I know this won't work out in the field (unless you have electricity), but is anyone using 1200 watt hairdryer? One of my friends in Ak uses these exclusively to preheat. They don't last forever, but he buys them at yard sales and close-outs and has a box of them on hand. They work well too. I haven't used one yet as my plane has a Tannis system installed, but he preheated a plane last October in Talkeetna in a pretty short time. Fitrst time I had seen it done. He swears by it.

I think one of those small ceramic-element space heaters would be a better show-- designed more for constant operation as opposed to a handheld hairdryer which unless you're Lady Godiva only needs to run for a few minutes.
Before the small ceramic heaters there were "milkhouse heaters" which use the old-school resistance-type heat elements.
As I may have mentioned, I use a drop light with a 125W heat bulb under the engine 24/7 in the winter months, with an old wool blanket draped over the cowl. Other people I know use a regular 60W or 100W light bulb. Works well in our mild western WA temps.

obxbushpilot wrote:I know this won't work out in the field (unless you have electricity), but is anyone using 1200 watt hairdryer? One of my friends in Ak uses these exclusively to preheat. They don't last forever, but he buys them at yard sales and close-outs and has a box of them on hand. They work well too. I haven't used one yet as my plane has a Tannis system installed, but he preheated a plane last October in Talkeetna in a pretty short time. Fitrst time I had seen it done. He swears by it.

After I showed mountain matt my heater made from an old clothes dryer element, my wife came up with the old hair dryer idea..I don't know if Matt ever tried it.

If you have electricity available,NAPA sells heating pads, similar to the easy heat pads, starting around $50.00 if I remember right. Different wattages available. Stick to the pan an plug 'em in.

In the hangar I throw an old sleeping bag, with zipper removed, over the cowl tucking it into the inlets. Then plug in the EZ-heat sump heater at least a day before flying. Whole engine is toasty and no delay waiting for oil to warm. Before the EZ-heat, I used to use an electric heating pad, normally used for spot heating like an electric blanket except the innards are sealed in plastic and I removed the outer fabric slip-cover. I've had Golden Rod dehumidifiers too, in several sizes, they're okay but the heating pad work better . . . and the EZ-heat best of all I've tried for indoor electric available.

I have a Sure-Fire (propane preheater in a tool box), though rarely use it. Planning to experiment with the campstove in the ammo can idea.

"Bush Flying" (book) from FE Potts shows an old school blow torch (the kind you had to pump up) and a 4 foot stove pipe. Same idea as the camp stove design. I always liked the simplicity of it. I bought one of these torches at an antique roadside stand after I saw that in the book. Haven't tried it yet.

I have had my Reiff heater (I thought it was a Tannis) on now for a week with a blanket over the cowling in my hangar. Is it OK to leave these on indefinately? Last year I turned it on bfore flying and waited. The Reiff has clamps around the cylinders and a sump patch which seems to warm up in an hour or less in my climate (lows into the 20s).

Since heated air can hold more moisture, there is an argument that leaving a preheater on can expose your engine to moisture
http://www.reiffpreheat.com/FAQ.htm#QA3

The above article mentions a March 2007 Aviation consumer article that has an excerpt that their experiment shows leaving a preheater on dries the engine out.

My experience is that a rodent thought the air intake became a snug winter home.

-Dick

rjb wrote:Since heated air can hold more moisture, there is an argument that leaving a preheater on can expose your engine to moisture
http://www.reiffpreheat.com/FAQ.htm#QA3

The above article mentions a March 2007 Aviation consumer article that has an excerpt that their experiment shows leaving a preheater on dries the engine out.

My experience is that a rodent thought the air intake became a snug winter home.

-Dick

I would think if there is condensation forming in the engine, it will form where the cold front within the engine meets the warm. (Incomplete warming.) At the point where the whole engine becomes warm, then moisture ceases to form and in becoming warmer yet, begins to drive out the moisture through evaporation. Same as when the engine is run long enough that engine heat drives out condensates. Short running times are disastrous and short and incomplete warming might create the same effect if it is not followed by some healthy running time.

As I recall, the problems cited occured in engines with the sump heater left on *and* where the rocker covers in particular where exposed to cold air. There was a fair amount of rust on the inside surfaces of the covers. It's really important to cover the cowl so the whole engine get's warm. If the prop is metal, it's good to cover it too, as it will act like a giant heat sink. Wrapping the blades with towels works in the hangar.

If using a combustion type heater, remember to leave a small opening (oil door or air inlet) to allow circulation of hot air within the compartment.

The heating pads sold at McMaster Carr are the way to go and the same ones used in the Reiff and Tannis systems.

I would recommend the Kapton pads they are the best.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#heat-blankets/=a8uprf



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Mongo,

Good find!

Not to take away from McMaster-Carr, I source from them all the time. The heat pads you reference are suggested to be installed with a heat control device (i.e. thermostat). MC's, at least the ones I found, are pricey. When added to the cost of the heat pad, might as well buy a ready made one. If using these heat pads without a thermostat, read the specs on max heat output and consider that most petroleum based oils start to break down around >240 F. So you'll probably want a thermostat to cycle off at <160 F or so. Also, if using one of these pads without a thermostat, it may be prudent to select a size 150 watts or less so as to minimize the risk of overheating in moderate temperatures. With thermostat, something on the order of 300 watts will provide more rapid preheating and will provide more adequate heating at lower OATs.

For an inexpensive thermostat switch, this one at Amazon is $10. Opens at 140 F and closes at 125 F that should do fine.

http://www.amazon.com/Senasys-Limit-Sty ... 43&sr=1-84

For those disinclined to break out the soldering iron and put their own sump heater together, this one is a reasonable option and works well on a couple of planes I have:

The E-Z Heat (Aircraft Spruce $150) comes with a thermostat, power cord with plug - - and is at least twice the price of the "build your own" from MC + Amazon option.

bumper

Be very careful with McMaster-Carr it is the best little store on the planet, and you will receive everything next day via ground.
If you ever need odd little things they will have it.
I think racing in the U.S. would stop if it didn't exist....

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I still use a MSR dragonfly, since my hanger has no electricity, and it is very portable so you can use it when in the sticks.

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bumper wrote:Mongo,

Good find!

Not to take away from McMaster-Carr, I source from them all the time. The heat pads you reference are suggested to be installed with a heat control device (i.e. thermostat). MC's, at least the ones I found, are pricey. When added to the cost of the heat pad, might as well buy a ready made one. If using these heat pads without a thermostat, read the specs on max heat output and consider that most petroleum based oils start to break down around >240 F. So you'll probably want a thermostat to cycle off at <160 F or so. Also, if using one of these pads without a thermostat, it may be prudent to select a size 150 watts or less so as to minimize the risk of overheating in moderate temperatures. With thermostat, something on the order of 300 watts will provide more rapid preheating and will provide more adequate heating at lower OATs.

For an inexpensive thermostat switch, this one at Amazon is $10. Opens at 140 F and closes at 125 F that should do fine.

http://www.amazon.com/Senasys-Limit-Sty ... 43&sr=1-84

For those disinclined to break out the soldering iron and put their own sump heater together, this one is a reasonable option and works well on a couple of planes I have:

The E-Z Heat (Aircraft Spruce $150) comes with a thermostat, power cord with plug - - and is at least twice the price of the "build your own" from MC + Amazon option.

bumper

Bumper - how would this idea be incorporated into a system? I would imagine this will sense ambient air temp, or would you mount to the sump in some way?

The thermostat would need to be in contact with the sump. If not directly, then with heat conducting adhesive or compound with an overlay to hold it in place. (e.g. tape the pre-wired thermostat to the sump and then cover and secure it with high temp silicone caulk etc.

Here is my two cents worth; I made a heater out of two 60W electrical cabinet heaters bolted back to back with a metal hook. Cabinet heaters are housed in aluminum and are self regulating. Of course they only work if you have a place to plug them in over night, I hang it from the air box and use an old sleeping bag and cowl plugs to keep the heat in, so far it’s worked for me in the low teens, first try. I think that our primary problem starting in cold weather is the fuel doesn’t atomize, sticks to the manifolds and enters the as a solid instead of a vapor, wetting the plugs and flooding the engine, un like auto fuel 100LL is not a blended for winter operations ( auto fuel is blended with butane in the winter)

Heres a electric heater a guy uses that impressed me. Google- Pelonis HB-211T

Sterno canned heat fuel can, inside a safety shroud, attached to a duct?

Supposedly a 7 ounce can will burn for two hours. Odorless and smokeless. Might be lighter than carrying propane, won't leak from a sealed can, spill resistant, and is probably cost effective. Each two-hour can might heat an engine twice if you're not in really cold temps. No need for a stove or special burner, no pressurization or refilling to worry about, etc.

EZFlap wrote:Sterno canned heat fuel can, inside a safety shroud, attached to a duct?

.

Dunno . . . Sterno canned heat is jelled alcohol and was originally intended to heat chafing dishes. I'd think the limited heat output would mean a long slow preheat when compared to the prodigious btu output of a MSR multi fuel camp stove.

How 'bout just waiting for warmer weather to go fly? It's gotta warm up sooner or later!!