Running Engine heater Vs Propane heater
- Thread starter Chip D
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Bill B
Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2007
- Posts
- 19
Ford 7.3 diesel, manual 6 speed
I used to have to idle while waiting on a shipment (2-3 hours) in low temps (40*F to less). This was after a 50 mile run at 65 so everything was at temp. I had disconnected the A/C compressor, blocked the radiator (heat loss) and would run the heater on Max cool. (Max cool recirculates the truck cab air and with the A/C compressor disconnected, does not cool the interior).
In an hour, the engine temp gauge was down to 1/2 normal and in 2 hours it was blowing cool air. For "playing" (inquiring minds want to know), we played with some fancy gauges and test equipment (engine lab stuff) 1 1/4 pt per hour at idle. 16,050 btu per hour. Between exhaust pipe, block cooling, heater (which can put out 40K btu when everything is hot), idle does not burn enough fuel to keep things warm. This is 1000 lbs of steel cooling down and going into the heater.
Big truck (Volvo 630, 465 hp, OTR truck) uses less than 1/2 gal per hour at low idle. BUT, the exhaust brake will close to provide "work" for the engine to keep temps up.
Lou has it nailed - been there, down that with big block engines.
I used to have to idle while waiting on a shipment (2-3 hours) in low temps (40*F to less). This was after a 50 mile run at 65 so everything was at temp. I had disconnected the A/C compressor, blocked the radiator (heat loss) and would run the heater on Max cool. (Max cool recirculates the truck cab air and with the A/C compressor disconnected, does not cool the interior).
In an hour, the engine temp gauge was down to 1/2 normal and in 2 hours it was blowing cool air. For "playing" (inquiring minds want to know), we played with some fancy gauges and test equipment (engine lab stuff) 1 1/4 pt per hour at idle. 16,050 btu per hour. Between exhaust pipe, block cooling, heater (which can put out 40K btu when everything is hot), idle does not burn enough fuel to keep things warm. This is 1000 lbs of steel cooling down and going into the heater.
Big truck (Volvo 630, 465 hp, OTR truck) uses less than 1/2 gal per hour at low idle. BUT, the exhaust brake will close to provide "work" for the engine to keep temps up.
Lou has it nailed - been there, down that with big block engines.
