How it works
Engine preheater
When temperatures plummet, aircraft engines simply can’t crank as easily as they do when the thermometer is above freezing. They need a little help, in the form of engine heaters.
Engine heaters don’t come standard on production piston aircraft—or on experimental aircraft, for that matter. The engine heater is an aftermarket addition with a single purpose: to warm the engine before cold-weather flights—specifically the cylinders and oil pan—before you even climb into the cockpit.
Some form of external heat is needed to warm the oil before you start the engine. That’s because, if the oil is too cold—think of molasses in winter—it will not be able to do its job of lubricating the many parts of the engine when you engage the ignition. And if those metal parts aren’t properly lubricated, they will grind against each other and wear down more quickly or become damaged. That’s an expensive proposition. This heat also keeps clearances between aluminum and steel engine components stable—preventing rubbing, binding, and excess wear upon startup. Keeping an engine warm also prevents condensation from forming inside the engine.
A heated hangar is the easiest way to keep an engine nice and warm before you take an airplane out to fly on a cold day. Since that’s out of the price range of most aircraft owners, many opt to have engine heaters installed as an aftermarket addition. In a hangar with electricity, the pilot can plug in the engine heater the day before a flight and leave it on all night, so that oil is warm when they arrive at the hangar.
The two biggest names in aircraft heaters, Reiff and Tanis, use proprietary designs employing band heaters or threaded heating elements that clamp around engine cylinders or can be epoxied to oil sumps. Plug the system in, cover the cowling if you like, and let the heater do its job. Heaters range in cost from $500 to $1,300 depending on the system (installation is extra), and can take anywhere from two to five hours to install.
This being the internet age, enterprising pilots have also come up with ways to connect these heating systems to the internet so that you need not even be in the hangar to turn them on or off—all can be done via a telephone app. Now that’s convenience.
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