All right, I'm a Newbie at cold temps and working hard at learning. I am accustomed to taking things on the nose, the hard way. However, I think that this one is working out OK. Now being based in the North and wanting to fly when I want to given relatively short notice, I have devised my own at home base heating method.
Now, those of you that are old hands at this will probably punch holes in this given the argument of condesation, etc. Please chime in.
Zane, I don't know how to attach the photo to the post so if you want, edit and help me out.
The picture depicts (look in my photos) the small monitor is the outside ambient temp (-30) and the top number on the larger monitor is the inside cowl temp. with the sender sitting in front of the #1 cylinder. The oil temp gauge on the panel reads 130 degrees consistently.
So far this has worked very well. The heating "system" consists of a 200w light bulb and a 100w oil pan pad and an Alaskan Wing Covers engine cowl blanket.
Throw in guys, what's been working for you.

Your system seams to be just adequate.

To break it down...

An engine temp of 46* is ok. But a higher temp would be better. But I think with just a light bulb that is all you are going to be able to get. I would make sure that the hot bulb can't come in contact with anything. wires, SCAT tubing, oil/fuel drips, etc.

A must have is an insolated prop/spinner cover. Check www.cunninghamcovers.com this is because your prop and engine crank are acting as a giant heat sink. And condensation is forming inside the engine if there is any humidity.

Talking about humidity, make sure that the engine case breather tube is open to the outside. The water vapor has to get outside or you are going to have an ice brick in your engine cover where the water soaks then freezes inside the cover.

Ok what has been working for me...

Cunningham Covers for Prop, Cowl, Cabin, Wing, and Stab. I can't remember the oil pad I have (came with the plane) but it is ~300 watts and is temp controlled. I installed 100 watt Tanis ( www.tanair.com ) cylinder heaters and 120 watt engine case heater that is installed on the top of the case. All of this gets the engine evenly hot in short time or when it is very cold.

I also made a copy of a "Northern Companion" ( http://www.tacaviation.com/default.htm ) using a MSR EGK EX stove ( http://www.msrcorp.com/stoves/xgk.asp )that runs off almost any fuel ie 100LL. The stove and some tubing from the hardware store works great in the field. FYI The real NC uses a MSR stove.

Hope this helps.

-Todd Giencke A&P, IA, Avionics

I am always stunned that apparently rational individuals will spend tens of thousands of dollars to purchase an airplane, then try to get by on the cheap with engine heat, or other things.

Reiff or Tanis both make excellent pre heating systems. Your light bulb may work fine, but it won't give the heat or the consistency of the "systems" that are readily available. There is always a potential for breakage or burn out of the light bulb as well.

As the man said, add a set of blade covers, and that big aluminum radiator out there won't dispose of as much engine heat, and a spinner cover will keep the inner workings of that constant speed prop ready to cycle when you are ready to go flying.

Cobble up what you like to preheat. I'll stick to a tested and well thought out system, that is installed on the plane. All I have to carry around in the back is an extension cord. No light bulbs, etc. Park, plug it in, and its' miller time.

MTV

I'm with you on this.

it was -17 here this am and my engine was nice and toasty.

I fired up on the second blade with 2 primer pumps and one shot from the accelerator pump.

Easy to unplug and plug in and dependable.

Dane

just installed an EZ-Heat system in the 180 and just received my engine, prop and spinner covers for christmas. Kennon covers work great and have had good luck and easy starts on my 172 taildragger equipped with the same covers and a full tanis pre heat system. Treat your engine right and it will treat you back with longevity. Now if we cold have some cold temps and some snowfall here in Maine, I could put all these things to good use. Anyone else ready to put their floats on?

EZ-Heat! That's the name of my oil pad heater. I couldn't for the life of me remember the name.

I highly recomend these pads. Better than Tanis IMHO. Because they are of higher wattage and thermostatically controlled.

Here is their web site www.e-zheat.com/index.htm

-Todd Giencke A&P, IA, Avionics

Todd,

THe difference between the Tanis system and the EZ Heat is that the Tanis is a System, with heat probes in the cylinders, AND heat pads on the engine case, AND heat pad on the oil pan. Therefore, the oil pan pad doesn't have to be as large.

The EZ Heat pad works okay, as far as it goes.

I prefer the Reiff preheat systems, which have a pan heater, and a heat band around each cylinder. Good heat, good distribution of heat, and reliable.

If it gets REALLY cold where you're at, you really need a System, as opposed to a heat pad alone.

MTV

The reason I said I like the EZ-Heat oil pad more is because of the higher wattage and being thermostatically controlled. ie Heat the oil faster but not burn the oil.

I substituted the EZ-heat oil pan pad (all ready installed) for the tanis oil pan pad because I have high wattage cyclinder probes and case heater. I can go to the field and heat up the whole engine and oil in shorter amount of time.

My application isn't the same for AK pilots where they have to deal with seriously low temps all of the time.

-Todd Giencke A&P, IA, Avionics

Mike, I think I appreciate the "Apparently rational" moniker, almost sounds like a compliment, sort of anyway but you made your point.
As far as the cheap on the heat end of things, yeah, to date I am but not without caution. The picture depicted was an extreme. I was quite surprised at the temp that I was able to maintain with a relatively simplistic (cheap) form of temp stabilization. And no, at the time there were no blade covers, hence my surprise at the temps.
The plane does not fly unless there is a uniform temp between the cylinders, block and oil. To date, my personal minumum is 75 degrees (case & oil). If it limits the days I fly so be it, better than a new engine.
This coming year will see a Reiff system fitted with the 100 watt cylinder bands. I agree, uniform heat and simple, oh, and cheaper than the Tanis... A nice system that enjoys quite a popularity in these parts, your opinion has company.
In the next year there will also be a heated hangar in the front yard.
Yesterday at the cabin, the oil pad was plugged into the generator at 7:30 and the stove was added to the engine at 10. By 11, the oil temp gauge read about 80 (OAT +12), left the stove on till 11:45 until the temps were uniform to the touch on the case and cylinders. Then we started the engine and had a pleasant ride home.
While the total invested from a dollar standpoint may be small or the disadvantage of a concise system may not be present, it does not preclude using some common sense and what you have available to you at the time. Learning? Yeah, quite a bit. I have also have the advantage of a number of AI's and some very high time (local) pilots who I am sure tire of the "what if's & how come's" but have the generosity and understanding to offer advice, guidence & leadership to share the knowledge some of us were not born with.
So I appreciate the sharing of info from here too.

YELLOWMAULE wrote: Mike, I think I appreciate the "Apparently rational" moniker, almost sounds like a compliment, sort of anyway but you made your point. ..................... .

Ah, the old back-handed compliment. My favorites are "gee, you dance real well for a fat girl" or "you sure don't sweat much for a fat guy". "You're not as dumb as you look" is a close runner-up.


Eric

Hey, Guys,

The "apparently rational" moniker was applied to people who own aircraft. I own one, by the way. Every time I think about that, I question my sanity, then I smile, and think about something else.

My point, perhaps not well stated, was that to protect such an expensive piece of machinery as that engine, I'd not be at all reluctant to spend some money on it.

I know guys who have burned airplanes to the ground with cobbled up heaters. And, generally, they were uninsured.

MTV