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Reiff Heater


corvette33

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There is a fleet LOA for the Reiff. You will need to fill out the alteration form from FD and send it in to them. That's all the paperwork. Reiff works okay and is cheaper than a Tanis, but it was designed for a wet sump system and they just sold it for the Rotax. Tanis does cost more, but is the gold standard for pre-heaters. The Tanis pre-heater for Rotax was designed just for the Rotax and does a better job of heat soaking the entire engine, top to bottom. I have never met an unhappy Tanis owner. I have a plane from Colorado in my hangar right now with a Tanis. They say on the really cold mornings the engine temps are at 80F when they turn the key.

 

 

http://documents.fli..._MRA form A.pdf

 

 

Here are the Reiff and Tanis fleet LOA's.

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Roger installed a Tanis per-heater in mine and on cold mornings it starts and reads 87-92. Also fires up immediately. Wear and tear of cold starts with several cranks are a thing of the past. Highly recommend for those in cold climates. Btw Roger did an excellent install - very clean wiring and even fixed a plug that was received damaged.

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I have a Reiff which I installed myself. A local CTSW owner has a Reiff. Both work well. Kent Johnson an FD dealer in Stanton MN (think COLD) recommends and installs Reiff.

 

My plane is typically at 75 F with the Reiff, in a cold hangar, no cowl blanket.

 

If you subscribe to Aviation Consumer, check out their 2007 review. They say that Reiff is the better value and Tanis gives slightly better performance. The article does a nice job and brings up a number of points which may be of more value to some than others.

 

You're probably not wrong no matter which you choose, just be aware that according to Aviation Consumer you are not getting much more value for your money - about double the cost and recommended to be installed by a licensed mechanic for the full warranty - with Tanis.

 

I have no connection with either company, except I'm a Reiff customer, and get nothing from them.

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This is the third winter I've had the Reiff on my LS. With morning air and hanger temps in the low 20s the Dynon indicates oil temp of about 65 degrees and CHTs of 75 - 80 before start up. This is after a three hour warm up (electronic timer turns it on 3 hours before I get to the hanger). The substantial additional cost of the Tanis was clearly not necessary for my situation although sustained air temps below zero could prove the Tanis more useful.

 

PRW

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I am VERY happy with the Reiff heater, installed on the 912 in my RV-12. I have the 150 watt version. I find the oil temperature and and the CHTs 85-90 degF w/ an OAT in the low 20's. I throw a moving blanket over the cowl and plug the openings on the front of the cowl. I leave it plugged in when the outside air temperatures is less than about 50 degF. Could not be happier. Photos of my install can be found here. RV-12 Mods - Oil Thermostat, Damper and Reiff Preheater. Most photos show the oil thermostat but there a few of the Reiff on the bottom of the engine and the oil resevoir.

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