Block Heater Accessories
The heater is half the setup. A timer decides what it costs to run, and the cord decides whether it's safe. Both are cheap, both are sold at every Canadian hardware store, and both are bought wrong constantly — indoor timers that die at -30, 16-gauge cords feeding 1,500-watt heaters.
Block Heater Cord Part Numbers
Replacement cordsets are not universal, but only 24 of them cover almost every vehicle sold in Canada. The Zerostart and Kat's numbers, and the models each one is catalogued against.
The Complete Winter Power Setup
One easy diagram for the outlet, timer, extension cord and splitter — including how to run a block heater and battery blanket together without overloading anything.
Block Heater Timers
An engine only needs 2–4 hours of heating before you drive. A $15–$40 outdoor timer cuts an all-night plug-in bill by two-thirds — mechanical, digital and Wi-Fi options compared, with the cold-weather gotchas for each.
NOMA Block Heater Timer Instructions
Simple setup steps for common NOMA mechanical and digital outdoor timers, plus an easy 2–4 hour schedule for Canadian winter mornings.
Extension Cords for Block Heaters
Why 14-gauge is the minimum, how long is too long, which jacket ratings stay flexible at -40 °C, and the safety habits that keep a 1,000 W heater from becoming a fire risk.
Battery Chargers & Maintainers
Cold cuts a battery's cranking power; short winter trips stop it from ever recharging. Charger vs maintainer vs blanket, the amperage sizing table, and the winter rules the box doesn't mention.
Battery Blankets & Warmers
Warm batteries crank harder. Learn how to size a blanket, route it safely, and pair it with a block heater or maintainer for reliable -30°C starts.
Battery Blanket vs Maintainer
One keeps the battery warm; the other keeps it charged. See which fixes your winter-start problem and when using both makes sense.
Cold-Weather Jump Starters
How to choose a booster pack that still works below zero, with straightforward sizing for cars, pickups, diesels and small engines.
NOCO Genius 1 vs 2 vs 5 vs 10
Same brain, four speeds. Real charge-time math for each model and which amperage matches a sled, a stored sedan, a daily driver, or a diesel pickup.
CTEK MXS 5.0 vs NOCO Genius 5
The two chargers every forum recommends, spec-for-spec: cold-weather behaviour, AGM and lithium support, reconditioning, warranty — and which to actually buy.
Looking for a replacement block heater cord?
Factory and aftermarket block heaters use detachable cordsets, and a cracked or rodent-chewed cord is the most common block heater failure. Every vehicle page on this site lists the matching Zerostart cordset (36-prefix) and Kat's cordset (28xxx) beside the heater part number — including lighted versions that glow when the outlet is live. Find your vehicle for the exact number, and see the cord replacement guide if yours is damaged.
Should you plug in tonight?
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