Tanis heaters

I too take of the filler caps after every flight and let the steam
escape. But thigs are covered up enough to prevent anything from going in.

Gene Seibel wrote:

Rich wrote:

I belong to the 'church' that says you can't get condensation if the
engine stays warmer than the ambient temperature. Had a discussion with
John Deakin who believes this is correct, as well. I plug mine in after
flight and open up the oil filler tube (IO520) to allow any humid air to
escape the engine.


That does seem to make sense. Probably much better than being on a
thermostat that turns it off and on.
--
Gene Seibel
Tales of Flight - http://pad39a.com/gene/tales.html
Because I fly, I envy no one.

Matt Barrow wrote:

Matt (prefers the Reiff heater, and keeps it on six months of the year)


I purchased a Hot Padd heater from Reiff. The heater could not be
mounted
on my engine in accordance with the supplied instructions, so I made do
as
best I could. The adhesive didn't cure and the pad easily peeled off.
I
returned the pad to Reiff for a refund, they sent it back to me with
more
adhesive. Apparently I violated the warranty by not following the
instructions to the letter, (the fact that it was impossible to follow
them
was of no interest to Reiff). I don't know if the Reiff heater is any
good
or not, I do know that their product support and customer relations are

terrible. I won't do business with them again.

cpw wrote:

Any opinions among other owners in cold climes?

I plug in my Tanis heater immediately after a flight, loosen the oil filler
cap and cover the exposed filler hole with a lint-free, old cloth to catch
the humid air that escapes, and wrap the engine and prop with an insulated
cowl blanket. This is in central NY state.

The aircraft will then sit for three nights until I pull it out of the
unheated t-hanger to fly again.

--
Peter

On 22 Dec 2006 05:09:53 -0800, "cpw" wrote:

I live in northern lower Michigan where we have real winters some years
(not this one yet). My partner and I own a 2000 Cessna 182. We are
currently debating the proper use of the Tanis engine heater. It has
been our practice in the past to plug the heater in after a flight and
leave it plugged in until the next. We have heard lately that best
practice is to only use the heater for a few hours prior to flight.
Any opinions among other owners in cold climes?
Thanks. CPW

I'm a bit south of you but probably not by much (Midland)

I have both the case and cylinder head heaters. I have a blanket that
wraps everything forward the windshield save the prop and nose gear
but even a portion of them is protected.

If I'm flying much I just wrap it up and plug in the heater when I put
it in the hangar. The engine never gets cold enough for condensation.
I check for that by looking at the top of the dip stick. If I don't
put the blanket on I'll see moisture on the stick, however I doubt
there's any in the oil or engine proper as that is quite a bit warmer
even without the blanket.

The oil companies *used* to say only use the heater when needed. The
last bulletin I read suggested keeping the engine warm if it could be
kept warm enough to prevent condensation.

However if I wasn't going to fly for a couple of weeks I'd leave it
off as the "cling" is pretty much gone after a couple of weeks.

Here it is near the end of the year and I've not found it necessary to
even use the heater so far.


Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

On 22 Dec 2006 05:09:53 -0800, "cpw" wrote:

I live in northern lower Michigan where we have real winters some years
(not this one yet). My partner and I own a 2000 Cessna 182. We are
currently debating the proper use of the Tanis engine heater. It has
been our practice in the past to plug the heater in after a flight and
leave it plugged in until the next. We have heard lately that best
practice is to only use the heater for a few hours prior to flight.
Any opinions among other owners in cold climes?
Thanks. CPW

My a/c is based in NH and Maine, and I've had a Tanis Heater (oil screen
and heated intake bolts) for 10 or 15 years, along with an engine cover.

When OAT's drop below freezing, the heater gets plugged in and the cover
applied. It stays this way constantly throughout the winter (obviously not
when I'm flying, which may vary from a few times a week, to a few weeks
between times.

No signs that this procedure has lead to corrosion (and I do get oil
analyses with oil changes).

Usually, the CHT's read about 100°F, and the oil about 80°F.
--ron

"dave" wrote in message
...
Matt, if the entire engine was warm you'd be correct. The problem is
that any unheated parts of the engine may be cold enough to allow
condensation. You need to keep the entire engine at the same temperature.
So if you use a pan heater and cylinder heaters and also use an insulated
cowling cover, you should be fine by leaving the heaters on all winter
because the entire engine should be warm. That's the theory anyway.

Yes, but I can't imagine anyone using an engine heater without a thermal
cover. I have a semi-custom cover that goes clear over the cabin. It's sweet
in that the cabin is nice and warm, too. No frozen butt cheeks when you
first get in.

Using an engine heater without a thermal blanket is like having a furnace in
your home and leaving the windows open. Yet, stranger things have
happened...


I'm trying to decide which way I want to go. I had a pad heater on my
citabria that I would turn on for several hours before I flew if it was
cold out. I just got my bonanza a couple of weeks ago and I'm thinking
about using the full Rieff package or getting a portable red dragon.

What I like about the Reiff is that it's always with you and only needs an
electrical outlet. I've seen a few places that have like T-hangars with an
electrical outlet near by.

The advantage of the red dragon is that you can use it anytime and it
should warm the engine up in about 30 minutes. The disadvantage is that
to make it truly portable, you need to get the 12V model and run it off
your battery. Not a problem at my airport, I'll simply run it off my car
battery but I can imagine being at some airport on a cold Sunday afternoon
with a very warm engine and a dead battery.

Will it fit in your baggage compartment?

--
Matt
---------------------
Matthew W. Barrow
Site-Fill Homes, LLC.
Montrose, CO (MTJ)

Matt Barrow wrote:

The advantage of the red dragon is that you can use it anytime and it
should warm the engine up in about 30 minutes. The disadvantage is that
to make it truly portable, you need to get the 12V model and run it off
your battery. Not a problem at my airport, I'll simply run it off my car
battery but I can imagine being at some airport on a cold Sunday afternoon
with a very warm engine and a dead battery.

Will it fit in your baggage compartment?


No problem with putting it in the baggage compartment.
Dave

I had the Reiff oil sump heater installed back in August. Last time
I went flying was 2 weeks ago. Put the 2 car blankets (those blue
quilted things from your favorite Big Box hardware store) over the
cowl after flying, made sure the heater was plugged in, patted the
putt-putt on the spinner and went home.

I live in the 'burbs of Denver.

Today was a *wonderful* day for flying. Cold, clear, no wind.

The city plowed the street and I have a 10 foot high
pile of snow that is now the consistency of concrete blocking my
driveway.

"Blanche" wrote in message
...
I had the Reiff oil sump heater installed back in August. Last time
I went flying was 2 weeks ago. Put the 2 car blankets (those blue
quilted things from your favorite Big Box hardware store) over the
cowl after flying, made sure the heater was plugged in, patted the
putt-putt on the spinner and went home.

I live in the 'burbs of Denver.

Today was a *wonderful* day for flying. Cold, clear, no wind.

The city plowed the street and I have a 10 foot high
pile of snow that is now the consistency of concrete blocking my
driveway.

Ahhh...memories of the Christmas '82 blizzard!

At least they plow your street! In '82, my car sat at the bottom of the hill
(Hampden & Tamarac) for four days because it couldn't make the last 150
yards up the hill through 25" of snow (and 8 foot drifts). In them days,
they maybe plowed the main thoroughfares, not the arterials and certainly
not the residential streets.

That was the storm that got Bill McNichols bounced out of office -- no, not
30 years of corruption, but that he had them plow the parking lot for
McNichols arena (named for a sitting mayor, no less) instead of the streets.

--
Matt
---------------------
Matthew W. Barrow
Site-Fill Homes, LLC.
Montrose, CO (MTJ)

Blanche wrote:

I had the Reiff oil sump heater installed back in August. Last time
I went flying was 2 weeks ago. Put the 2 car blankets (those blue
quilted things from your favorite Big Box hardware store) over the
cowl after flying, made sure the heater was plugged in, patted the
putt-putt on the spinner and went home.

Call me a sucker for marketing, but what covering the prop and spinner?
The point that the prop and spinner hanging out in the cold will transmit
that lower temperature through the crankshaft deep into the engine seemed
logical to me.

This is why I broke down and bought the insulated cowling cover and
prop/spinner covers from Kennon.

After three days of being plugged in and covered on a sub-zero day, my
aircraft's prop and spinner are still warm to touch.

I live in the 'burbs of Denver.

Say hello to my brother for me. He lives in Firestone.

--
Peter