Option #3:

Obvious choice would be to use factory installed heating devices, but they are usually connected to the engine cooling system and it takes some time to warm up the antifreeze that circulates through the heater. The lower the ambient temperature, the longer this time is. Оften paraffins have enough time to clog the fuel filter and the pickup tube in the fuel tank.

Best option

would be to use pre-heaters specially designed for most problematic (narrow) areas: fuel filter, fuel line and fuel tank. Heaters are connected to the vehicle’s on-board network, so in pre-heating mode, when the engine is not running, the on-board battery serves as the power source. Driver switches on one or several heaters depending on the outside temperature, waits for about 5-7 minutes until all paraffin crystals melt and then starts the engine. After the engine is up and running, heaters can be switched off. In cases when there is a cold airflow or diesel fuel quality is low, heaters can be permanently switched on to ensure fuel filterability.

Bandage heater is one of the essential devices when it comes to dewaxing diesel fuel. This heater is placed on the filter housing and secured with hose clips. It ensures smooth fuel flow and provides thermal protection of the filter. Bandage heater is designed for filters with metal body, do not use it on plastic filters. Check your filter’s diameter and supply voltage to choose the right model from a variety of sizes. You can see it in action here.

Disk heater is another option for dewaxing fuel filter. It fits between the filter (diameter range 75-85mm) and filter cap (70mm). Suitable for filters that are screwed into the cover along the thread. Heating surface area is smaller, but heating element is located directly in the fuel pass, which ensures effective flow-through heating and prevents fuel from freezing during vehicle movement. Designed for filters with metal body, do not use it on plastic filters! You can see it in action here.

ELAN – universal flexible heater is a perfect solution when it comes to heating plastic elements. Traditional heaters usually are not acceptable because there is a big chance of overheating and melting of plastic. A typical example is a fuel filter in a plastic case, on which the bandage heater should not be installed. ELAN flexible heaters have the correct electrical power and surface temperature to install them safely on plastic parts. In addition to filters, ELAN can be wrapped around fuel lines, pipes and other parts of any shape or size. ELAN comes in fixed sizes of 1, 2, 3 and 4 meters.

Fuel tank is another area where heaters can be applied in order to simplify the fuel flow. Heated nozzles are specifically designed for this purpose. These heaters combine the functions of pre-start and permanent heating, they melt paraffins before engine starts and provide smooth fuel flow when vehicle is moving. Nozzles include a coarse fuel filter, a vibration-resistant fire/explosion-proof heater, and a mounting device. You can see it in action here.

Now let’s look at the fuel line from the tank to the engine. To ensure stable fuel flow it has to be heated. PP-300 is designed for continuous heating while the engine is running. This heater is shook-proofed, it can be installed anywhere on the fuel line, including outside the engine compartment. Fuel inlet and outlet are at a maximum distance, which increases the amount of heated fuel passing through the heater.

And finally, we get to the heater that can help truck drivers that are using filters-separators. PS-200 rod-shaped heater fits only Mann-Hummel PreLane and similar filter separators (heater is installed in a special socket on the filter-separator housing). It works in automatic mode and does not require driver’s participation. When the fuel temperature gets below +5 °С - heating turns on, when the fuel temperature rises above + 5 °С - heating turns off. PS-200 heater is made of an aluminum alloy and has large area of heating surface, which provides 350 Watts of electrical output power. Intelligent electronic control system takes into account vehicle’s operation data, such as fuel consumption, engine shutdown, and battery charge level to eliminate overheating and minimize power consumption.