PoP wrote:

I wondered what the other experts here think about the following
idea.....

During the winter months my garage does get a bit on the cold side
when the temperature plummets. It isn't attached to the house and has
no heating.

No big deal when I'm not working in there, and when I am I can always
use a fan heater to warm up the corner I'm working in. But what I'd
like to do is arrange things so that the car engine (Freelander -
plenty of room underneath!) isn't stone cold when I go out in the
morning - it can take a while to reach operating temperature and on
short journeys I'd reach the destination before the heater is working.

What I was thinking about was to put a couple of tubular heaters under
the engine bay, on a timer that comes on at about 3am. These things
are insulated against moisture and so on, and at 120W each they don't
get particularly warm:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Ind...ers/index.html

What I'm thinking is that the little warmth they do generate would
rise into the engine compartment, taking the chill off the engine so
that once I start up and move off it doesn't take so long for normal
temperature to be acquired.

Does this sound like a plausible idea, or has Dr Strangelove got hold
of my noggin?

PoP

Had a plumb-in device by Kenlowe - called a Hotstart - in my diesel RR. I also
installed a thermostat to turn the interior heater fan on at a preset temperature.
Worked an absolute treat. Cost approx £150. Kenlowe were great. They replaced
it 3 times without quibble. Reason for replacement? The solid state relay in the
timer that I used to switch the Hotstart on in the morning developed a serious
fault that blew the wiring in the Hotstart. Nothing wrong with the Hotstart!

On another tack, IIRC warmth and damp are ideal breeding grounds for rust and
paraffin heaters produce a lot of water.

Richard