Cold weather dwellers - do you use a battery warmer/blanket?

[NDSpeed]

I have the CTEK on my tractor.

I have the second link mounted permanently in the Gladiator, it will eventually go on the LJ. The TJ currently has the third link mounted under the hood and will eventually receive the same as the LJ. They are aswesome as you can access them via bluetooth app to see the charging history and graphs as well as change adjustments like the charge voltage.

https://www.amazon.com/CTEK-56-353-12-Volt-Battery-Charger/dp/B000FRLO9Y/?tag=wranglerorg-20

https://www.amazon.com/Victron-Energy-12-Volt-Battery-Bluetooth/dp/B07TMRJQTH/?tag=wranglerorg-20

https://www.amazon.com/Victron-Energy-12-Volt-Battery-Bluetooth/dp/B07DWJD84N/?tag=wranglerorg-20

i’ll send some of those links to my son in Fairbanks.
i was wondering why the bluetooth connection. makes perfect sense

 

[Limestone]

Remember with trickle chargers you don’t want to off gas the electrolytes.

so don’t over use them.

Smart chargers that self cycle are getting cheaper and cheaper. That's the solution I'd go in.

When i was on the farm in 7persons alberta (basically saskatchewan ) we just put a 100watt bulb in a trouble light holder and left it under the hood. kept it warm and toasty. same thing we used under the mobile home as well to stop pipes from freezing. its cheap and works. now finding a 100watt bulb that could be a different problem. thankfully i left where the wind trys to eat my face for the warmth of the ocean.

I'm surprised the bulb was warm enough to make a difference tbh? But I suppose the only thing it can hurt is your hydro bill?

 

[squirrelmaster]

I'm surprised the bulb was warm enough to make a difference tbh? But I suppose the only thing it can hurt is your hydro bill?

This was a pretty common trick in the mountain west (Wyoming/Montana/Idaho/Utah), and probably other places as well, back in the 70s and 80s for vehicles without block heaters. The key is, depending upon vehicle and weather conditions, to cover the front of the car with a tarp to limit the wind blowing into the engine bay. It doesn't put out the heat of an open flame, but it would keep the engine bay warm enough that gas vehicles would generally not have any issues starting even at -20 degF.

 

[JEEPSTEVENANAIMO]

Smart chargers that self cycle are getting cheaper and cheaper. That's the solution I'd go in.

I'm surprised the bulb was warm enough to make a difference tbh? But I suppose the only thing it can hurt is your hydro bill?

its less power than the sodium bulbs running 24/7 on the out buildings lol.

worked well. they produce a ton of heat.

 

[ColoJeep]

its less power than the sodium bulbs running 24/7 on the out buildings lol.

worked well. they produce a ton of heat.

A 100 watt incandescent bulb puts out 97.9 watts of heat.....

 

[JEEPSTEVENANAIMO]

A 100 watt incandescent bulb puts out 97.9 watts of heat.....

thats a lot of heat!

edit. i see what you did there lol.

 

[James9100]

Sounds like a battery warmer isn’t really needed, thanks guys!
Just for clarification I’m not new to the cold regions, I’ve lived in Saskatchewan for about 15 years.
I don’t know of anyone that uses a battery warmer either but having just put in the new AGM I was thinking maybe a warmer would help prolong the life of the battery since it would crank the motor over easier.
As for the discharge issue that was mentioned since I don’t daily my TJ, I do have a smart charger/maintainer I put on it if it hasn’t been driven in a 2-3 week span. And like I said I do often use it on the weekend unless it’s real cold out.

 

[Steel City 06]

You can use the block heater as much as you want. Perfectly safe to use in any temperature up to about room temperature, and it will help fuel economy and reduce wear and tear. Only downside is the electric cost, but usually that is offset by the fuel savings unless you run the block heater 24/7

 

[James9100]

You can use the block heater as much as you want. Perfectly safe to use in any temperature up to about room temperature, and it will help fuel economy and reduce wear and tear. Only downside is the electric cost, but usually that is offset by the fuel savings unless you run the block heater 24/7

Yes, as I said… I’m well aware of block heater useage.