Cold Weather Uses For Oil Pan Heaters

Cold Weather Uses For Oil Pan Heaters TRUCKS Miscellaneous 31-5-10 Automobile oil pan heaters are a necessity in Alaska where Bob Carpenter lives. Carpenter says oil pan heaters work great for a variety of other uses, too, because they're inexpensive and waterproof. "You can buy them at any automotive parts store. They're a thin, 1/8-in. thick, firm rubber pad connected to an electrical cord that you glue onto the oil pan of a vehicle," Carpenter explains. "They come in a wide range of sizes, from 6 to 10 in. wide, and prices run from $5 to $20." Carpenter hangs a 10 by 10-in. oil pan heater in his septic tank so it won't freeze up. It keeps the tank plenty warm and at a minimal cost, he says. He uses a 1 by 6-in. unit to keep a chicken waterer from icing up. He just lays it right in the water. Last winter, when the heating tape in Carpenter's water well casing burned out, he replaced it with a 4 by 4-in. oil pan heater. Because the rubber pad was bigger than the casing, he just rolled it and tied the roll with a twist tie so he could lower it down the hole. There are newer versions on the market that are only 3 by 3-in., yet they put out 200 watts of energy, he says. "Oil pan heaters are self-regulating so they won't over heat. I think you could probably hook one up with a thermostat and make your own egg incubator, or one of these heaters would probably work well on a small stock tank to keep an area ice-free for winter stock watering," Carpenter says. "In fact, you could put one in a pan of water and soak your feet in it." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Richard (Bob) Carpenter, HC 60, P. O. Box 4740, Delta Junction, Alaska 99737 (ph 907 895-1005; arcticangel@wildak.net).

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