Does the Block heater make noise?

I just plugged in the factory block heater tonight since the temp is supposed to drop from -2 to close to 20 below by morning. I've never used it on this XJ (96) that I got a year and a half ago.

When plugged in it has a faint noise that is hard to describe - sort of a cross between a tiny fan with bad bearings and the steam coming off a tea kettle before the water boils. I have a pretty quiet Garage and can just barely hear it a few feet away.

It it normal? I have had block heaters that I used on the girlfriend's F-150 and Aerostar, but as I recall they were silent (as I would expect.) Just wondering if I'll wake up dead with my house on fire.

It will make some sizzling and gurgling noises, kind of of like your electric coffee pot.

Thanks, makes sense.

Do you happen to know what the wattage is on this thing? I just put my hand on the thermostat housing and it's nice and toasty, so's the entire engine for that matter.

Just wondering - If I'm going to use this on a regular basis this winter I might want to put it on a timer rather that run it flat out for 8 hours a night. Hydro ain't cheap, even at my farm rate.

I've used one for years here in Wyoming. The wattage varies by model and make, tank or block heater, etc. They definitely get toasty. If it's going to be brutally cold, i.e. consistantly -30 F I leave it on all night. Otherwise I just get up a little early and plug my vehicle in a couple of hours before heading off to work. I don't think a timer would hold up long to the amperage drawn by the heater. They work real well for cold weather areas. The only time I have had mine fail me was on a night when the temp pegged below -55 F at a mine I worked at, but I was not alone most of my coworkers were in the same boat.

I had various diesel trucks through the years, and those things hated to start below freezing. They all had heaters that I believe were in the coolant, as warm air would come from the heater soon after start-up. I don't have a clue how many amps they drew, but for at least ten years, I used the same old Intermatic lamp timer. I'd set it for three to four hours before I needed to start it, and even at the coldest, that amount of time seemed to be sufficient. And, the engine heaters in Cummins 4BT's and Chevy diesels never caused my timer to have a problem. I vote to buy a beefy timer, and set it for four hours.

You can get 120v timers meant for heavy duty use like engine heaters and window mount A/C units.

your heater is 500w. put it on a timer it only needs to run 2-3 hours before starting

Factory block heater is 600W, made in Canada.

2-3 hours is a good interval, more in frigid weather. Trial and error until you find what temp vs. heating time gives you the best results.

The noise you hear is akin to a pot about to boil. Given the XJ's block heater is an immersion heater in the water jacket (freeze plug fit) that should be the sound you hear, albeit faint and only after the heater is plugged in for 10-15 seconds or so.

Kind of sounds like you may be planning on using the block heater inside your garage?