Block heater causing radiator hose to weep?

[BDCarrillo]

Kinda stumped by this one... plugged in the truck last night ~2100 hrs, came out at 0530 to a puddle of coolant. It was dripping from the lower hose/radiator connection... this area has never leaked before or when the system was pressurized. Nothing in the overflow tank to indicate that it came up to pressure (doubt the heater would do that anyway). The hose clamp was pretty snug, but I was able to tighten it up another 1/4 turn.

Any guesses on this oddity?

 

[fuzzy1626]

cold water leak?
I seem to have them on my heater hoses every year when the temps drop really low for the first time.
I can always give the clamps a little tweak and they stop.
I don't think heater hose is as good as it use to be.
Maybe I should use the Ford spring type so they adjust themselves...

 

[IDIoit]

did you use distilled water with the coolant?
may have electrolysis going on, check all your ground straps?

 

[BDCarrillo]

Coolant is final charge premixed, no added water. Not an internal short on the heater... 0.9 ohms frame to engine or battery... coulda been a cold leak. Temps were in the teens, but this is the third freeze so far this winter. Not another drop lost all day...

 

[tbrumm]

The hoses that run to my coolant filter will weep a bit the first few times I use the block heater when it gets cold. Just have to snug up the worm drive clamps and then it is fine, usually for the rest of the winter. The first time this happened, it scared the crap out of me because there was a little coolant on the passenger's side leaf spring down below the rear of the head. Thought sure the HG was leaking at the rear of the head but nope - just the stupid heater hose. Whew!

 

[BDCarrillo]

Ok, glad to hear I'm not the only one... it's my first winter with the IDI

 

[SLC97SR5]

Mine does the EXACT same thing.
Plug it in cold and a few hours later there is a 3" wet spot from the lower radiator hose seeping.
I have a new aluminum radiator, hoses and clamps.
It does not do it all summer or after a hard run, only when using the block heater on a cold engine, if I plug it in when the engine is warm no drips appear.

 

[BDCarrillo]

Very curious... makes me wonder what's going on in there!

Maybe the convection flow of heat acts much differently on the parts compared to the flow of the pump.

 

[Leeland]

Just going to throw it out there, there is such of a thing as cold water leaks. Not saying that's what this is.

 

[BDCarrillo]

First time ever seeing it... call me a winter newb.

Does seem like that's what happened. We can probably chalk this up as case closed, false alarm.

 

[madpogue]

Put that heater on a timer, set it to start at aprx. 02:30. Three hours is all you need. Those extra five hours of run time probably cost you $0.75 in electricity. At that rate, a heavy-duty timer will pay for itself in about two weeks.

 

[Leeland]

Not necessarily a winter thing, only see a truck time to time come into the shop with the complaint of a leak when cold but no leak once warmed up. Usually a clamp or hose.