Timers

On the Hat I'm running we have 8-92TIs. In each engine room there is a timer that appears to feed block heaters, but we also have block heater switches up at the helm. I asked our yard manager (who claims to know Hats) 4 times about this and he kept saying he'd get the answer, but never has. Can anybody with an older Hat enlighten me as to the purpose of these timers? The timers are mounted on the wall next to the light/blower switches.

I have also, but that is definitely not this. One lead is going to a plug (bolt) on the exhaust manifold. Not sure about the other, but I suspect to the block. What really throws me is that they appear to be fairly new. My best guess is block heaters, but that just doesn't make sense with the switches at the helm. I'm sort of wondering if this, despite looking fairly new, might have been the original block heater situation on these boats and maybe a prior owner added the helm switches.

I may be mistaken, but I believe they're up to 90 or 100 minutes. They're not programable but simply an egg timer, count down type.
One thing I've noticed about this boat is that when old equipment was replaced, the old was seldom removed. This may be such a case.

Just got the answer from the former owner. Not timers, but temperature controls. Cool setup.

"They are thermostats for the block heaters. You select the temperature below which you want the block heaters to come on. However, you also have the control in the pilothouse. When the three position toggle for each is in the thermostat on mode, the block heaters are controlled by the setting you select on the thermostat on the wall in each ER as stated above. When the three position toggle is in the block heater on mode, it overrides the thermostat setting and turns on the block heaters. When the three position toggle is in the middle, neither the thermostat nor the manual override controls the block heaters -- they remain off at all temperatures. "

Yep. Nice system to have though when the boat may be left somewhere cold and occasionally used. Still remember a boat I was asked to move on a 0* January day that had no block heaters, and that BOOM that I never want to hear again.