Block heaters in Florida?

[james]

Is anybody using the block heaters in Florida, and are you finding a positive impact during the summer?

My engines are 6cta 400’s with nippon denso pump. They fire on the first revolution, but do smoke a little bit. Given they are 27 years old, I intend to do anything I can to make their lives easier.

thanks

Jim

Topic

[Rob Schepis]

Keep it safe and leave the Christmas crap in the attic….. should run 24/7 anyway, that’s how you get by with low wattage..

[james]

Rob, that’s good thinking and I’m going that route. Who would think of adding heat in florida, but to help keep it dry it makes sense. I’ve already got on of the cheapo temp humidity things in my main cabin. To make it even more sensible, I can put it on a timer for when it should go on, a christmas light timer!

[Rob Schepis]

How about starting off with a safe setup of a quality low wattage space heater that has a fan or blower. A little warm air and air movement goes a long way. And use a cheapo temperature /humidity meter device so you can see what’s really happening.

[james]

Bottom pan access is not easy, V drive configuration with big stringers in the way. I’m on the fence with doing it or not, I’m pretty picky about my engine room and have spent a lot of time and sweat cleaning it up, finding and fixing leaks and painting everything I can find.

Just put new exhaust elbows on with a dry 90 and showerhead below the turbo, 316 stainless and very nice spray pattern. Big improvement over the stock cummins elbows which appear to be made with a very low grade stainless (magnets kind of stick to them).

[Rob Schepis]

Understood. How is bottom of pan access for Wolverine install ?

[james]

Humidity is high, close to ambient in florida. That was one reason I was thinking of adding them. I also thought about putting a dehumidifier in the engine room, but that turns into a project as I have to add a sump and overboard discharge for the condensate. I use a dehumidifer in my main cabin and drain it to the galley sink which goes straight overboard. That allows me to not run the Air Conditioner’s all summer. I arrive at the boat in mid summer, it will be 95 inside, but have a humidity level of 45. AC’s kick on and in 15 minutes, temp is down to 80 and still dropping.

[Rob Schepis]

So you are not using the block heater and was just inquiring about doing so? Well then I would not see the need in using them based on what you just posted. How is the engine room humidty? Do you monitor it with any type of device?

[james]

No heaters at all. The air grids are disabled as I don’t like the idea of them. I ran each for 10 minutes today to do a fresh water flush, at the end the temps were just starting to come off the peg, but still a little bit of white smoke.

[Rob Schepis]

“They fire on the first revolution, but do smoke a little bit.” —- Is that with or without the heaters ?

[Author]

Replies