Radiator Lower Hose Heater

(To see a follow up to this installation, six years later, see here)

As part of the idea to give the engine as easy a life as possible during the winter months, especially when it's below -10 C, today I installed a Temro 375 watt in-line lower radiator hose coolant heater. This should help get the engine up to operating temperatures sooner, helped along by the removable magnetic oil sump heater that has also been installed.

The hose heater is very easy to install. I think it took about 20 minutes in total, and that's including draining the system and cutting the hose to install the heater.

Pictured below, the basic kit, which I've installed on the radiator hose. Between the plastic box and the hose is the segment of hose removed to make way for the heater. The cap on the plug end is nice to have.

Another view of the installation. Very easy to do. Clamps came with the kit.

A view inside the element's plug.

Below: installed. There is adequate room, in fact it fits in the space just perfectly. The clamp screw is actually quite a ways from the engine casting, it's only the perspective that makes it look close. This view is with the radiator fan shroud removed, which had to be done for the installation. The gold-coloured fitting at left is the shroud bracket; at right is the radiator fan. The lower lip of the shroud comes very close to the heater cord, and so I've placed a 3" length of plastic wire protecting tube around the wire, to prevent wear.

The heater could have been placed the other way around, with the wire pointing down, but then access to the hose clamp screws would have been next to impossible if they need tightening at some point, plus I wanted the wire to come up to the same location where the battery trickle charger connects, so both can be unplugged at the same time.

Below, just a better view of the protective ribbed plastic cover. There hasn't been time to do a full test, but after half an hour plugged in, the surface of the heater element read 51 C, and the surface of the hose above the heater read 34 C. The kit indicates that the heater can be left on all night, but that turning it on 2 to 3 hours before the vehicle needs to be driven is usually adequate to heat things up.