Oil Pan Heater

I did some more research last night after L.D's question about using these on a gas engine. All I found was that these have about the same danger of causing a spark as you batteries or any other electrical connection in your engine room. That said, I will still be calling them today just for a piece of mind answer to your question.
 
I agree that the chance of spark is minimal. But the chance is still there - not only when you plug the unit in, but also during operation if it should fail. After all, it's really just an electric blanket (remember those?). The heat is produced, basically, by controlling fire.

Regardless of what a salesperson says (who is trying to sell you a product, keep in mind) or what the Internet says (it's ways correct, right?), just think about this logically. You're putting something that was made with no intentions of being spark arrested into an enclosed area that has a chance of building gas fumes.

I'm not saying any of this to be mean or condescending, so please don't take it that way. This is simply about the safety of you, your family and people near your boat. But, honestly, do it right... Pony up the extra boat dollar and get the bilge heater. This is exactly what they're designed for.

You can put the pan heaters on your car or truck - that won't cause any problems since the engine bay is open on the bottom side and any gas fumes will naturally vent away.
 
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Non...no...I'm taking this as advise...don't worry bout that
 
I have nothing but praise for my Wolverine heaters and I have Cat & Westebeke diesel engines and genset so I do not have the spark issue. I fully support Dennis (Lazy Daze) comments about gas fume explosive concerns. My original response was related to a reference by Tony (Crazy Lady) stated about my previous comments on the Wolverine heaters.

I agree fully that no receptacle, electrical connection, heater not approved for the application should be installed with gas engines especially in enclosed, confined spaces. Thanks for bring this up to mine and everyone else’s attention as it is easy to talk about and application that suites one conditions but not another.
 
Quality Time, it is my intention to use the pan heaters in lieu of winterizing. I chose the pan heaters because I have diesels, if I had gas would have bought the boatsafe heaters instead. Do to time constraints I will be running a weatherproof extension cord and taping all the connections just in case fo now. Plan to hard wire later when I have more time.
This is the second winter for me and my first boat, last year kept in heated storage at another marina, wasn't worth the cost. I also need a get away once in while, why not the boat.

Tony
Crazy Lady
 
You could probably run a drop cord through and and engine room vent of the side of the boat. I have all of mine closed off with foam rubber which helps keep the heat in the engine compartment. Put a note in your electrical panel reminding you to remove the foam rubber before starting any engines.
 
Folks, due to second thoughts......I have two, still in the shipping box, heaters for sale. I should have asked more questions. I see a return coming up.
 
dwna1a said:
Folks, due to second thoughts......I have two, still in the shipping box, heaters for sale. I should have asked more questions. I see a return coming up.
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Are you serious? Why? Because of Dennis?

We need the red ball thing back. Maybe Mr. Expert can fill us all in how his "boat safe heater" that has a plug on the end of it is safer.... I guess it's "120 Volt plug" is "safer."... The plug is the issue... not the heater. Calling the Wolverine heater the same as an electric blanket is the same as calling Roseanne Barr the same as Heidi Klume because they have the same "equipment".... He's never seen them... touched them... and he's giving a BS opinion. -> True for both women and the heaters.
 
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dwna1a said:
Folks, due to second thoughts......I have two, still in the shipping box, heaters for sale. I should have asked more questions. I see a return coming up.
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Russ, you should buy these from him. # 40's are the ones I installed and I don't think my engine room went below 60 degrees last winter.
 
What would one do, will it keep both engines and gen set warm enough?
 
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I’m wondering why you went big with the 500W #40 Wolverine(13-27quart ) for the SB350. The working, heat generating part of these heaters is encapsulated, there is no exposure to the ambient air. Setting the plug issue aside, I’d bet you could pour a 5 gal can of gas in your bilge and turn the heater on with no trouble. Given the design purpose/usage of these heaters they got to be pretty tough. Imagine one stuck to the pan of a pickup truck, exposed to water, gas, diesel, oil/greases, salt, stones and sticks, chewing varmits, etc. I don’t see them easily compromised and becoming a safety hazard in a protected spot like the underside of your boat engines. Like Four Suns said, the plug is the problem. Do a proper splice and get the plug end out of the bilge. It seems to me that any risk with these heaters would be in the same class as those you might encounter from a chafed wire/bad connections, arcing spark plug wires, etc. If stuff is worn out or gets damaged things ‘could’ happen.:huh:
 
Hi Woody. Yes, you're right that they "should" be fine and they are indeed pretty tough. And, yes, the bilge heater should be hard wired or the plug end extended out of the bilge. You could likely install one and never have a problem. But it's not the right thing to do (nor is it C.G. approved). And, most importantly, if there is a problem... well, you know what could happen. Why take a chance when there is a better, SAFER way to do it?

A few years ago, I happened to have an oil pan heater burn up on me. It was only a few months old. Burned/scorched through the outer covering.
 
I went with the #40's by accident, by not reading the info correctly. When I read the other two it said "small block v8's" I may be returning them for the smaller units for that reason.
 
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Lazy Daze said:
Hi Woody. Yes, you're right that they "should" be fine and they are indeed pretty tough. And, yes, the bilge heater should be hard wired or the plug end extended out of the bilge. You could likely install one and never have a problem. But it's not the right thing to do (nor is it C.G. approved). And, most importantly, if there is a problem... well, you know what could happen. Why take a chance when there is a better, SAFER way to do it?

A few years ago, I happened to have an oil pan heater burn up on me. It was only a few months old. Burned/scorched through the outer covering.
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Failures can happen. Have you given up on trying to warm your engine....you know what could happen.
 
Woody, I've looked at your post twice now, so I'm just going to ask this straight. Do you think these are a bad idea for gas engines?
 
We don‘t want stuff throwing sparks in a gas boat bilge, I get that part. A Xtreme bilge heater has a thermostat and fan motor that cycles on/off. Those can be spark sources. So they’re put through a test where they’re turned on/off 50 times in an explosive atmosphere and if nothing blows up they pass. The working part of the Wolverine heater does not produce any sparks when it is turned on/off and again, the heat generating component is totally encapsulated, there is no contact with ambient air.

The fact it doesn’t have the USCG stamp doesn’t mean it isn’t suitable for this application unless it was tested and failed. I can understand testing alternators, distributors, starters, chargers, relays, bilge heaters, blowers, water pumps, they can make sparks, but…do you have to run ignition protection tests on something that can’t generate any sparks to start with? There are other tests that might apply… temperature range, vibration, etc. Knowing the other uses of these Wolverine heaters I don‘t see durability being an issue.

If Wolverine pads generate enough heat to warm the oil and bilge and reduce condensation that might be enough reason to use them. I would not oversize the Wolverine pads to do this.

To answer your question, I wouldn’t be afraid of using the Wolverine pads in my gas boat, your mileage may vary.

Another option…as long as you already have those big 500W pads, get a diesel boat to fit them.:grin:
 
Ok, I am returning the heaters I ordered for the correct smaller ones, that was my mistake. As for using them, I sat down with my slip neighbors today and we went over the heaters. First the fume issue, each carb holds less than 10cc's of fuel, IF the carbs heat up enough to vaporize the fuel then there might be an issue. IF the fuel cells heat up enough to fumes it would vent to the outside. Sparks next, any electrical connection down there could and can spark. Both units will be connected to a power source outside the bilge and placed on a single thermostat, on at 38 off at 45. I see everyone's point of concern, gas, sparks, fumes, and BIG BOOM! I thank everyone for their comments
 
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