Recently my airplane had a cylinder off due to a burnt valve, and I needed to change the oil and couldn’t run up the engine. I started draining the oil, and it seemed to be going slowly. I plugged in the oil pan heater that I’d installed for cold weather operations. Within fifteen minutes, the oil had warmed up and drained nicely.
When the oil was nice and warm and draining well, I disconnected the electricity from the heater. The oil was already warm enough. I could feel the drain hose to verify that. No point possibly overheating the heater with little or no oil in the sump.
The heater is a simple thing. If your airplane can accept the weight and complexity, this can make oil changes faster and more convenient-especially in the cooler months.
![[Credit: Lisa Turner]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Fuel-Selector-218x150.jpg "Fuel Follies")
