AVIATION SAFETY STARTS WITH TANIS PREHEAT
Tanis Aircraft Products is the leading manufacturer of Aircraft Engine Preheat systems. Tanis Aircraft started business in 1974, we were the first to develop aircraft engine preheat systems for piston engines, first to offer helicopter preheat, first to offer turbine preheat, and the first to meet the rigorous requirements for FAA Supplemental Type Certification.
Our website has information on Piston aircraft preheat systems, Turbine engine preheaters, Rotorwing preheaters, and Replacement parts & accessories. We manufacture all of our own systems at our facility at the Glenwood Municipal Airport (KGHW) in West Central Minnesota.
Why Preheat an Aircraft Engine?
Aircraft engines need to preheat in cold weather. Did you know that starting a cold engine can cause the equivalent of 500 hours of wear and tear (Plane & Pilot Magazine)?
Tanis Aircraft Products is the leading manufacturer of aircraft engine preheat systems. Tanis Aircraft started business in 1974, we were the first to develop aircraft engine preheat systems for piston engines, first to offer helicopter preheat, first to offer turbine preheat, and the first to meet the rigorous requirements for FAA Supplemental Type Certification.
What are some of the other benefits of preheating? When and how should you safely preheat? We've compiled the following resources to answer all your preheat questions.
Featured Preheat Products
Turbine Preheat
Tanis Aircraft Products has wide range of piston engine preheat products. We have kits for engines from manufacturers like Austro, Continental, Franklin, Jabiru, Jacobs, Lycoming, Rotax, and more. All of us at Tanis truly care about your aircraft's longevity, your safety, and your ability to get to your destination despite the cold weather.
Rotor Wing Preheat
Tanis Aircraft products offers Rotor Wing Preheat systems/kits. We have complete systems for most Helicopter manufactures including AgustaWestland, Airbus, Bell, Enstrom, Erickson, Hélicoptères Guimbal, MDHI, Robinson, and Sikorsky. We work closely with all Helicopter manufactures and maintenance professionals to have manufacture approved installations when ever possible.
Piston Preheat
Tanis Aircraft Products has wide range of piston engine preheat products. We have kits for engines from manufacturers like Austro, Continental, Franklin, Jabiru, Jacobs, Lycoming, Rotax, and more. All of us at Tanis truly care about your aircraft's longevity, your safety, and your ability to get to your destination despite the cold weather.
FAQ
The benefits of preheating include reducing engine wear and increasing engine life, making it easier to start the engine and reducing the chance of frosting spark plugs, reducing the run up time and saving fuel, preventing cylinder scoring, ensuring proper oil flow, and increasing safety.
Additionally, many engine manufacturers mandate preheating due to the decreased crankcase clearances that can occur when the engine is cold. The engine crankcase is made of aluminum, while the engine rotating parts are made of steel. Due to the coefficient of thermal expansion, the aluminum crankcase shrinks more than the steel parts within it when the engine is cold. This can cause clearance issues, which can be mitigated by preheating the engine.
Tanis preheat systems are designed so you will achieve the maximum benefit from our system within 6 hours of use. Most of our data logging results show a 40 to 50 degree F° increase (22.2 to 27.7 C°)within the first two hours of use. Refer to engine/aircraft documentation for minimum temperature required for starting. The heating follows a "standard reducing curve" for the temperature rise of the engine.
For cold weather operations, engine preheat is always required. Refer to the engine manufacturer's recommendation and the POH/AFM specific to your aircraft.
Preheating is required whenever the engine has been exposed to temperatures at or below 20F/-7C (wind chill factor) for 2 hours or more." - Continental Service Information Letter No. SIL 03-1 or the Continental Standard Practice Maintenance Manual M-0.
"The use of preheat will ease startup during cold weather and is required when the engine has been allowed to drop to temps below -10F/-12C" - Lycoming Service Instruction No. 1505.
Many of our customers preheat when the outside temperature drops below 50F/10C. Preheat may be used at any temperature to reduce run-up times and starting wear but Tanis does not recommend preheating when the ambient temperatures exceed 100F/38C.
If the engine does not start during the first few attempts, or if the engine firing diminishes in strength, it is possible that the spark plugs have been frosted over. In this case, preheat must be used before another start is attempted.
Additionally, turbine aircraft, helicopters and diesel engines can have torque oscillation issues that cause a lot of wear. It's important to follow the manufacturer's guidelines when the ambient temperatures are freezing or below.
Tanis is a multipoint system with redundancy. This can provide added safety and reliability when operating in cold weather.
On a GA aircraft once the cowl is removed, it may take 2-5 man hours for completion per engine. Pad heat elements require curing before the aircraft can return to service.
For helicopter and complete aircraft installs the time is variable based on the status of the aircraft and type of aircraft. Contact us for additional help.
Yes, Tanis preheat systems can be plugged in continuously in ambient temperatures less than 100F/38C.
YES! Current Tanis systems use elements that are compatible with all engine analyzers/monitors. Our standard and STC systems do not use the CHT (Cylinder Head Temperature) thermocouple well. Instead of using the CHT well we use a bolt/screw element that can replace a rocker cover, baffle pad, or intake bolt/screw. See instruction TN02771 for more information. Legacy (Old) systems and kits may still use CHT well elements.
The What/Why/How of Preheat
Customer Testimonials
“I was fortunate to have a strong tailwind that assisted me in reaching the airport with a non-event landing. My mechanic said the engine failure problem was caused by lack of lubricating oil due to improper preheating. This failure happened to me back in the mid 1980s and I have installed Tanis heaters on each aircraft owned thereafter. I currently use the Tanis TAS 100 on my IO-360. I use this system from Fall to Spring. The Tanis heater is very economical to use, so I keep it plugged in 24/7. I now have peace of mind that my engine is properly heated and ready for operation.”
“I have over 20 years of experience with Tanis engine heaters and have had 100% reliability with your equipment. Furthermore, I have not experienced any problems associated with cold weather operation and I strongly recommend to all aircraft owners that they consider using your products. During engine rebuild my mechanic insisted that I install a preheating system and recommended the Tanis brand. I followed his recommendation and have been extremely pleased with the Tanis heater.”
“The best-known multipoint electric preheating systems come from Tanis Aircraft. We do not recommend cheaper electric systems that heat only the oil pan. As you now know, heating the cylinders and case is absolutely essential. Read the entire article at www.avweb.com”
