Vans engine warmer

Anyone have experience with Vans HotStrip warmer that bonds to engine sump? Its starting to get cold here in Ohio and there is no heat in my hanger. I like the idea of just plugging it in. Thanks

We love ours......

...Dan. It's a Reiff system, not Van's and has two heating elements that bond to the sump with supplied JB Kwik. They'll heat the oil 86 degrees above ambient and the engine starts immediately. A bonus is that you get much quicker oiling on the cam lobes and lifters.

Regards,

pierre smith said:

...Dan. It's a Reiff system, not Van's and has two heating elements that bond to the sump with supplied JB Kwik. They'll heat the cylinders 86 degrees above ambient and the engine starts immediately. A bonus is that you get much quicker oiling on the cam lobes and lifters.

Regards,

Click to expand...

Dittos on the engine sump heater. I have been using an older version of the Reiff heater for many years. Any time now (after first frost) my plane's heater will get plugged in and will stay connected 24/7 (except when flying.....) until early April.

http://thervjournal.com/cold.html

The HotStrip system is superior to the HotPadd heater I use because it is easier to install and may be more reliable in the long run.

Reiff=good

I just installed the Reiff standard system in N3726B. It uses one of the sump heaters (Van's version has 2) but has 4 band heaters that go around the cylinder bases. We had that system on a 172 kept outside in NH and it worked great.

The HotStrip sump heaters are made out of metal, and you bond them (with JB Weld) to the oil sump. It is amazing how hot they get when plugged on (don't touch!!) but if you unplug them the heat is down to tolerable in a matter of seconds, indicating good heat transfer into the engine. Pretty much the same story on the band heaters.

I'll likely be plugging my system in this weekend, 24/7 as noted above until spring arrives.

Check out their webpage for lots of great info http://www.reiffpreheat.com/

Not affiliated, but a very happy customer.

EZ Heat warmer

Dan
I have an EZ Heat strip on my oil sump. It works perfectly. I left it on overnight for an early flight next morning and the oil was 97 degrees. The engine just starts so much easier. I have it all tie wrap to my engine mount and the plug right below my oil door. Easy access to plug it in.
Darren Kerns
RV8 N214TK
Taswell IN
Hangared at FRH

I have a Reiff system on my 9A as well, and it works great in the Michigan winters. However, there are some compelling arguments for not keeping it plugged in 24/7 (depends in large part on how often the aircraft is flown). My routine is to call the fuel service 3-4 hours before my planned flight or the night before if I'm planning an early departure. They have a key to my hangar and will plug me in whether I need fuel or not. By keeping the cowl inlets and air intake plugged and keeping a packing blanket over the cowl, by the time I arrive the entire engine comparment is warm and the oil is over 72 degrees. This even during the coldest nights. If your aircraft is far away ( I live 15 miles from KPTK) or if you don't have someone you can rely on, you can use a device like the "Clapper" to start your heater. Parts are avail from Radio Shack for about $20 and all that's needed to activate is a pager.
Terry

Oil heater on 24/7

I have concerns about this as well. The concern (not tested) is that it may create condensation on metal parts leading to corrosion.

I have the old Reiff pad and turning it on 3-4 hours before flight with a timer gets the oil temp up to the 80s F. I also use a pad over the cowl and a towel in the cowl inlets.

I only use the heater when I fly and if I use the heater I fly even if the original trip is changed.

What I need to do is get my engine dryer completed which may eliminate all condensation concerns (in addition to being in a dry climate).

Bottom line: The engine oil sump heater is a necessity where I live in Colorado even though I am in a hangar (unheated).

a couple of additional ideas...

I have the Reiff Heater on my RV-6 and it works well. Since I'm on an airpark, I plug the heater into a lamp timer so it will come on in the early morning on the cold days when I need to make an early departure. I also hang a 100 watt trouble light the cabin to keep the panel and electrical systems above freezing. Additionally, use the cowl plugs from Vans, and wrap a couple of blankets around the cowl and prop. You'd be suprised how much heat loss is due just to a metal prop. YMMV...

terrykohler said:

I have a Reiff system on my 9A as well, and it works great in the Michigan winters. However, there are some compelling arguments for not keeping it plugged in 24/7 (depends in large part on how often the aircraft is flown). My routine is to call the fuel service 3-4 hours before my planned flight or the night before if I'm planning an early departure. They have a key to my hangar and will plug me in whether I need fuel or not. By keeping the cowl inlets and air intake plugged and keeping a packing blanket over the cowl, by the time I arrive the entire engine comparment is warm and the oil is over 72 degrees. This even during the coldest nights. If your aircraft is far away ( I live 15 miles from KPTK) or if you don't have someone you can rely on, you can use a device like the "Clapper" to start your heater. Parts are avail from Radio Shack for about $20 and all that's needed to activate is a pager.
Terry

Click to expand...

what's a pager???

terrykohler said:

I have a Reiff system on my 9A as well, and it works great in the Michigan winters. However, there are some compelling arguments for not keeping it plugged in 24/7 (depends in large part on how often the aircraft is flown).<snip>

Click to expand...

I was wondering how long it would take for the questions to arise about 24/7 heater use.

How to use an engine heater is not as simple a question as some might think. As Terry mentioned, heater use depends a great deal on how often the plane is flown. Below are some of my thoughts based on nine years of sump heater use on my RV-6 and continually researching anything I can find on the subject.

1) Lycoming and Continental do not officially condone the use of engine heaters 24/7. For some pilots, that is reason enough to not use a heater on a continuous basis.

2) The reason for concern about 24/7 heater use is the accumulation of moisture in the engine. That is a valid concern and none of us want our engines to rust internally.

3) Moisture accumulates in the engine from water trapped in the oil during combustion which collects on engine internals when there are temperature differentials within the engine (warm oil/air, cold engine).

4) The reason I justify 24/7 sump heater operation on my plane is threefold:

A) My plane is flown at least once a week (addicted to Saturday morning pancakes.....). It is my opinion that weekly flights are sufficient to prevent the onset of corrosion because this doesn't allow oil time to vacate internal engine surfaces so corrosion can get started.

B) It is my opinion that maintaining the entire engine at a temp above the dewpoint is the best way to avoid temperature differentials in the engine that promote condensation. My engine doesn't know winter exists since it thinks warm weather reigns year round. When the plane is returned to the hangar following flight, the heater is plugged in and the engine stays warm all winter just as it does the remainder of the year. In my climate, a blanket over the cowl and inlets plugged will keep oil temps near 90 F and CHT about the same. This means the entire engine is heat-soaked. The heater has a thermostat that limits oil temp to 150 which is plenty cool to prevent degrading or coking of the oil.

C) I had the opportunity to pull a cylinder (sticky valves). Since the heater had been used for four winters, I made a concerted effort to check the condition of cam lobes and lifters and could see no indication of any corrosion, the internals of the engine were pristine.

In summary, I use a heater 24/7 because I want the entire engine to remain at a stabilized temp above the dewpoint for the duration of cold weather, and my plane is flown frequently which I think also prevents the possibility of corrosion. In my opinion, cycling a heater with a timer between flights is the worst possible scenario since it creates a favorable opportunity for moisture released from the oil to accumulate in the engine due to temperature differentials.

My conclusions won't be appropriate for all situations, so as they sometimes say......your mileage may vary.

Engine heat 24/7

We've had Tanis heaters on a Commanche 260, Lance and Pitts S-2A. When at home or where power's available they have been plugged in full time. The Pitts is flown least, sometimes only every 4 to 6 weeks in winter. All these engines have done perfectly with no corrosion and full runs between o'hauls. Should work in an RV too. I put the Reiff system on my -8 and hope it does as well. Bill

Comment on Dew Point

Isn't the dew point related to the amount of moisture in the air? If so, then when you first shut the engine down the dew point is much, much higher than after the internal air equalizes to the ambient air.

That is why, warm or not, I use a dehydrator 365/year.