Overall Findings
Block heaters are useful in very cold situations, as they help to warm the engine prior to starting it. This helps reduce damage caused by starting an engine in freezing temperatures. Remote starters, on the other hand, simply start the engine from a distance, allowing you to wait from a warm environment as the car interior warms up.
Use Cases: Engine Maintenance vs. Remote Convenience
Block heaters are electric heating elements that prevent engine coolant from gelling. It’s important to keep coolant as fluid as possible because gelled coolant is colder and therefore has trouble dissipating heat from the engine to the radiator. In extremely cold temperatures, block heaters can prevent oil from thickening and turning into tar. This task is less important, but it can cut down on engine wear. It also allows older engines to operate closer to peak efficiency without needing to warm up. And it means less time sitting in a cold car waiting to get warm. Remote starters allow you to start the engine from a distance. The idea is that you don’t have to wait inside the car while the interior warms up. You just have to make sure your car’s climate controls are the right settings. The main benefit of a remote starter is comfort and convenience, rather than engine care and maintenance. A remote starter will not prevent damage if the weather gets cold enough to gel or freeze engine coolant.
Engine Maintenance: Block Heaters Keep Things Moving
If you park your car outside, and the temperature dips low enough to gel antifreeze or turn oil into a thick sludge, then a remote starter won’t do you any good. Even if the remote starter starts your engine in extreme cold, it may suffer damage as it warms up. If you have a heated garage, then a remote starter can be of use. Block heaters can prevent engine damage in extremely cold weather for a relatively low cost. Certain block heaters, specifically the ones that heat the engine coolant, can make you more comfortable during your commute by quickly providing warm air from the radiator. Although remote starters allow you to warm up your car without going outside, they’re most useful when it isn’t cold enough to warrant a block heater. However, it is still cold enough that jumping into an unheated car would be uncomfortable.
Types of Engine and Block Heaters
There are a few different types of engine heaters, some of which are not necessarily block heaters.
Oil heaters are heating elements that are installed in place of the dipstick or attached to the bottom of the oil pan. The heat they emit keeps the engine oil loose and warm, preventing engine damage and improving gas mileage. Use these types of heaters if you live in an especially cold area. However, they won’t make you more comfortable.In-line coolant heaters warm the coolant to deliver heat to the radiator. The coolant delivers warm air to the car’s interior. In cold weather, it can take some time for the coolant to absorb and dissipate heat from the engine. In-line coolant heaters expedite this process by installing a heater directly into the radiator hose.Contact heaters bolt to the engine, usually to the block, and heat the engine via conduction. These are similar to oil heaters that are fixed to the oil pan. Contact heaters heat the coolant and the oil. In extremely cold environments, block heaters keep the engine oil and coolant more fluid, preventing catastrophic engine damage. They are not necessary in temperate climates.Heater blankets are big pads with resistive heating elements woven into them. They don’t directly heat the engine or its fluids. They radiate heat into the engine by warming up the engine compartment. These are helpful in freezing climates where the damage risk of starting an engine in the cold is high.
Other Electric Car Heater Options
You can connect a block heater to an electrical outlet timer with a remote starter. While somewhat involved, this solution allows you to start the car from a distance while also pre-warming the engine to reduce wear and tear. Plug-in electric car heaters are another way to warm up the inside of a car before stepping into it. With this method, you need a garage or access to an electrical outlet to run them. Nonetheless, it is a more efficient method than running the engine via a remote starter. Depending on the source of electricity where you live, it may also be better for the environment. However, you must be careful about the type of heater you use, as most residential space heaters aren’t safe to use in cars.
