De-icing the car or van with an electric fire

[Jethro_uk]

My Dad remembers (not sure if it's fondly) building fires underneath the fuel tanks on (not UK) army diesels in the late 40s. And having to use a blowtorch to heat the manifold.

[Huge]

I've read of this trick being used to start diesels in the Arctic.

[charles]

But, I understand are still used in Scandinavia

[NY]

On the face of it, building a fire under a tank of diesel appears to be about a stupid as the Gunpowder Plotters trying to dry damp gunpowder in front of an open fire when they were cornered after 5 November (the gunpowder exploded, killing and injuring several of them).

But diesel is a lot less flammable than petrol because it gives off much less vapour that petrol, and it is the vapour, at the right petrol-air mixture, which is most flammable. I've seen a flaming torch put into a tray of petrol and then of diesel; the petrol ignites whereas the diesel does not and may even douse the flame.

All the same, I'm not sure I'd want to take the risk...

At least modern diesels have tank, pipe and fuel pump heaters that allow a bit more control over the heating. And there is now "winter diesel" which contains a smaller proportion of the lighter fractions which turn waxy at low temperatures.

[Peter Parry]

Only 1kW? Try

Cleans the windows, heats the cab and clears the drive.

[spuorgelgoog]

Also ideal if you've got the toasted marshmallow concession at Glastonbury.

Owain

[AnthonyL]

We used to take the spark plugs out of the Austin 12 and put them in the oven or over the gas hob though in retrospect I'm not sure what good it actually did.

Cigarette lighters were good for warming the keys for frozen locks on my A35 van.

[Huge]

I use a blowtorch on the mower spark plug when it's being particularly troublesome. Seems to help.

[Another John]

For some reason I'm thinking Basil Fawlty ... :-D

[Bill Wright]

When I worked on highways in the late 1960s we had to build a fire under the roller engine every cold morning.

Bill

[Bill Wright]

Take the plugs out, tip a bit of petrol in each hole, throw a match in each one, wait for for roar bang, do the next one.

Bill

[AnthonyL]

Arent' you supposed to put the plug bag BEFORE throwing in the match