winter set up - mount the battery / inverter under the truck and set a timer on the inverter to go on at 2 PM or so. Then just wire a battery tender to it and use it to keep the battery topped off when I get home. I don't have a spare battery tender though, that's the only thing I'd need to buy, and some battery cable. I know you can get single bank trickle chargers really cheap, just not sure if they are weather proof though.
. I'll just use a deep cycle off the boat that's in winter storage anyways. I'll check what the amp hr is on it. I was thinking of a winter set up - mount the battery / inverter under the truck and set a timer on the inverter to go on at 2 PM or so. Then just wire a battery tender to it and use it to keep the battery topped off when I get home. I don't have a spare battery tender though, that's the only thing I'd need to buy, and some battery cable. I know you can get single bank trickle chargers really cheap, just not sure if they are weather proof though.
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
From: Western Mass
Maybe I should switch over to synthetic...I've used it in bikes and quads, that kind of stuff, never in my vehicles though. I've seen a ton of posts from others saying the same thing, makes a huge difference in the cold start ups. Seems a heck of a lot easier that all that fabing and stuff. Subconsciously I must be looking for a weekend project!
Trending Topics
Mountain Pass
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 249
Likes: 1
From: Middletown, PA
How do you do that?
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make
Brett Foote
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!
Michael S. Palmer
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home
Verdad Gallardo
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!
Joe Kucinski
2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?
Brett Foote
2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package First Look: 12 Things You NEED to Know!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Most Surprising 2026 Ford Truck Features!
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Ford Trucks Coming to Mecum Indy 2026
Brett Foote
5 Best / 5 Worst Ford Truck Wheels of All Time
Joe Kucinski
Hotshot
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 11,286
Likes: 263
From: North of Greenville
Yep... that's the ticket. This double-dose on the GP's gives your system more time to heat up the combustion chamber components. Is this really necessary? Nope. But if you think about it, there is an awful lot of mass around the combustion chamber, and having it all heated up helps, and when it's really, REALLY cold outside, it takes longer to heat up all that mass. Can't hurt anything excet for also creating a little more short term load on your batteries. The only time you may not want to do this is if your batteries are already weak and sluggish.
Hotshot
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 11,286
Likes: 263
From: North of Greenville
Yet one more benefit of having installed the GPR LED mod!
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
From: Western Mass
I cycle it 2 or 3 times as well. I did it a week or 2 ago with my buddy in the truck and he told me it's a good way to but out the glow plugs. I've done it quite a bit with no issues at all, and I've never seen anything here about it being an issue. He said on his tractors, it's a no no. He's got a couple Deere's and a Kubota if I remember correctly.
Any one else ever hear anything about it being bad? I think he's off his rocker...
Any one else ever hear anything about it being bad? I think he's off his rocker...
