Tanis heater pirep

[FlyingDude]

Hi all,

My plane came with Tanis heater patch under the sump. What are your pireps on heater bolts that go in the intake manifold fastening? I might get a set of 4.

My only concern would be a 50W source steel in the aluminum block : would there be differential expansion due to steel heating first that would lead to cracking? Probably I'm overthinking.

Anyway, does it get the cylinders nice and warm?

Thanks. 

[Danb]

I had the Tanis on my J years ago before my heated hanger, it was the complete kit not just a heater patch on the bottom. It did a remarkable job keeping my engine nice and warm. In about 18 years of usage I had no issues or engine problems. A great lycoming in that plane 

[pirate]

I had the Tanis system installed 8 years ago with the sump and intake bolt adapters, works great and warms the entire engine. 

 

 

[Marc_B]

I think this depends on hangar vs ramp and how low your temps are. Ideally you should heat the entire engine but with a blanket in a hangar with mild temps you can do that with a sump heater.

But for low temps on a ramp much more efficient with sump plus cylinder heat.

Of course if you read reports from Reiff or Tanis they recommend sump plus cylinder heat to make sure all the engine is above the dew point so that moisture in the oil doesn’t condense in the cylinders.

Sump heater is much lower than heat generation from combustion so absolute no concerns that preheat will cause issues with “differential expansion.”

[Pinecone]

I have only a sump heater, but I am hangared and have an insulated cowl cover.  Also put in cowl plugs.

It has worked to have oil over 80F in temps in the single digits.

I put a remote reading thermometer under the cowl (through the oil door with remove before flight streamer outside) and read temps in the 80s.  So I figure the whole engine is being warmed.

[FlyingDude]

Thank you all. The bird is hangared but in a non heated one. Michigan temperatures... 

 

[Pinecone]

Best is oil pan and cylinder heaters.  But with cowl plugs and an insulated cover, in a hangar, you should be fine.