# Timer plug in for Block heater



## londoncalling (Sep 17, 2011)

Every fall I plan to pick up a timer switch for plugging in our block heater on our vehicle. It isn't until about December/January when the temperature drops to minus 30 that I we even plug in our vehicles. The past couple week we have been lazy and leave the car plugged in for days on end wasting electricity. Pre-pandemic it wasn't a big deal as the vehicles usually ran 6-7 days a week and would only be plugged in overnight. Ideally, I would want a timer that cycles on/off for a set time frame when plugged in Does anybody have a plug in timer that they use for such purpose? The best we have right now is a light switch that we have to remember to turn on and off each day.


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## Money172375 (Jun 29, 2018)

This is what I use…..simple mechanical timer.


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## cainvest (May 1, 2013)

Money172375 said:


> This is what I use…..simple mechanical timer.
> View attachment 22588


^ That is likely the cheapest route.

There are digital ones with programs (weekday/weekends) and even ones that you can control from your smartphone via wifi.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

Money172375 said:


> This is what I use…..simple mechanical timer.
> View attachment 22588


The tricky part is the selected timer really should be capable of powering a 3 wire u ground plug - wet front grille and road salt is not a spot where you want to pull the ground pin so you can jam it into a two slot socket timer.

I might be dating myself though.
Maybe current generation block heaters are polarized and double insulated so don't need or come with a ground pin on their plug.


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## MrMatt (Dec 21, 2011)

Ponderling said:


> The tricky part is the selected timer really should be capable of powering a 3 wire u ground plug - wet front grille and road salt is not a spot where you want to pull the ground pin so you can jam it into a two slot socket timer.
> 
> I might be dating myself though.
> Maybe current generation block heaters are polarized and double insulated so don't need or come with a ground pin on their plug.


Just google "Canadian Tire Outdoor Timer", the outdoor ones typically have a ground and some rudimentary sealing.


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## cainvest (May 1, 2013)

Ponderling said:


> The tricky part is the selected timer really should be capable of powering a 3 wire u ground plug - wet front grille and road salt is not a spot where you want to pull the ground pin so you can jam it into a two slot socket timer.
> 
> I might be dating myself though.
> Maybe current generation block heaters are polarized and double insulated so don't need or come with a ground pin on their plug.


You can get both two or three prong, indoor or outdoor depending on your needs. If in a garage, plug an indoor timer into a wall outlet and then use an extension cord to the vehicle.


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## londoncalling (Sep 17, 2011)

Thanks all. I will be needing an outdoor 3 prong to plug into our exterior WP plug on the exterior of our house and run an extension cord to the vehicle. As I imagined they can start at $20ish and go up from there. As it will only be used a couple months at most I doubt i will get a digital wifi model (but they do look amazing) nor will I opt for the cheapest version either. Thanks for the quick responses and if anyone has a model that they are happy with let me know.
@Money172375 do you know what brand and model you posted? I was unable to decipher it from the image.


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## cainvest (May 1, 2013)

Check CDN tire, they usually have a good selection.


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## Fisherman30 (Dec 5, 2018)

I have a timer for both of our vehicles, and it does save a significant amount of electricity. There are valid arguments against them though. The main argument being that when the timer shuts off, if it's cold enough, you can get pieces of ice in the coolant journals throughout the engine. The oil also turns to molasses. If the oil hasn't thinned out enough by the time you start the engine, you will have parts flailing around with effectively no lubrication until the oil gets warm enough. This can gradually cause wear that will end up costing more money in vehicle maintenance/premature engine failure than the money saved on electricity. It's not great for your vehicle to just let it freeze when it's -30 to -40.


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## Money172375 (Jun 29, 2018)

londoncalling said:


> Thanks all. I will be needing an outdoor 3 prong to plug into our exterior WP plug on the exterior of our house and run an extension cord to the vehicle. As I imagined they can start at $20ish and go up from there. As it will only be used a couple months at most I doubt i will get a digital wifi model (but they do look amazing) nor will I opt for the cheapest version either. Thanks for the quick responses and if anyone has a model that they are happy with let me know.
> @Money172375 do you know what brand and model you posted? I was unable to decipher it from the image.


Intermatic seems the most well known and available brand.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

I have one like Money stuck the image up of. It is Intermatic TN111. Rated indoor use only, 2 wire - no ground pin provision. Lives with my Christmas lights supply, and has worked plugged in outdoors sheltered by the eaves for over 15 years of seasonal service.


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## GreatLaker (Mar 23, 2014)

I am on my 4th winter with this one. It has worked flawlessly. It has IP44 ingress protection (splash protection from any angle). I use it to control my block heater and outdoor Christmas lights. I have it set for a regular on/off time for my usual schedule, but I can also override that from my phone when my schedule changes.
Meross Smart Wi-Fi Indoor/Outdoor Plug 

It is available on Amazon Canada. It has a smartphone app that uses Wi-Fi to control devices. I also have some smart plugs and bulbs from the same company. I set them to turn a couple of lights on and off when I am on vacation. I know you said you wanted a basic mechanical timer, but the Wi-Fi timers are versatile and have benefits worth considering.


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## gardner (Feb 13, 2014)

I have one of these that I picked up on sale at crappy tire for $15








Geeni Indoor/Outdoor Weatherproof Smart Plug - Single


Control your lighting, pumps, and other devices using your smartphone from anywhere, anytime. Turn on your holiday lights or schedule the sprinklers without even having to step outside.




mygeeni.com




I converted it to Tasmota (Tasmota Documentation - Tasmota) so I didn't need the cloud -- which I have problems with.
On my truck I have the block heater AND a battery warmer plugged together into a Y and then run the whole thing just when I will want the truck running in 2 or 3 hours.

I think block heaters and battery warmers have been 3-pin grounded devices for about 30 years.


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## londoncalling (Sep 17, 2011)

Ended up ordering Woods 50016WD Outdoor 24-Hour Digital Plug-In Block Heater Timer, 2 Grounded Outlets, Timers - Amazon Canada last night. I don't expect any issues but will post here if I ended up purchasing a dud. I am not sure why I thought these would be more expensive or have a greater range in price. One final caution would be that one has to be mindful of the differences in temperature/humidity we experience in this county.


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## HappilyRetired (Nov 14, 2021)

I believe that many of the block heaters on most newer vehicles don't even activate until -15C or -18C even if the car is plugged in. Depending on where you live it may rarely turn on especially if you use a garage.


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## cainvest (May 1, 2013)

HappilyRetired said:


> I believe that many of the block heaters on most newer vehicles don't even activate until -15C or -18C even if the car is plugged in. Depending on where you live it may rarely turn on especially if you use a garage.


That's only some brands/models ... mainly GM I believe don't operate until -18c though there are ways around that issue. Some vehicles don't even have block heaters anymore, they use oil pan heaters.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

I drive a GM Volt,and they have all sort of heaters. 

The HV battery bank, and dc/dc converter that spins 12v power from the HV battery has a coolant loop. The internal combustion engine has a coolant loop, and then a passenger compartment coolant loop. 

The battery when charging generates heat, and so in summer a fan will come on at times. But in the winter it has an battery powered heater that works to keep the battery warm. 

So in the winter I plug it in at home even if it is barely discharged after unplugging it from the port at my office. 

It does have brains you can set up as to when it charges. I have it set to power up so fully charged at 7am. So depending on state of discharge and ambient temperature it figures when to start.


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## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

Years ago I ran an extension cord out thru a window to plug in my car, and would plug it into the wall socket an hour or 2 before I wanted to use it. I am sure these days you could accomplish the same thing with a cell phone app or other device, at much greater sophistication and expense.


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## HappilyRetired (Nov 14, 2021)

Rusty O'Toole said:


> Years ago I ran an extension cord out thru a window to plug in my car, and would plug it into the wall socket an hour or 2 before I wanted to use it. I am sure these days you could accomplish the same thing with a cell phone app or other device, at much greater sophistication and expense.


If the garage is on a separate circuit you can just flip the breaker on and off.


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## cainvest (May 1, 2013)

Rusty O'Toole said:


> I am sure these days you could accomplish the same thing with a cell phone app or other device, at much greater sophistication and expense.


Costco sells a two pack of outdoor wifi outlets for $29. Not sure what they're rated for but it shows you can set schedule times for them.


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## londoncalling (Sep 17, 2011)

My timer arrived a few days ago just in time for the temperatures on the prairies to climb to near freezing. It was much nicer setting the programming while it was warm. The timer works just fine and was fairly straight forward to set. Based on the instructions you can sett it for different days of the week but I believe only for one time period. It will certainly suffice until next winter when i may consider getting something with more features. I haven't had a chance to test it out in really cold weather yet and hope I don't get the chance again this winter. 
I am worried that it won't work at -40 when I need it most. Perhaps in those instances I will just unplug the timer and go straight from the outlet. The extra cost of power consumption is minimal in comparison to missing work or other appointments.


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## Covariance (Oct 20, 2020)

If you use a mechanical timer don't forget to re adjust the time of day after a power outage.


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## MK7GTI (Mar 4, 2019)

londoncalling said:


> My timer arrived a few days ago just in time for the temperatures on the prairies to climb to near freezing. It was much nicer setting the programming while it was warm. The timer works just fine and was fairly straight forward to set. Based on the instructions you can sett it for different days of the week but I believe only for one time period. It will certainly suffice until next winter when i may consider getting something with more features. I haven't had a chance to test it out in really cold weather yet and hope I don't get the chance again this winter.
> I am worried that it won't work at -40 when I need it most. Perhaps in those instances I will just unplug the timer and go straight from the outlet. The extra cost of power consumption is minimal in comparison to missing work or other appointments.


As a resident of Yellowknife the timer or no timer debate has been had many times. Personally, I don’t bother using one. I don’t take the chance of it not working. I plug both cars in just before heading to bed. Both cars are plugged in each night January through February. Sure it costs a little more but I’m not to concerned.


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