So, I was taught in an old Cessna, like most of us, and the only time I ever put on carb heat was when entering the pattern and pulling the throttle back. Now I have a very nice RV6A with a Dynon panel which is equipped with a carb temp gauge. The carb temp turns yellow at 40 degrees, and red at 35 degrees. I have been flying this plane for a couple of years and I usually put the carb heat on when it gets below the 35 degrees, regardless of the stage of flight. FWIW - I didn't not build the plane. The original builder said that he never used the carb heat, even in the pattern. As long as the carb temp gauge showed that is wasn't near 32/0 that he flew the pattern and landed with no carb heat. I have been following those instructions for 2.5 years and almost 300 hours.
On a flight yesterday, it was cold the entire trip. I left the carb heat on the whole time. Clear air, no moisture. I found that when I turned it off, adjustments had to be made to the throttle and the mixture to get it back to a EGT, CHT, Fuel Flow setting that I am used to. In speaking to a flying buddy, he recommended that I ask on here as to if I even needed carb heat at all in that situation. I am positive that if I didn't have the carb temp gauge, that I wouldn't have turned it on unless I was experiencing the signs of carb icing, low RPM and engine roughness. So What say you VAF, when do you pull the carb heat knob?
On a flight yesterday, it was cold the entire trip. I left the carb heat on the whole time. Clear air, no moisture. I found that when I turned it off, adjustments had to be made to the throttle and the mixture to get it back to a EGT, CHT, Fuel Flow setting that I am used to. In speaking to a flying buddy, he recommended that I ask on here as to if I even needed carb heat at all in that situation. I am positive that if I didn't have the carb temp gauge, that I wouldn't have turned it on unless I was experiencing the signs of carb icing, low RPM and engine roughness. So What say you VAF, when do you pull the carb heat knob?