Coolant heater not working

[Dr.him]

Just installed a block circulating heater
Plugged in for 4 hours didn't do anything even a little bit help to start
What I'm doing wrong?

http://imgur.com/a/f48lMsp

Circulating Coolant Heater 1500 Watt 120 Volt

Circulation engine heater, 1500 watt 120 volt, designed to preheat engine coolant. Eliminates cold start damage.

katsblockheater.com

 

[Diesel Fumes]

I can't tell from that pic. But the heater needs to be down low. Like as low as you can get it. The hose going from the heater to the block must be on an upwards slope otherwise it won't work. At least my zerostart works this way I assume yours is the same

 

[Dr.him]

I can't tell from that pic. But the heater needs to be down low. Like as low as you can get it. The hose going from the heater to the block must be on an upwards slope otherwise it won't work. At least my zerostart works this way I assume yours is the same

It is low you see it connected to the temp sensor hose going to oil cooler
You also see that the hose is having a kind of slope

 

[Diesel Fumes]

It is low you see it connected to the temp sensor hose going to oil cooler
You also see that the hose is having a kind of slope

I had to put mine damn near underneath the battery tray for it to work. I had mine where I thought it was low, but only the heater itself would get hot. It wouldn't circulate the coolant. Someone else will chime in but it might need to be even lower. Where you have yours doesn't really look like the right place but it's hard for me to tell since I'm not looking at where mine is installed at the moment

Does the unit itself get hot? If it's working properly I think it should get hot within a couple mins of plugging it in even if it isn't installed low enough.

I know with mine when it was installed too high I could simply force the heater a bit lower down with my hand and then I would hear it kick in. I think it works kinda like a pump that needs to be primed. But maybe this is no help at all. Just going off my experience

 

[Dr.him]

I had to put mine damn near underneath the battery tray for it to work. I had mine where I thought it was low, but only the heater itself would get hot. It wouldn't circulate the coolant. Someone else will chime in but it might need to be even lower. Where you have yours doesn't really look like the right place but it's hard for me to tell since I'm not looking at where mine is installed at the moment

Does the unit itself get hot? If it's working properly I think it should get hot within a couple mins of plugging it in even if it isn't installed low enough.

I know with mine when it was installed too high I could simply force the heater a bit lower down with my hand and then I would hear it kick in. I think it works kinda like a pump that needs to be primed. But maybe this is no help at all. Just going off my experience

The heater is hot however I hear nothing

 

[Diesel Fumes]

The heater is hot however I hear nothing

I'd see if you can manipulate the hose somewhat to ensure a more upwards path to the block. I think if it slopes down at all (anywhere along the hose to the block), it won't circulate. Otherwise it looks like you have it installed correctly.

Even if you just move the hose slightly, that should be enough to hear it start working. It's pretty quiet but if you listen carefully you will hear a little pump circulating

 

[Dr.him]

I'd see if you can manipulate the hose somewhat to ensure a more upwards path to the block. I think if it slopes down at all (anywhere along the hose to the block), it won't circulate. Otherwise it looks like you have it installed correctly.

Even if you just move the hose slightly, that should be enough to hear it start working. It's pretty quiet but if you listen carefully you will hear a little pump circulating

i heard i should not plug it by the thermostat hose because it might be closed

 

[Diesel Fumes]

i heard i should not plug it by the thermostat hose because it might be closed

It looks like its installed the same way as mine. Where does the second hose go? I can't see. Mine goes to the oil cooler.

 

[P2B]

Even if you just move the hose slightly, that should be enough to hear it start working. It's pretty quiet but if you listen carefully you will hear a little pump circulating

These heaters rely on thermosyphoning to circulate coolant (there is no pump) so the outlet needs to be close to the lowest point in the cooling system for them to work well.

That model does not look suitable for an ALH to me because of the vertical orientation of the outlet. You want a horizontal outlet so the tank is as close to the belly pan as possible.

As a point of reference, when you install an ALH Zerostart kit using the supplied bracket, the tank inlet is about 4" below the battery tray and the outlet just over 8" below. The outlet is about 1/2" below the oil cooĺer connection.

 

[Vince Waldon]

Yup, can't be run in the thermostat line (where most North American coolant heaters are installed) because the t-stat would block the circulation into the block and you'd just be warming the rad.

Instead, it's plumbed into the oil cooler circuit between the head coolant manifold, and should hanging so that it is the lowest point in that circuit.. 1/2" below, for example, as posted above. Under the battery tray is the usual place, partly cause there's room, partly because the tray makes a good mount for a hanging bracket.

 

[Dr.him]

Yup, can't be run in the thermostat line (where most North American coolant heaters are installed) because the t-stat would block the circulation into the block and you'd just be warming the rad.

Instead, it's plumbed into the oil cooler circuit between the head coolant manifold, and should hanging so that it is the lowest point in that circuit.. 1/2" below, for example, as posted above. Under the battery tray is the usual place, partly cause there's room, partly because the tray makes a good mount for a hanging bracket.

So where should it be plugged? because now it plugged to the oil cooler like you said and the thermostat is there any other hose??

 

[Dr.him]

every place in internet show to be plugged same place i plugged mine

 

[P2B]

every place in internet show to be plugged same place i plugged mine

It's hard to be sure from the pictures, but I think you have it plumbed correctly.

The problem is it's not at the lowest point in the system so coolant is not thermosyphoning. You might be able to get that model to work in your car if you mount it horizontally so that the inlet points up and the outlet is slightly lower than the connection to the oil cooler

 

[eddieleephd]

Some of these have check valves that can be removed.
Hot liquids and gases rise creating a thermo syphon.

What I see is the line from the oil cooler going into the top and the bottom going to where the feed line to the oil cooler comes from. Try reversing the flow so it comes into the bottom and out the top. Otherwise you'd have to lower the heater to create a greater difference for flow to occur.

 

[Dr.him]

the down hose goes like that way to the cooler the blockheater hide the oil filter place

 

[Dr.him]

It's hard to be sure from the pictures, but I think you have it plumbed correctly.

The problem is it's not at the lowest point in the system so coolant is not thermosyphoning. You might be able to get that model to work in your car if you mount it horizontally so that the inlet points up and the outlet is slightly lower than the connection to the oil cooler

if i put it in other side top down might work

 

[csstevej]

Yeah……you sure that it’s not installed upside down? The output should be on top ……not the bottom , with the feed going into the side which would make it the low point.

 

[Vince Waldon]

the down hose goes like that way to the cooler the blockheater hide the oil filter place

The clamp circled in red needs to be *below* the oil cooler for convection to work. Can't tell for sure in the pic, but if it's level with the starter I'm not sure it's below the oil cooler. In this picture it looks like it's in line with the bottom of the oil filter housing.

In case there's confusion, the oil cooler is the square aluminum block below the black oil filter housing that the coolant hoses run into. Gotta be below that point.

 

[csstevej]

Vince look at the first post with what he bought , expand the picture , it show coolant flow leaving the bottom of the heater and not the side. I believe it’s installed upside down.

 

[P2B]

Vince look at the first post with what he bought , expand the picture , it show coolant flow leaving the bottom of the heater and not the side. I believe it’s installed upside down.

I concur. The expanded picture shows the inlet on the side, and that would need to be below the oil cooĺer. Power cord is at the bottom of the unit.

 

[Nevada_TDI]

I mounted mine under the battery tray, like the instructions had shown, and no problems.

 

[Vince Waldon]

Vince look at the first post with what he bought , expand the picture , it show coolant flow leaving the bottom of the heater and not the side. I believe it’s installed upside down.

Yup, could be, not sure I understand how the coolant's flowing out of that particular heater.

It may be upside down, but as far as I can tell it also needs to be lower, with the inlet the lowest point: BELOW the square oil coolant exchanger.

 

[Dr.him]

thanks but now the only confusion remaining is it not connected to the right place ( at the thermostat line where the sensor is) because some say it cannnot flow there because it may be blocked by the thermostat? idk

 

[1854sailor]

Too bad you didn't do some research before buying this unit. Terry at Frost Heater has it all figured out and supplies units with mounting brackets and preformed hoses to put the heater in the right place for proper thermosiphoning...

 

[Dr.him]

i modified it, it was also upside down and i move it down like everyone told me to do now i heard a syphon noise and its currently -13 and my car is 90 degree under 30 mins plugged thanks for help

 

[csstevej]

Nice ! Glad we were able to help , enjoy the warm car !

 

[Vince Waldon]

thanks but now the only confusion remaining is it not connected to the right place ( at the thermostat line where the sensor is) because some say it cannnot flow there because it may be blocked by the thermostat? idk

The t-stat is against the engine block at the top of the upper rad hose... big hose about twice the size of the hoses you're plumbed into,

Not a factor here.

 

[Diesel Fumes]

i modified it, it was also upside down and i move it down like everyone told me to do now i heard a syphon noise and its currently -13 and my car is 90 degree under 30 mins plugged thanks for help

Its a great feeling when these work as they should. Glad you figured it out

 

[tobsav]

have one in my 2003 tdi jetta wagon,,,, love the thing... getting another, What diameter are the fittings for in and out.... I can't remember.
Thanks !