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Syria, Damascus
1 Level
672 Review
55 Karma

Review on Kats 11441 Watt Frost Heater Replacement Parts by Jim Worthington

Revainrating 1 out of 5

Real piece of dog carp.

Auto mechanic with over 50 years experience. So it's not my "first rodeo" with block heaters. Bought on 12/29. It came quickly. Just in case, read the instructions. Installed according to instructions. The block failed on February 1st or so. February 1st is the last day I have to give this piece of shit back. So now I've got a $60 paperweight (including Minnesota sales tax) installed in a critical generator full of antifreeze that won't start in sub-zero temperatures. To put it mildly, I am dissatisfied with my buying experience. The power cord is disconnected. The cable is good. Closed heating element (two external contacts) infinite resistance, ie break. An ohm heater with the wire attached reads like an open circuit. This 30kWh Onan generator (which won't start) provides extra power to my off-grid renewable energy system when there isn't enough sunlight. It works automatically to charge the battery when the battery voltage reaches the lower threshold. Guess what didn't break, overload the starter, or drain the starter battery. That means no heating, no water, no light, no phone to call for help. Thank god I had the sense to bank on Onan's backup generator or I'd be freezing in the dark. And all that hassle because of a broken little 400w heating element. Lesson learned. As you might have guessed, I'm looking for a more reliable/reliable means of dissipating "heat" to this mission-critical power source. Will I buy more of this junk, no way! Fool me once, fool me, fool me twice, fool me. It will be interesting to see if Five Star MFG, Co (manufacturers of cat heaters) reads these posts and if they are 'properly' honoring their warranty. I will call them tomorrow (February 5th) and see how the WTF ends. I will publish the results of the phone calls as soon as possible. But as it stands, this product deserves a NEGATIVE 5 star rating. Edit this post/review. Otherwise, this will be a warning to future customers.

Pros
  • The most efficient and reliable way to preheat engine blocks
Cons
  • Updates