Engine Block Heater and a garaged Prius in SW Washington

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rick Brown @ Aug 5 2007, 09:24 PM) [snapback]491108[/snapback]</div>

Some users have reported benefits from using them all sumer long. Even if your garage is climate controlled, it will be about 22 C, and the EBH can get you ICE up to 40 C so that it warm up much faster.

 

My Prius is in a detached, uninsulated garage. I'll be getting one because my commute is only 12 miles. If the EBH can warm up the car, I won't take the hit in mileage from arriving at work just as my car has warmed up. While that will improve my winter mileage it should also improve my summer mileage. I plan on trying grill blocking this winter when the temps drop as well. Just because you live in a temperate area doesn't mean it won't help. It just won't be as dramatic.

 

Isn't it wasteful to needlessly suck up electricity in the quest to save a tiny amount of gasoline? (not to mention expensive?) I understand the need in extremely cold climates, but in the summer?!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tritium @ Aug 5 2007, 10:02 PM) [snapback]491122[/snapback]</div>

most use the BH at night when there is a surplus of electricity and cheaper rates, although not here or probably not in Wa., so it's not an issue. If you can go from 45 up to 50 MPG, not an unrealistic increase for a lot of people, that will more than offset the increase in your electicity bill. One question for you, what are your thoughts on Plug In Hybrids, they will all be charging at night. And there is a serious push on to implement PI hybrids.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tritium @ Aug 6 2007, 01:02 AM) [snapback]491122[/snapback]</div>

See this for one of many examples of why the answer is "no." This, by the way, is in Alabama.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tritium @ Aug 6 2007, 12:02 AM) [snapback]491122[/snapback]</div>

According to another thread, using the EBH costs half what the equivalent amount of gas would take to warm the car up. So I'm sold. And the mileage increases by several miles per gallon. The poster reported going from 54 to 60 mpg on tank. That's good enough for me.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rick Brown @ Aug 5 2007, 09:24 PM) [snapback]491108[/snapback]</div>

Not statistically significant by any means but I can say that I empirically know that after installing my block heater over the weekend and using it for 3 hours prior to the beginning of my commute this morning I noticed a distinct difference in both warm up time (reduced) and my ability to "get to" a glide state quickly. YMMV

 

I have read several posts on this topic. It seems like the mileage improvement is about 5 MPG during the first 5 minutes of ICE operation (at that point the ICE will have warmed itself up any way)?

I respect people's efforts to reduce their carbon output. I have not done the math, but are we talking about saving a thimble of fuel once a day? For many of us commuters or travelers it is only practical to go through this process once a day when the car is at home.

 

if your commutes are short IE:5-8 miles you will see other benifits besides the first 5 minute block. By having the ICE at a hi temp quicker you will have hotter coolant for the fill on the thermos. On short commutes the thermos is a big disadvantage over the Classic Prius as your heating almost twice the amount of coolant so it takes considerably longer to get the cooling system up to thermostat opening temperature. On short commutes the coolant never gets really hot and in the winter it almost seems to never get hot. So if you start with the ICE at a higher temp you can get to thermostat opening temp which means the coolant in the thermos is higher so the flush on start up in the afternoon gets the ICE warmer quicker. It might not seem like a lot but even 3 mpg improvement over the lifetime of the car is a significant amount of money less the cost of electricity. If you electicity costs a lot per kw hr then that is also a consideration but if it's from hydro and is realativaly cheap your way ahead of the game. Plus the gas in the US is cheap another consideration. Here our gas is about $4 US a gallon (converted) and our electricity costs 8 cents per kw it's a no brainer that the BH pays it's way in short order.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Aug 6 2007, 08:55 PM) [snapback]491687[/snapback]</div>

Here Here! Going from 25 to 55 MPH on the first five minutes can hardly be called a "modest" increase. I would call it significant. And then it brings the average for the tank up from 55 to 60. About 50 more miles per 10 gallon tank for less than 10 cents worth of electricity each day. Seems like a bargain to me. I will be saving a $3 gallon of gas each week for about 70 cents worth of electricity. In the winter, it will be significantly more savings.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rick Brown @ Aug 6 2007, 07:42 PM) [snapback]491571[/snapback]</div>

Coming from a fellow Washingtonian, I'm dismayed. Do you work in Oregon by chance?

I use my EHB for two hours before my commute and I see 12 to 15 MPG increase over the average 12 to 15 MPG in the first 5 min and a 25 to 30 MPG increase in the next 5 min slot. After that, everything normalizes.

So, to recap, I use 800Whrs at 8.98 cents/kW and gain an average of 40-50% fuel economy increase in the first 10 minutes (6 miles) of my commute. The cost of warming up the engine is about $0.072 worth of electricity. I end up saving .2 gallons of gas which would have cost $0.55 to 'warm' the engine. 20 work days * $0.55 = $11. The EHB has long since paid itself off.

Thanks for your $0.02 but I think you'll need it more than me.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rick Brown @ Aug 6 2007, 07:42 PM) [snapback]491571[/snapback]</div>

Have you ever been to Alaska or places in the MidWest where it gets so cold people go out and crank up their cars every few hours? Do you know why? It's to keep the oil from gelling and unable to circulate. The warmer oil is, the less viscous it becomes, the easier it is to pump and the less wear it takes to move it. So, if you're able to get the engine block to an ideal temperature faster, with out the use of the controlled explosions, the less wear the engine partakes.

Frank's post above is yet another great reason for the EHB.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rick Brown @ Aug 7 2007, 12:25 PM) [snapback]491863[/snapback]</div>

That's the spirit!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rick Brown @ Aug 7 2007, 12:25 PM) [snapback]491863[/snapback]</div>

You'll have to ask FireEngineer that question, however if he's unable to make it there are those of us in the area that can install it. Hint, hint.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rick Brown @ Aug 7 2007, 11:25 AM) [snapback]491863[/snapback]</div>

If you could please respond to this thread I'll put you on the list (if NoMoShocks doesn't). Now if the block heaters would only appear.

Wayne