What Power Source Should You Use With a Polar Pal Diesel Heater?

What Power Source Should You Use With a Diesel Heater?

In terms of Power Source, it ultimately comes down to your preference — Battery or Power Station (Power Bank). Both options will work great with a Polar Pal diesel heater, and each has its own advantages depending on how you plan to use your setup.

Every Polar Pal heater comes ready to connect directly to a battery using power cables with ring terminals, but you can also use one of our optional adapters which you can find under Accessories on our website — the  12V DC Accessory Outlet Adapter or 110V adapter — to power your heater from a portable Power Station.

 

Understanding Power Ratings

If you're new to battery or power station specs, heres a quick guide you'll want to read to understand what the numbers in this article mean:

• Watts (W) measure the rate of power use — how much energy the heater is using right now.
  Example: a 40W draw means the heater is using 40Watts every second it’s running.

• Watt-hours (Wh) measure the total amount of energy used over time.
  Example: running at 40W for one hour uses 40Wh of energy.

• Amps (A) measure the current flow — how fast electricity is moving through the circuit at any moment.

• Amp-hours (Ah) measure how much total current flows over time.
  Example: drawing 3A for one hour = 3Ah used.

If you know your battery’s voltage (12V in this case), you can easily estimate runtime:
Watts = Volts × Amps  or  Amp-hours = Watt-hours ÷ Volts

This helps you figure out how long your Polar Pal will run on your chosen battery or power station.

 

Power Consumption

Polar Pal heaters are among the most efficient portable diesel heaters on the market — offering exceptional heat output relative to power draw thanks to the high-quality components we use!

While running, they typically use 10–40 Watts (W) of power — roughly 1–4 Amp-Hours (Ah) - depending on the selected heat level and outdoor temperature. The reason for the variance is because power draw increases when the heater is set to a higher temperature versus a lower temperature,  power draw will also vary with differing ambient temperatures. The colder it is outside, the more power they will draw. 

Here are some rough numbers you can expect a Polar Pal heater to draw, remember the variance is due to ambient temperatures (Anywhere from 20°C to -40°C).

• Low heat setting: ~5–10W (≈ 1–2 A)
• Medium heat setting: ~10–20W (≈ 2 A)
• High heat setting: ~20–40W (≈ 2–4 A)

During startup — especially in cold weather — the heater briefly draws up to 180 W (≈ 15 A) for about 3–5 minutes while the glow plug ignites. After that, power consumption drops back down to normal operating levels and remains steady

Because of their low running power, our Polar Pal heaters can provide many hours of continuous heat from even a modest power source!

 

 

Power Bank/Station Setup

For a Power Station, we recommend something rated 1000W or larger. A unit of this size should provide anywhere from 25- 60 hours of runtime before needing to be recharged based on the heater setting your using. You can get away with smaller units, as low as 300W, you just obviously wont get as much run time.

One thing to note with most Power Banks, is that their DC output has an Amp restriction of usually 10A. This can be particularly troublesome when powering your Polar Pal heater during cold weather start up, as they can draw anywhere from 10-15A during cold weather start up. This Amp restriction usually isn't an issue during modest weather conditions, but during colder temperatures it can definitely cause grief. If your power bank has a 110V plug in, they usually do not have the same restrictions- In which we would recommend using out 110 adapter to use with your power bank. 

For a Power Station, If your budget allows, the EcoFlow Delta 3 Portable Power Station (Costco or Amazon) is an excellent option that offers plenty of capacity and does not have any DC output restrictions. The EcoFlow Delta 3 offers quick charging, and versatility for other devices like, lights, starlink, tv, or phones while off-grid.

Power Stations are a great “plug-and-play” option — perfect for anyone who wants a versatile yet simple setup.

 

Battery Setup

If you’d rather have a dedicated battery system, any standard 12V battery will work (including truck batteries and starting batteries), but we recommend going with either a Lithium (LifePO₄) or Deep Cycle (AGM or Lead-Acid) battery because of their ability to work in colder temperatures and longevity. 

Our first recommendation would be a 12V Lithium battery with at least 100Ah capacity. Lithium batteries deliver more usable power, faster charging, and better cold-weather performance than standard lead-acid or AGM batteries. We recommend this reliable model: 100Ah 12V Lithium Battery (Amazon)

If you’re looking for something more affordable, 100Ah 12V Deep Cycle batteries will work great as well. The 100Ah 12V Marine Deep Cycle Battery (Costco) is a solid choice and still provides excellent runtime for multiple days and nights of use. Both options will power your Polar Pal heater efficiently and reliably.

The size of battery you need is ultimately up to you, you may go larger if you need longer run time, or small if you need less run time. Remember that our heaters use about 10–40Wh or roughly 1-4Ah. 

Please note: Lithium batteries can typically be discharged up to about 90% of their capacity, while Deep Cycle batteries should only be used down to around 40-50% of discharge to increase the lifespan of the battery.

 

Maximizing Battery Life

To get the most runtime and lifespan from your power source:

• Keep your batteries out of freezing temperatures when possible.
• Put your battery in a battery box or other insulated container 
• Keep your battery inside of the area you're heating.
• Store them inside your tent, truck, or an insulated box when not using.
  

Cold weather significantly reduces battery efficiency — keeping them warm makes a noticeable difference. Your heater is no good with a dead battery!

 

Summary

Whether you go with a portable power station or a dedicated 12V battery, both options will run your Polar Pal heater for long periods — even through the coldest nights.

It really comes down to your setup and preference:

• Power stations = convenience and portability
• Batteries = longer runtime and better value

Either way, you’ll stay warm and comfortable wherever your adventures take you.

 

Interested in learning more?

Visit PolarPal.ca to explore our heaters, adapters, and accessories.