Too cold to Auto Stop, but love the heater
#21
Re: Too cold to Auto Stop, but love the heater
After the bloc heater, This is my solution for the morning defrost of the windsheild.
It fit perfectly, no contact with seats.
Pierre M.
It fit perfectly, no contact with seats.
Pierre M.
#22
Re: Too cold to Auto Stop, but love the heater
Holy macro, Pierre.
I bet that thing (depending on the setting) is rated at 1000+ watts. Am I right?
That's a little too effective for me.
Cheers;
MSantos
I bet that thing (depending on the setting) is rated at 1000+ watts. Am I right?
That's a little too effective for me.
Cheers;
MSantos
#23
Re: Too cold to Auto Stop, but love the heater
The idea is for very little use like 10 minutes before leave. There is nothing I hate more then stop at the next street 20 seconds after I left the home because the windsheild is completly frozen... and let the engin become hot to clean all that. A lot of CO2 just to clean a window.
Also, during freezing rain, that might be very helpful.
bye,
Pierre
#24
Re: Too cold to Auto Stop, but love the heater
Thank you dogarm.
I made also a calculation this morning:
Cost of electricity : 0.0408$/Kwh
.0408 * 400watts * 5 hours * 260 day per year = 25.46$/year.
5 hours 260 is too much, that will lower than that.
Saving of fuel :0.2liters/100km(estimate)
0.2*30000km per year/100*$1.10 = $66.00/year
0.2 is pestimistic, that will be higher than that.
Conclusion:
This is a good economical decision
This is a good environmental decision
I have taken at lease one good decision in August
PierreM
I made also a calculation this morning:
Cost of electricity : 0.0408$/Kwh
.0408 * 400watts * 5 hours * 260 day per year = 25.46$/year.
5 hours 260 is too much, that will lower than that.
Saving of fuel :0.2liters/100km(estimate)
0.2*30000km per year/100*$1.10 = $66.00/year
0.2 is pestimistic, that will be higher than that.
Conclusion:
This is a good economical decision
This is a good environmental decision
I have taken at lease one good decision in August
PierreM
Then again it rarely even gets to 0C here so I don't have to worry much about things like block heaters.
#25
Re: Too cold to Auto Stop, but love the heater
Here in the Dallas area, I'm at 12.00 cents/kWh.
#26
Re: Too cold to Auto Stop, but love the heater
Ahh we are back to the Block Heater topics again. I employed mine about 2 weeks ago when the night temps were in the high 40s F. Anybody running calcs will find out that it is not economically worthwhile to run a Block Engine Heater but the rewards one gets far outweigh the cost of electricity to heat the car. You get to Auto Stop within the first 1 mile from home in sub-freezing temps, your defroster works instantly, the heat comes out within about 20 seconds on those frigid mornings.
Having a few blips on the Coolant gauge is not the real test. How quickly it rises to the 8 or 9 blips is the key (I have had this occur within 1 mile in Winter conditions). That made my previous Winter commute of 20 miles yield me 50 mpg rather than 35-40 mpg without the Block Heater.
The only caveat is remembering to unplug your non-plugin Hybrid before driving away. I use a 16-oz cup and invert it on the gearshift and write "BLOCK ENGINE HEATER" on it so I can't shift out of Park without noticing that. Has that stopped me from twice removing the cup and driving away? Nope. Luckily the plug undoes itself quite easily from the car so no damage (yet). I'm sure I will be asleep leaving one day and do that again.
Having a few blips on the Coolant gauge is not the real test. How quickly it rises to the 8 or 9 blips is the key (I have had this occur within 1 mile in Winter conditions). That made my previous Winter commute of 20 miles yield me 50 mpg rather than 35-40 mpg without the Block Heater.
The only caveat is remembering to unplug your non-plugin Hybrid before driving away. I use a 16-oz cup and invert it on the gearshift and write "BLOCK ENGINE HEATER" on it so I can't shift out of Park without noticing that. Has that stopped me from twice removing the cup and driving away? Nope. Luckily the plug undoes itself quite easily from the car so no damage (yet). I'm sure I will be asleep leaving one day and do that again.
#27
Re: Too cold to Auto Stop, but love the heater
Here ya go - one of my favorite photos from the Block Heater. Proof of Block Heater operation on snowy morning. If only I would have had the Thermometer in the photo and then another one after starting the car to show the 3 or 4 blips of Coolant temp on the gauge. =)
Also, the heat under the hood helps keep the Windshield Squirter lines unfrozen which was never mentioned in the brochures for the Block Heater but was a great add-on.
Also, the heat under the hood helps keep the Windshield Squirter lines unfrozen which was never mentioned in the brochures for the Block Heater but was a great add-on.
Thread
Topic Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
TonyK
Honda Accord Hybrid
2
11-09-2006 08:44 AM