House battery to power 6.0 block heater

bebopsteve · 02-03-2021, 04:58 PM

Has anyone here used an inverter connected to the house power to provide juice for the 6.0 block heater? We’re up in north Utah next week and the block heater has been a must for starting our 6.0 psd after sitting all night in the cold. With no electrical power nearby, I’m brainstorming other options. TIA for any good tips.

**BroncoHauler** · 02-03-2021, 05:15 PM

I've read, but have no firsthand knowledge, that the block heater draws between 1000W-1200W, that's between 83 Amps and 100 Amps at 12V.

Herb

Twoxentrix · 02-03-2021, 05:17 PM

Believe they are around 1000W, so the amp draw would be around 8.5A for a 120V source - Producing that for an extended period of time through your inverter would tax the house battery. Would be like running your microwave for 7-10hrs (or however long you expect to use the block heater).

arctictraveller · 02-03-2021, 06:48 PM

Yup, that's not going to work for long. If your stuck and the engine won't start, the batterys might just warm the engine enough that it would start, but it would completely kill your battery in a short time, and then you wouldn't have any house electric until you plugged in or got the engine started and then drove for hours. A little Honda generator might be nice though since you could run the block heater for a few hours to get started.

gahamby · 02-04-2021, 08:18 AM

Work out a schedule to turn the motor over every so often. Rig a remote start to a timer program. Perhaps have a low temperature parameter so it only triggers when necessary.
Do any of the Espar style heaters have a recirculating function that would keep the engine coolant up to operating temperature?

pjpvi · 02-04-2021, 09:25 AM

FWIW, I think the coldest I have started my 6.0 in was 15° F in Mexico last year. It's not entirely happy starting in that cold but it fired right up. I do not think it would have started well with the original starter. It would hardly turn over in the cold with the original starter. I did the 6.4 starter upgrade before leaving on my trip south and it has been one of the better upgrades yet. If you haven't done that upgrade yet I'd recommend it as it does give some peace of mind starting the 6.0 in cold weather.

Just my 2cents.