I have been looking at some nifty devices that I didn't even know existed until a few weeks ago. They are peel & stick heaters.
I was a tad unhappy when we couldn't post links, and I got a link or two from a BITOG member or two, but I won't be posting links to any...so I'll just keyboard about it
They are under 1/10th inch thick; nominally 0.07 to 0.08" but I don't know it they are thicker in the middle where the main conductors are, or what. Has anyone tried them?
I have a few specific questions / concerns:
1) Road debris: Sand, salt, slush, snow, stones; and despite cautions about 'direct contact with high-pressure washers' I really think I'll be getting a few washes that include undercarriage washing over the next years. I'll go through a few deep puddles in spring, too (it's fun!)
2) One salesman urged me to get one on the trans fluid pan as well as oil pan, said something about trans fluid needing to be warm just as much as oil. Is this true, or is he just trying to make more sales?
3) Under the battery: I was warned that they could cause the plastic underside of the battery to melt / warp and even boil the battery fluid. I did not know they were that hot (the one I was thinking of for under the battery is maybe 50 Watts). I can promise to use it only colder than -20, and I am also thinking of some 1/10" sheet metal in a rectangle just a bit smaller than the battery. Cut out where the heater will be so it has room and won't get crushed by the battery. Cover this with another rectangle of sheet metal to dissipate the heat a bit, and perhaps sandwich the 'heater-cutout sheet' between two sheets...or should I just get a battery blanket or something that is made specifically for overnight battery use? I say overnight because the ads state these heaters can warm up the oil by about 70 F (above ambient) in about 1 hour. That puts this little project of mine into the 'delightfully over-kill' area for all but perhaps a handful of nights for the winter.
The ads also remind excessively that heat rises...would the heating of the oil have any significant impact on the temperature of the coolant?
Wouldn't the amount of energy required to heat the oil over 100F (in -20 or colder with plenty of engine components for the heat to spread to) be well over 500 Watts? Wouldn't the amount of energy required to bring the oil or ATF to 212 F be WAY out of reach for these heaters?
Any Canadians or nothern-US people have any experience with these sorts of things??
THANKS!
Rob-the-oil-nut
I was a tad unhappy when we couldn't post links, and I got a link or two from a BITOG member or two, but I won't be posting links to any...so I'll just keyboard about it
They are under 1/10th inch thick; nominally 0.07 to 0.08" but I don't know it they are thicker in the middle where the main conductors are, or what. Has anyone tried them?
I have a few specific questions / concerns:
1) Road debris: Sand, salt, slush, snow, stones; and despite cautions about 'direct contact with high-pressure washers' I really think I'll be getting a few washes that include undercarriage washing over the next years. I'll go through a few deep puddles in spring, too (it's fun!)
2) One salesman urged me to get one on the trans fluid pan as well as oil pan, said something about trans fluid needing to be warm just as much as oil. Is this true, or is he just trying to make more sales?
3) Under the battery: I was warned that they could cause the plastic underside of the battery to melt / warp and even boil the battery fluid. I did not know they were that hot (the one I was thinking of for under the battery is maybe 50 Watts). I can promise to use it only colder than -20, and I am also thinking of some 1/10" sheet metal in a rectangle just a bit smaller than the battery. Cut out where the heater will be so it has room and won't get crushed by the battery. Cover this with another rectangle of sheet metal to dissipate the heat a bit, and perhaps sandwich the 'heater-cutout sheet' between two sheets...or should I just get a battery blanket or something that is made specifically for overnight battery use? I say overnight because the ads state these heaters can warm up the oil by about 70 F (above ambient) in about 1 hour. That puts this little project of mine into the 'delightfully over-kill' area for all but perhaps a handful of nights for the winter.
The ads also remind excessively that heat rises...would the heating of the oil have any significant impact on the temperature of the coolant?
Wouldn't the amount of energy required to heat the oil over 100F (in -20 or colder with plenty of engine components for the heat to spread to) be well over 500 Watts? Wouldn't the amount of energy required to bring the oil or ATF to 212 F be WAY out of reach for these heaters?
Any Canadians or nothern-US people have any experience with these sorts of things??
THANKS!
Rob-the-oil-nut