Fricken Cold!-wireless block heater?
 

Gi'day Group
This morning it was -30 celcuis at my place.
Luckily I have my TJ plugged in and it starts
without a whimper. Normally I'll plug in the block
heater when it's -10C or below. It's on a timer and comes on
a couple of hours before I leave for work.
Now at work there's no outlet to plug into.
I thought about those power packs you can get
at crappy tire with a built in AC inverter (300W at 110VAC).
I wonder if it can power a timer and the block heater
for a couple hours before I leave work with one of those.
Thoughts or comments anyone?
Thanks in advance

Frank

Re: Fricken Cold!-wireless block heater?
 

I can't see how 300W can heat an entire block, especially when starting from
stone cold, no pun intended. I think it _might_ keep a hot block warm
longer, but I don't think it would heat a block that had become colder than
a witch's tit in Minnesota in winter.




"FrankW" <fworm@mxznorpak.ca> wrote in message
news:jsednSRyBvUEoHDcRVn-qQ@magma.ca...
> Gi'day Group
> This morning it was -30 celcuis at my place.
> Luckily I have my TJ plugged in and it starts
> without a whimper. Normally I'll plug in the block
> heater when it's -10C or below. It's on a timer and comes on
> a couple of hours before I leave for work.
> Now at work there's no outlet to plug into.
> I thought about those power packs you can get
> at crappy tire with a built in AC inverter (300W at 110VAC).
> I wonder if it can power a timer and the block heater
> for a couple hours before I leave work with one of those.
> Thoughts or comments anyone?
> Thanks in advance
>
> Frank
>

Re: Fricken Cold!-wireless block heater?
 

I can't see how 300W can heat an entire block, especially when starting from
stone cold, no pun intended. I think it _might_ keep a hot block warm
longer, but I don't think it would heat a block that had become colder than
a witch's tit in Minnesota in winter.




"FrankW" <fworm@mxznorpak.ca> wrote in message
news:jsednSRyBvUEoHDcRVn-qQ@magma.ca...
> Gi'day Group
> This morning it was -30 celcuis at my place.
> Luckily I have my TJ plugged in and it starts
> without a whimper. Normally I'll plug in the block
> heater when it's -10C or below. It's on a timer and comes on
> a couple of hours before I leave for work.
> Now at work there's no outlet to plug into.
> I thought about those power packs you can get
> at crappy tire with a built in AC inverter (300W at 110VAC).
> I wonder if it can power a timer and the block heater
> for a couple hours before I leave work with one of those.
> Thoughts or comments anyone?
> Thanks in advance
>
> Frank
>

Re: Fricken Cold!-wireless block heater?
 

I can't see how 300W can heat an entire block, especially when starting from
stone cold, no pun intended. I think it _might_ keep a hot block warm
longer, but I don't think it would heat a block that had become colder than
a witch's tit in Minnesota in winter.




"FrankW" <fworm@mxznorpak.ca> wrote in message
news:jsednSRyBvUEoHDcRVn-qQ@magma.ca...
> Gi'day Group
> This morning it was -30 celcuis at my place.
> Luckily I have my TJ plugged in and it starts
> without a whimper. Normally I'll plug in the block
> heater when it's -10C or below. It's on a timer and comes on
> a couple of hours before I leave for work.
> Now at work there's no outlet to plug into.
> I thought about those power packs you can get
> at crappy tire with a built in AC inverter (300W at 110VAC).
> I wonder if it can power a timer and the block heater
> for a couple hours before I leave work with one of those.
> Thoughts or comments anyone?
> Thanks in advance
>
> Frank
>

Re: Fricken Cold!-wireless block heater?
 

On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 11:47:18 -0500, FrankW <fworm@mxznorpak.ca> wrote:

>I thought about those power packs you can get
>at crappy tire with a built in AC inverter (300W at 110VAC).
>I wonder if it can power a timer and the block heater
>for a couple hours before I leave work with one of those.
>Thoughts or comments anyone?
>Thanks in advance
>
>Frank

I think it would be pretty much worthless - those portable power packs
have pretty wimpy batteries. Now if you got a couple of 6 v golf cart
batteries with an inverter sized correctly for the wattage of your
block heater.... that might work.

How many watts/ amps does your heater draw?

I think a more sensible approach would be to just tuck a space blanket
around the engine when you park to trap as much heat as possible, and
maybe drive to lunch on really cold days to keep the block warm.
Remembering, of course, to remove the blanket every time ;)

John

Re: Fricken Cold!-wireless block heater?
 

On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 11:47:18 -0500, FrankW <fworm@mxznorpak.ca> wrote:

>I thought about those power packs you can get
>at crappy tire with a built in AC inverter (300W at 110VAC).
>I wonder if it can power a timer and the block heater
>for a couple hours before I leave work with one of those.
>Thoughts or comments anyone?
>Thanks in advance
>
>Frank

I think it would be pretty much worthless - those portable power packs
have pretty wimpy batteries. Now if you got a couple of 6 v golf cart
batteries with an inverter sized correctly for the wattage of your
block heater.... that might work.

How many watts/ amps does your heater draw?

I think a more sensible approach would be to just tuck a space blanket
around the engine when you park to trap as much heat as possible, and
maybe drive to lunch on really cold days to keep the block warm.
Remembering, of course, to remove the blanket every time ;)

John

Re: Fricken Cold!-wireless block heater?
 

On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 11:47:18 -0500, FrankW <fworm@mxznorpak.ca> wrote:

>I thought about those power packs you can get
>at crappy tire with a built in AC inverter (300W at 110VAC).
>I wonder if it can power a timer and the block heater
>for a couple hours before I leave work with one of those.
>Thoughts or comments anyone?
>Thanks in advance
>
>Frank

I think it would be pretty much worthless - those portable power packs
have pretty wimpy batteries. Now if you got a couple of 6 v golf cart
batteries with an inverter sized correctly for the wattage of your
block heater.... that might work.

How many watts/ amps does your heater draw?

I think a more sensible approach would be to just tuck a space blanket
around the engine when you park to trap as much heat as possible, and
maybe drive to lunch on really cold days to keep the block warm.
Remembering, of course, to remove the blanket every time ;)

John

Re: Fricken Cold!-wireless block heater?
 

Hmmmm Good question
How many watts does a block heater draw?
I asked this question last year and seem to
recall being told that it draws 75 watts.
I'm no electrical engineer but 75 watts is half
of 300 no?
True those batteries are small. What is the amp/hour rating
anyway?

John Davies wrote:

> On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 11:47:18 -0500, FrankW <fworm@mxznorpak.ca> wrote:
>
>
>>I thought about those power packs you can get
>>at crappy tire with a built in AC inverter (300W at 110VAC).
>>I wonder if it can power a timer and the block heater
>>for a couple hours before I leave work with one of those.
>>Thoughts or comments anyone?
>>Thanks in advance
>>
>>Frank
>
>
> I think it would be pretty much worthless - those portable power packs
> have pretty wimpy batteries. Now if you got a couple of 6 v golf cart
> batteries with an inverter sized correctly for the wattage of your
> block heater.... that might work.
>
> How many watts/ amps does your heater draw?
>
> I think a more sensible approach would be to just tuck a space blanket
> around the engine when you park to trap as much heat as possible, and
> maybe drive to lunch on really cold days to keep the block warm.
> Remembering, of course, to remove the blanket every time ;)
>
> John
>

Re: Fricken Cold!-wireless block heater?
 

Hmmmm Good question
How many watts does a block heater draw?
I asked this question last year and seem to
recall being told that it draws 75 watts.
I'm no electrical engineer but 75 watts is half
of 300 no?
True those batteries are small. What is the amp/hour rating
anyway?

John Davies wrote:

> On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 11:47:18 -0500, FrankW <fworm@mxznorpak.ca> wrote:
>
>
>>I thought about those power packs you can get
>>at crappy tire with a built in AC inverter (300W at 110VAC).
>>I wonder if it can power a timer and the block heater
>>for a couple hours before I leave work with one of those.
>>Thoughts or comments anyone?
>>Thanks in advance
>>
>>Frank
>
>
> I think it would be pretty much worthless - those portable power packs
> have pretty wimpy batteries. Now if you got a couple of 6 v golf cart
> batteries with an inverter sized correctly for the wattage of your
> block heater.... that might work.
>
> How many watts/ amps does your heater draw?
>
> I think a more sensible approach would be to just tuck a space blanket
> around the engine when you park to trap as much heat as possible, and
> maybe drive to lunch on really cold days to keep the block warm.
> Remembering, of course, to remove the blanket every time ;)
>
> John
>

Re: Fricken Cold!-wireless block heater?
 

Hmmmm Good question
How many watts does a block heater draw?
I asked this question last year and seem to
recall being told that it draws 75 watts.
I'm no electrical engineer but 75 watts is half
of 300 no?
True those batteries are small. What is the amp/hour rating
anyway?

John Davies wrote:

> On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 11:47:18 -0500, FrankW <fworm@mxznorpak.ca> wrote:
>
>
>>I thought about those power packs you can get
>>at crappy tire with a built in AC inverter (300W at 110VAC).
>>I wonder if it can power a timer and the block heater
>>for a couple hours before I leave work with one of those.
>>Thoughts or comments anyone?
>>Thanks in advance
>>
>>Frank
>
>
> I think it would be pretty much worthless - those portable power packs
> have pretty wimpy batteries. Now if you got a couple of 6 v golf cart
> batteries with an inverter sized correctly for the wattage of your
> block heater.... that might work.
>
> How many watts/ amps does your heater draw?
>
> I think a more sensible approach would be to just tuck a space blanket
> around the engine when you park to trap as much heat as possible, and
> maybe drive to lunch on really cold days to keep the block warm.
> Remembering, of course, to remove the blanket every time ;)
>
> John
>