Oil Pan Heater

dwna1a

dwna1a

Well-Known Member
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Apr 23, 2012
5,983
James River
Boat Info
88 Weekender 300 "Seahorse"
Engines
Twins 350
Has anyone bought and used a Wolverine oil pan heater? I'm thinking of buying two for my engines and would like some opinions on them
 
Gimme Time has installed them and swears by his. I am debating the same issue myself between the oil pan heaters and a boatsafe heater. my mechanic says to go with the boatsafe which would be easier to install. Not alot room under my deisels to prep for the oil pan heaters ( although they are only 4"x7") & the associated wiring? I am still a novice at boating with only two seasons under my belt. I am sure he will respond once he sees your post.

Tony
Crazy Lady
 
Engine compartment heaters run around and over $300, these run around $90 per engine, but like you, I'm not sure I can get under the things to install the heaters.
 
If you can slide a mirror under your oil pan and move a hand sanding block there then you can epoxy the Wolverine heater in place. Tony you are correct as I love mine and I haven't seen or heard of anything better that I would consider at this point and time. I plugged mine in last weekend as the temperatures have begun to fall and today I opened the hatch to get a wet vac that I store down there and the engine room if it could sing would sing with joy. Once the heaters have been on for about 48 hours the engine blocks become the source of heat for the intire engine room as the cast iron works just like the old cast iron hot water radiators.

We are on Gimme Time right on through the winter most every weekend so I modified by plumbing water lines two years ago as well so we could keep the kicthen and aft bathroom in use. If someone wants more info on that just let me know and I will describe what we have done there as the older model Sea Rays do not have the manifolds on them like the newe models.

The reverse cycle HPs are working great and will till the EWT reaches around 40 degrees then we switch over to (2) West Marine heaters. One in the aft cabin and one in the front cabin. I typically leave them on low once the water temperature gets down just below 40 and then turn them up when we get there to warm the boat up.

Only thing I would consider adding would be a line voltage thermostat to turn the heaters on and off based on the temperature in the engine room. This would be more like a high setting rather than a low setting like some might be thinking. I'm not intrested in just keeping them above freezing as I like the heat source for the intire area.
 
Thanks for the tip on the mirror, purchased two heaters from Grainger & ordered the pan heaters (40's) today. Going to head down later this week to install the pan heaters & modify the plumbing & fiure out may permanant wiring for the Wolverine heaters. My friend on the South river said he would be my back up if there is a loss of poer to start the gen set. Just hope I'm not to late. couldn't get away from Pgh, work keeps getting in the way.

Tony
Crazy Lady
 
I have and use one of these when the temps get down really low for here (30 or below).
http://compare.ebay.com/like/110869805703?_lwgsi=y&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar
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We keep our boat in an unheated garage and she stays protected from the elements, but when it's forecast to get into the 20's for days, I'll make sure a freeze doesn't happen in the garage.
I keep a digital thermometer in the boat too, to make sure I'm not at risk.
 
So if I am understanding everyone these things do as advertised?
 
I am in the same part of the world as you (same county actually) and I have two Wolverine heaters permanently wired into the breaker panel so I can just turn them on and off. I also have an Xtreme boat heater in the lazaret area. The oil temps stay around 120 degrees and the coolant on the engines is always around 80 degrees. The big plus I have found with the pan heaters versus just an air heater is it keeps the condensation off the engines. As you know, it is 65 degrees one day and 30 degrees the next and the cold metal on the engines drips with water due to the wide temps and humidity. I'm fairly certain the condensation isn't limited to the outside of the engines... so the heaters keep the iron toasty and dry all winter.. and the engine room warm. Firing up the engines in the winter to go for a boat ride is very smooth as the oil is warm.

As a side, Dominic (osd9 with a 410 dancer) was the one that turned me on to these things years ago and I think there is some thread in the archives here about our installs... he had a wireless thermometer in his engine room up in Jersey and if I recall, his engine room stayed around 50 degrees... I've have never measured the air temp... but it is definitely warm enough.

I actually use these things year round and turn them on the night before I use the boat.
 
The Wolverines work as advertised. Three seasons now, originally installed because of the recommendations of people on the board like Gary. I purchased the thermostatically controlled plug but never used it. Instead I have them hard wired into the breaker panel. Flip them on the night before and there is virtually no diesel smoke on start up next morning.
 
Four Suns said:
.... The big plus I have found with the pan heaters versus just an air heater is it keeps the condensation off the engines. As you know, it is 65 degrees one day and 30 degrees the next and the cold metal on the engines drips with water due to the wide temps and humidity. I'm fairly certain the condensation isn't limited to the outside of the engines... so the heaters keep the iron toasty and dry all winter.. and the engine room warm....
Click to expand...

That's a great tip on condensation, Garry. It sounds like an incentive for the installation.
 
Thanks everyone. I will be placing an order first thing in the morning.
 
Russ, phone Wolverine. They are helpful. I think I have the 125 watt models, 110 volt. Turned out I could have used the 240 volt versions because I used a spare breaker on the 240 side. Great heaters.

James
 
Russ Calasant said:
Anyone figured out which one to use? Application does not seem to specific
Click to expand...

I ordered two #40's. Twin 350's and my gen set. I'm hoping they will keep the gen set warm. If not I will order a small one for it as well. The $200 plus shipping was cheaper than a bilge heater and will allow me to go out when the weather permits. It will stop the worry over my heat exchangers and engine room condensation. Many thanks to Four Suns, I was looking for a local owner, Va temps run all over the board during the winter months. Russ, just give them a call, the guy I talked to owns a large Carver in Alaska, he was very helpful as a boater and a rep for Wolverine
 
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DWNA: How are you wiring these? Keep in mind that these pan heaters are not "spark arrested". The guys above have diesel engines and it is not a concern for them.

For what it's worth, I have an oil pan heater on my truck (in addition to a block heater) - thinking of getting the heaters for the two batteries, as well.
 
Russ,
I also ordered 2 -#40's for the 350 HP 3116's, hoping it also handles genset. I used the sizing guide which uses the the amount of oil in the pan. Going to install this weekend using Gimme Time's suggestions

Tony
Crazy Lady
 
My plan for now is just to get the things in. Run a heavy duty plug to the bilge and plug both into it. I know they don't have spark arrestors. I've talked to three different mechanics all trust these things. I fear anything and every thing around gas....
 
Each of my CATs holds 6 1/2 gallons of oil. Dom put 250 watt Wolverines on each pan, and I added a 1000w bilge heater for everything else in the bilge (genny, black water tank, HW heater, etc.)
 
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