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block heater?

rowboat212rowboat212 Member Posts: 74 ✭✭
in Engine Discussions
You fellas ought to have seen me a few nights ago... Sick as a dog, dark as can be, and after watching the weatherman inform his audience that it would be dropping to 24* after a high of 40*, and not to break 40* the following day.... And I hadn't winterized my engine..  :o

Weather here is strange.  I've gone full consecutive winters where it never dropped below 30*, and then last season it dropped and remained below 20* for several days..  I was winterized then, though.. here's the thing: I'll use my boat during the winter when there will be a few days of 70* and Sun, with the fish biting.. so... I can't bring myself to do multiple pink loads and complete drains each time... Which brings me to block heaters... 

The kind I speak of are 600w and fit into a freeze plug fitting... Slap her and tap her, and connect the cord to the plug, and the other end into a power source... This shouldn't give me a moments grief, right?  Am I missing something?  The oitdrive will be perpendicular to the ground, so it shouldn't be holding water.. between this and a lightbulb in the engine compartment for the hoses, I should be good, right? 
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    rowboat212rowboat212 Member Posts: 74 ✭✭
    Please allow me to answer my own question:  DUh...

    Those aren't freeze plugs.... Those are casting covers.. a block heater won't work for me... Or y'all either, with sbc blocks... I obviously didn't think that through. 

    I think I'll be buying a boatsafe marine grade heater... It's two bills, 1000w, and will keep the engine compartment toasty even during the hardest freezes, and thermostatically controlled not to run above freezing. 
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    LaReaLaRea Member, Moderator Posts: 7,540 mod
    With any heating device, question is: what will your insurance company say after your boat burns down?  With an approved marine bilge heater, you should be fine.  With a light bulb, the underwriters will be rubbing their hands in glee as they firmly deny your claim.

    But, of course, the heater is only as reliable as your electrical power.
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    Black_DiamondBlack_Diamond Member Posts: 5,439 ✭✭✭✭✭
    BTW: the block heater only works when the block is filled with antifreeze, otherwise it just burns out.

    Past owner of a 2003 342FV
    PC BYC, Holland, MI
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    Handymans342Handymans342 Member Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Why would you drain the green stuff?

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