While most people have this understanding of the warm up procedure, few understand just how beneficial it is. It is well known that most engine wear occurs when the engine is cold. This is exacerbated when you drive the car under these conditions. Furthermore, the colder the climate, the longer it takes to get your car up to operating temperature and as such, people that reside in areas with colder climates where it snows and temperatures routinely dip below freezing are at the highest risk for increased engine wear. In climates that are especially cold, it can sometimes be difficult to get a car started at all.
Fortunately, there are portable heating devices that warm an engine block while the car is turned off which has the benefit of making your car easier to start as well as reducing engine wear caused by cold starts. When the car is then started, the fluids in the engine block are warm enough to circulate freely, thereby providing better lubrication for your internal engine components. Portable engine heaters have a few different design forms including engine blankets, dipstick heaters, bolt-on block heaters, in-line coolant heaters, and oil pain heaters. Whether for the seasoned winter auto driver, the cold weather tractor farmer, or the drag race aficionado whose car sits for a while in between races, engine block heating has become a common practice for decreasing, and all but eliminating, cold start wear.
The Best Engine Block Heater
Run times will vary depending on outside temperatures and desired effect. In regions where outdoor temperatures are cold enough to freeze radiator coolant, the Kat’s 1160 can warm coolant overnight to prevent a cracked block from occurring. What makes the Kat’s 1160 300-Watt Magnum Handi-Heat Magnetic Heater the best engine block heater is not only the fact that it improves engine performance in cold weather, but that it minimizes the need to idle the engine prior to operation. This quality goes a long way in terms of prolonging the life of the engine and fluid hose components.
As far as where to buy, Amazon’s attractive pricing makes them pretty darn tough to beat and as such, we’d recommend starting your search there. Overall, the Kat’s 1160 300-Watt Magnum Handi-Heat Magnetic Heater is a great investment, and we think you’ll be very satisfied. Happy wrenching!
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