On 14/04/2021 09:02, Paul wrote:
Michael Chare wrote:
On 13/04/2021 21:24, Vir Campestris wrote:

An electric engine heater is a standard fitting out there.

I have seen similar in North America.


We used to have that at work. Every parking spot had
a duplex outlet. It got removed when the lot needed
to be paved at one point.

Surprisingly, not many people used that. I would occasionally
use the block heater on my older cars. But with the
5W30 oil in cars now, it's now marginal in my climate.

In the old days, your aids we

1) Block heater. Knock out a frost plug, fit heater,
Â* Run cord to front grill. Provide nylon tie to hold
Â* cord in place. Applying power 1.5 to 2 hours before
Â* departure, heated the block enough to get the car started.
Â* Provides cabin heat slightly faster after departure.
Â* Use correct metallurgy - some block heaters leak after
Â* two years, and that means the wrong one was fitted.
Â* This heats the cooling water. No pump provided.
Â* Block heaters were dirt cheap, which is why they were
Â* popular.

2) Oil heater. This is the one with a pump for
Â* circulating the oil. Never had one. Not interested.

3) Battery blanket. This preserves cranking amps, by lifting
Â* battery temperature above ambient. I don't know of too
Â* many people, resorting to this. You might use this if your
Â* battery is half-dead.

My current car is the first car that's had no block
heater fitted. The car still starts at -26C. Although
I would probably delay departure until later in the
day, to reduce stress on the engine. (They're a bit
oil-starved at startup at that temperature.)

People used to have special flat paraffin heaters they put under the
engine. Or drain out the coolant and replace it with hot water.

(Anti-freeze wasn't universal in those days; it was only used in the
winter in any case. I suppose they could have drained it the night
before - provided they remembered they had done it!)

--
Max Demian