Freeze Plug Block heater reviews

[ToddA1]

I've run many of the Kat's brand block heaters with great success.  I run them on a timer, so it's run for about 45 minutes, prior to start up.

I figure if you'll be going through the hassle to run 1, run more. On my truck, I have 2. If I want a quick warm up, I'll run both at the same time. 

The tank heaters also work well, have more power, but are trickier to install.  I'm running a 1500w Zero Start on my B4V TDI.

-Todd

[GypsyR]

I bought a generic no-name from GermanAutoParts and it lasted about a month. Replaced it with one from Kats which died after a week. Had both on a timer so they'd come on about an hour before I left for work. Mostly so I could defrost the windshield quicker. After the second one died I got annoyed and gave up.
The first one was definitely not the same brand (whatever it was) because I had to change the entire cord as it was different too.
Happily I don't really have to have one where I live.
At some point I'll be swapping in a fresh 1.6 and I'm on the fence as to whether I want to try one more time.

[Sansocal]

I bought a generic no-name from GermanAutoParts and it lasted about a month. Replaced it with one from Kats which died after a week. Had both on a timer so they'd come on about an hour before I left for work. Mostly so I could defrost the windshield quicker. After the second one died I got annoyed and gave up.
The first one was definitely not the same brand (whatever it was) because I had to change the entire cord as it was different too.
Happily I don't really have to have one where I live.
At some point I'll be swapping in a fresh 1.6 and I'm on the fence as to whether I want to try one more time.

It's strange that so many people have had block heaters stop working on them... They aren't that complicated, I don't think they are much more than a giant resistor... I know that I am gonna have real ISSUES if mine breaks after a week, haha. I don't have the time or place to work on my car, not to mention my will to work on it is almost tapped..

[libbydiesel]

I've never had a block heater fail and have used them daily for several months of the year for several years.  I have had the cords get damaged.

[Killabee228]

What about FrostHeater.com?


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[TylerDurden]

Frostheater has a good reputation (I've never used one) .

I had 3 Kats die in the past 18 months. The last one, I did a post mortem and the bimetallic switch had failed.

The Temro hose heater  is still working, four years now.

[williamtaygan]

I have the Temro/Zerostart block heater on a 4 hour timer up here in Alaska.  Several 1.6s and 1.9s,  Plugged in every night.  2 hours minimum, over 4 is not helpful. 

Cords need to be replaced every 2 years, heaters eventually burn out after several years, but they're not that hard to replace. 

The city wants us to plug in under +20F to reduce pollution and engine wear.  If it's down below zero I have to plug in or they won't start without a big fuss.  Works great to -30F. 

You know if it's NOT plugged in you have to push IN the cold start knob below 10F (to get the engine to catch,) then immediately pull it OUT to keep it running.  Yep, for real.

[love.the.smell]

Usually an hour is sufficient.  But if you're gonna try to get by with the minimum amount of time you might as well hook up the battery charger too when you plug in the block heater 

New glow plugs and properly adjusted injection pump timing plus properly adjusting the injection timing advance lever will do wonders.  Sometimes the glow plug issue is as simple as the relay or fusible link being bad.  Check those first before going through the trouble of replacing glow plugs.

[TylerDurden]

Put a Temro hose heater into the 86TD to replace a dead Kat's.

Postmortem on the Kat's shows an open circuit on the heating element.

86TD no likey -10^oF without heater. Needs extra battery boost to crank enough to start. 5w-40 synth oil.

[Rabbit79]

I've had a Katz in mine for 10 or 12 years. I can't really remember exactly when I put it in there but it was quite a while ago. Never had a bit of trouble with it. I usually try to plug it in about 2 hours before start up.

[madrogers]

 Working the night shift in Manitoba leads to some -30C start ups , I have two 400w Temro frost plug style heaters installed on my 1.6 td, one was original and the other was a used one I put in. Both are at least 6 years old.
 
 I use two so if one should fail the other would get me going so I can get home. I plug in 1.5 hr before I leave work and have instant heat to clear the windshield.
 
 At home I have light timer that turns on a hour before I leave and that works well. They (our power company) recommends max 4 hours to save power. so 2 hours for me (2x400) but that is not req.  At home I have plugged in .5 hour and it has started well but the glow plug light will come on still.
 the recirculating type heaters work well but seem to fail if left on for long periods of time do to over heating causing  the thermo strip fail.
 On my wifes mk 4 jetta tdi came with a glue on oil pan heater , with no frost plugs to install a heater into. I installed a radiant heater (a element with a cover on it) to the rear l/s of the block and that also worked great. for the 14 years she had it.
 Just my 2 cents. 
     

[TylerDurden]

I'm installing a Temro 1kW tank in a MK4 TDI this weekend. Rethinking the plumbing... series or parallel into the oil heater hoses...  haven't decided yet.

[hasenpfeffer]

I'm installing a Temro 1kW tank in a MK4 TDI this weekend. Rethinking the plumbing... series or parallel into the oil heater hoses...  haven't decided yet.

I just bough a Kats tank style heater to install on my Mk1 Rabbit with a tired 1.5D. I'm also figuring out the routing. Kats directions say to connect it to a coolant passage / engine block drain or lower rad hose but preferably directly to the block drain. Not really sure where that is located. Also, the outlet hose cannot be more than 18" so depending on where the block drain is and where I can mount the tank heater will determine whether or not I install it to the lower rad hose.

[TylerDurden]

Ja, I put my tank in parallel down by the oil cooler.

On a MK1... I'd probably tee into the heater hose before the valve and down by the waterpump on the heater return.

You probably can't tee into the lower radiator hose, since the thermostat will block the flow from there.

[745 turbogreasel]

The OEM one on my suburban works fine, but  shocks the **** out of you if you touch the car with it plugged in, what's up with that?

Cali, so Idon't really use it.