Reiff Preheat Systems

Long Engine Life Starts With Reiff

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Reiff vs. The Other Brand

Performance Tests

Test Method

The tests were conducted on our Cherokee 235 with a Lycoming 0-540 engine, which is equipped with both our competitor's system and ours.  In each test the aircraft was in our unheated hanger, the air inlets were plugged with foam rubber cowl plugs, the cowling was covered with a blanket which laid over the top and hung about halfway down the sides , and the sump had 9 qts of oil. The temperatures were obtained by a calibrated digital thermometer with a remote probe inserted between the top two fins on the center left cylinder, and a second probe dropped down the oil filler tube with the tip suspended at the 4.5 qt level.  The other brand's system includes a 50 w probe on 5 of 6 cylinder heads (a CHT is on the other) and two 50 w elements on the oil sump.  For the test of the competitor's system we measured one of the heated cylinders - not the unheated one.  Ambient temperature was about 20^o F.

Performance Comparison of Systems

12 hrs elapsed time

A comment about the other brand's test results:

Our competitor has a graph which shows their system outperforming ours, however, their testing method gives a skewed result.  They measured the temperature with a spark plug thermocouple only about one inch from their heating element in the CHT port, several inches away from our heating element.  When we did our comparison tests we wanted them to be fair, credible, and able to withstand independent scrutiny, so we measured at the top end of the cylinder, about midway between our heating element and theirs.

Also note that their test was done without a cover, despite the fact their instructions are to "Always use an insulated cover". A cover holds the heat inside the cowling and helps make the temperatures in the engine compartment uniform regardless of the placement of the heat sources. Leaving the cover off makes the heating less uniform and the heat is more concentrated near the heat sources, so measuring the temp near their element and far from ours further skews the test result in their favor.

Finally, note that the only temperature they compare in their test is the cylinder head. They do not measure the oil.

We recognize that any product test performed by the product's producer (including ours) will be viewed with skepticism by the marketplace. From the perspective of the consumer, the most meaningful test is one performed by an unbiased third party such as Aviation Consumer. That's why we are providing the results of their tests below:

Aviation Consumer Reviews

Aviation Consumer will not give us permission to post their articles, but you can buy re-prints on their web site.  Here are summary quotes:

"Electric Preheaters: Reiff Enjoys Value Edge", March 2007

"In the teeth of an ice storm, we compare the top contenders...the field is dominated by two major companies - Reiff Preheat Systems and [other brand]"

"We think Reiff's Standard System is the best value choice for most owners... with [other brand] you'll pay about 30% more"

"The Reiff Turbo XP showed the best performance"

"Reiff's HotBands are high-quality...they're easy to set up, so easy in fact that both owners and cavemen could do it...they required about six minutes each to install."

Regarding competitors selling only sump heaters..."In crazy cold weather we don't think it will be adequate.  If you want to plug in and fly as soon as possible, you'll need to add cylinder heaters."

"Pad, Plug, or Flamethrower?", March 2001, and 2002 Buying Guide

"When combined with the sump heater the HotBands delivered impressive performance.  At 6 hours the oil was 113^o and the cylinder, case, and nosepiece between 70 and 80^o...the engine smelled and felt warm to the touch.  In fact, we used the hot start procedure to fire it up and noted that the oil temperature was immediately off the lower peg.  With this kind of performance, we estimate the HotBand & sump pad combination is suitable for temperatures well below zero - say minus 20, or even colder with an insulated cover."

"[Other brand] loses us in claiming that the top of the cylinder is more critical to heat than the rest of the cylinder."

"As for heating the top of the cylinder being better, we just don't buy that."

"As for bands versus cylinder head plugs, our view is that [other brand] overstates the case in saying it's best to heat the head."

"Hot Ideas", February 1997

"With both the Reiff cylinder heaters and the oil sump pad plugged in, we parked our Mooney [4 cylinder Lyc. IO-360] on the ramp on a blustery 25^o night with no cover. After some 10 hours, we were somewhat surprised to find heat shimmering off the cowl, with the cylinders, crankcase, and accessory case toasty warm with temps between 65^o and 77^o, or 40 to 52^o above ambient, this after a night spent in sub-freezing winds. The nose section of the crankcase was at 75^o, the oil temperature at 99^o [74^o above ambient]. The engine started easily and showed above minimum oil and cylinder head temps soon after starting."

"We were impressed with the performance of Reiff's HotBand system when combined with a sump heater. When operated overnight on a cold, windy ramp with no cover, this system had our four cylinder Lycoming uniformly warm to the touch. This system is an excellent value and is suitable for very cold conditions."

"The Great Winter Pre-heat Test", March 1996

"On a [other brand] equipped Cessna 172 [4 cylinder Lyc. O-320] plugged in overnight and without a cover, we found that both the oil and the cylinders were 30^o above the outside temperature of 25^o."

Comparison of Prices, etc.

* Engine heater prices are per engine and include standard wattage cylinder and oil heaters. Source of competitor data is their 2005 Price List.  On average the other brand costs 42% more than our systems.

** Competitor's price depends on the engine, how many cylinders have CHT sensors, whether you want heating elements on those cylinders, and the type of element chosen.  Note - for engines with a CHT on one cylinder, competitor's standard system leaves that cylinder unheated.  An optional element can be added to heat that cylinder for $135 - $170.  Our system heats all the cylinders and does not conflict with CHT sensors.

*** 1 failed heating element per 1,000 shipped.

Last updated 11/5/05