Engine Block Heater (EBH) Group Buy: as low as $39 shipped till 8/19

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Aug 16 2007, 02:02 PM) [snapback]497234[/snapback]</div>

Thanks for asking as well...

 

Danny,
Please ship mine to FireEngineer.
Thanks


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Danny @ Aug 14 2007, 11:08 AM) [snapback]495370[/snapback]</div>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Danny @ Aug 14 2007, 09:08 AM) [snapback]495370[/snapback]</div>

Sorry Danny, I didn't see you post until just now. Fire Engineer is on the road and apparently flying low. What kind of wings does he have on his Prius anyway. I did confirm an install with Wayne, and it would be fine if you shiped my EBH to Wayne, but now it may be too late. He is talking about being in Federal Way on the 25, so I don't know, Portland, OR may be on the 24th. THat is Friday. If he doesn't have my EBH, I don't know if I will have it yet.

Larry

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NoMoShocks @ Aug 22 2007, 03:18 AM) [snapback]500171[/snapback]</div>

Wayne picked up a bunch of EBH in Chicago from a distributor because he didn't want to delay his trip. He had computer access yesterday, Tuesday, Aug. 21. He checked Priuchat, made some posts and read his PMs. He may have read this message and he may have your EBH. If you confirmed your install he should be coming to you.

 

I discovered this thread after the end of the group buy on the 14th. I'd like to get on some sort of list for the next group buy, so that I might get a message on Priuschat or an email when that group buy starts. Since I didn't notice this thread in time, I might not notice the next one either. Thank you Danny.

I have a question: suppose I plug this thing in the night before, and in the morning, the woman jumps in the Prius and tries to drive off. Is there some sort of easy disconnect in the cord to prevent possible damage?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(madler @ Aug 24 2007, 11:24 AM) [snapback]501524[/snapback]</div>

No. However there are things you can do.

For instance I back into my garage. A poster suggested I clamp the extension cord to my garage door so when I open the door the cord is drawn up and I see it. Leave enough slack in the cord, obviously.

I'll be shopping for a cord and timer today. They said get a timer than can handle at least 500 WATTS.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(madler @ Aug 24 2007, 09:24 AM) [snapback]501524[/snapback]</div>

Perhaps putting a big 1' x 2' card on the front of the car or dash saying, "UNPLUG ME" when you go into the house.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(madler @ Aug 24 2007, 09:24 AM) [snapback]501524[/snapback]</div>

This is not a problem. Haven't you ever pulled out a vacuum cleaner cord from 25 feet across the room? Just don't do it at an angle, or you will be straightening out the parallel blades on the plug.

I would just arragne the plug comming out of the grill and the extention cord to the house in such a way that the cord will be pulled straight out if your wife, you or me backs up without unplugging. The extension cord can be held in place by the rubber seal under your garage door, or tie it around the hose bib or something. The Parallel blade attachment plug is a quick disconnect.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Aug 24 2007, 09:41 AM) [snapback]501535[/snapback]</div>

Godiva, this is too funny! Where do you get 500 A? Is it your new solar panels? I got ta get me some of those.

How about 500 Watts? It translates to about 3 Amps.

Don't worry, I am just having fun here. You know how socially inept us Electrical Engineers can be.

It reminds me of my fovorite "Futureshop" story. Futureshop was an electronics supersore. I don't think they are around anymore. Some of their leases were taken over by Best Buys and such.

Anyway, they had a newspaper add touting a 500 A Audio Amplifier. A friend that worked with me at a nationally recognized product safety testing agency when over there to inquire of the sales people.

Tim "Yeah, can you show me this 500 Amp Amplifier you have advertised?"

Sales Guy "Sure, it is write over here" Leads Tim over to the display model and begins describing the features.

Tim "So how to you power it?"

Sales Guy "You just plug it into the wall"

Tim "That is hard to believe. Do you need to call the utility company and have them put in some kind of special electical service?"

Sales Guy "No. Just plug it like you would any other appliance."

I am paraphrasing, and I am not sure how long this went on, but I know the Sales Guy was still baffled when my friend Tim left the store without buying.


You see, most dwellings will have a 150 Amp electrical service that is only intended to be used at 80 percent, 120 Amps. If you turned on everything in the house, I still don't know how close you could come to this limit.

Extra large homes or people with a shop at home might have a larger 200 or 250 amp service installed for heavy wood working, home welding and such. A 500 Amp service is getting close to the relm of small manufacturing facilities.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NoMoShocks @ Aug 24 2007, 10:20 AM) [snapback]501576[/snapback]</div>

They're still around where they started - in Canada - hundreds or perhaps thousands of stores up here. I think they were purchased by Best Buy a couple of years ago.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NoMoShocks @ Aug 24 2007, 12:20 PM) [snapback]501576[/snapback]</div>

Okay. Watts. I only remember the 500 part. It was from a post suggesting I clamp the extension cord to my garage door and what size timer to get. 500 I remember. Amps....Watts...whatever. I never did get the whole amp watt thing. It's like metric; centi, milli, mega, kilo. Just give it a freaking name and keep it consistent.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Danny @ Aug 16 2007, 06:00 PM) [snapback]497357[/snapback]</div>

Hi Danny,
I've not received an invoice for the heater yet and it looks like Wayne will be in my general area tomorrow. Will you still be able to send me the heater on this deal (?) and I will have a buddy install it for me..

* Did folks get invoices or simply pay as you go with Wayne?
Thanks!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Aug 24 2007, 11:12 AM) [snapback]501622[/snapback]</div>

Think of the electicity in a wire like water in a hose.

Your Volts in electricity are like the water pressure PSI.

The Amps are the flow like gallons per minute.

Put the pressure together with flow and you have Power like a pressure washer.

Volts Times Amps = Power in Watts, so 120 Volts times 3 Amps = about 360 Watts.

Actually, I think the EBH is closer to 360 Watts than 500.

As the EBH heats up, the wattage actually goes down a little, say 333 Wats.

Then if you run it for 3 hours, 333 Watts times 3 hours = 999 Watt Hours, AKA 1 KwH

Each KwH cost about 10 cents, so it will cost about 10 cents per day to run the EBH for three hours.

 

Is there going to be another round? I'd like one of these if anyone has a change of heart.

Thanks!

 

Can they be got in 240 volt version? I'd get one if they did.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NoMoShocks @ Aug 24 2007, 11:21 PM) [snapback]501887[/snapback]</div>

Well, the timer I ended up getting at Home Depot is 15 amps or something like 1700 watts. I think it will be fine. It's the extra heavy duty industrial appliance one. Like for air conditioners.

I forgot about Volts. It's all Albanian to me.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(patsparks @ Aug 24 2007, 11:58 PM) [snapback]501904[/snapback]</div>

Check out some of Toyota's sites for Northern Europe. Perhaps the Finnish (Finns?) use them!

Otherwise a 500W step-down transformer probably isn't too expensive.

 

I'll look into it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Aug 24 2007, 11:36 PM) [snapback]501921[/snapback]</div>

Yes, you will be fine! And, if you have three more friends with Prius and Engine block Heaters, they can all plut into you timer at the same time as you and you will still be fine. Good job!