Supporting Upstate New York, NY Metro, Long Island, New Jersey, and New England
Pipe Tracing (aka heat tracing) is commonly used to ensure that process, fluid, or material temperatures within pipes and piping systems are maintained above ambient temperatures during static flow conditions along with providing supplemental freeze protection in certain applications. In cold environments such as Upstate NY and New England, insulation often isn’t enough to protect pipes from freezing or process pipes from keeping product at a desired temperature. A well-designed and installed pipe heat trace system keeps water flowing and prevents costly damage to buildings.
There are many reasons for making up the heat loss of a system. With any heat loss, there is a corresponding drop in temperature. In many cases, a drop in temperature brings about unacceptable consequences. These consequences could be the freezing of water in cooling water lines, steam or condensate return lines, compressed air lines, fire protection lines, storage tanks, valves, etc. A drop in the temperature of process fluids could result in solution precipitation, unacceptable viscosity increase, or solidification of the product in the lines.
There are three different types of electric heat trace cable used in today’s systems, self-regulating, constant wattage, and mineral insulated (MI) cable. Self-regulating heat trace cable adjusts the heat output as needed as conductive elements are embedded in a polymer that expands and contracts in response to temperature:
Constant wattage heat trace cables are ideally suited for applications where a particular watt density is required at all times. Although not suited for overlapping, its constant output makes it an ideal choice for higher-temperature applications where higher watt densities are required.
Mineral insulated (MI) cable heaters are sheathed (copper and stainless are the most common) magnesium oxide insulated heater cables that can be formed into a wide variety of shapes and sizes. MI cable heaters can be formed to cover cylindrical parts that require a uniform or distributed wattage heat patterns as they are available in both single and twin conductor configurations ensuring a cost-effective pipe heating solution. Special cold section lengths are also an integral part of any MI cable heater design. MI trace heating cables offer high levels of corrosion protection and welding performance as well as an increased upper-temperature operation to 600°C.
Electric heat tracing systems need to have controls that range from thermostats for both ambient air and pipe/tank sensing applications to power distribution and control panels through our IntelliTrace line of high-tech distribution, monitoring, and control panels. Whether your project is a few lines of freeze protection or a few hundred lines of process piping we have the right control option for your needs which can be anything from a simple contactor relay panel all the way to a control and monitoring system, allowing programmed heating sequences, alarms, and notifications.
Like many other building systems, electric heat tracing is subject to standards from organizations such as CSA, UL, FM, IEEE, and NFPA (National Electrical Code).
Many companies simply supply heat trace materials based upon a factory design that you had to wait weeks to get completed. LEP & NEES have more than 30 years of experience and will engineer a design for various applications.
We work with engineers and contractors to create clear specifications during the very early stages of the project to ensure that a design can be completed quickly and accurately. Our dedicated heat trace engineering team works as an extension of your business from the early-stage engineering and design study throughout project completion. We take the responsibility to select, design, and implement the most effective heat trace system based on your project specifications which ensures smooth project operations, a minimal budget, and an on-time schedule.
Onsite review and measuring for trace applications can be conducted, prior to design and layout recommendations and we also provide onsite support to contractors during installation and start-up to include testing of the new or existing heat trace systems.
Design calculation sheets will be provided upon completion of the design for review and heat Tracing Isometric layouts will be furnished once the design is frozen and the order is received.
One of the most common applications for electric heat trace products is to ensure the prevention of freezing of pipes. The most efficient and cost-effective system for freeze protection of pipes is to use a self-regulating electric heat trace in conjunction with an ambient temperature sensing system.
The system that will be designed for every electric heat pipe tracing application will be affected by many factors such as pipe size/diameter, liquid temperature/heat loss, the number of thermal heat sinks in the run (flanges/valves), and insulation type. These will allow us to determine the appropriate amount of power needed for the applications so that we design and supply the most efficient electrical heat trace system.
The controls in these systems can be very complex, as they are usually process critical. We can design a variety of features into your system including real-time temperature data, backup operations in case of failure, system failure notifications, wireless connectivity, and more.
Special considerations should be made for the tracing of water for safety showers and fire protection systems. Electric heating cable systems are also often used as backup systems when steam is used as the preferred freeze protection source. Reach out to us for help in creating the required specification.
Electric heat trace can be used to provide consistent temperature in pipes and tanks of all sizes in many different applications. Thermally protected pipes can keep product at a constant temperature while being transferred to different processes through pipes and can reduce the tank heating costs as the incoming material does not create a thermal drag on the process.
LEP & NEES can supply cables that keep water flowing at ambient temperatures as low as -40°F and cables that withstand temperatures up to 1100°F and are suitable for damp, corrosive, and hazardous locations. We provide software and expertise to make selecting the right pipe-tracing solution easy.
Chromalox Self Regulating heat trace provides safe, reliable heat tracing for process temperature maintenance in pipes, valves, tanks, and similar applications, and is approved for use in DIV 1 hazardous locations. Constructed of industrial grade 16 AWG buss wire with a tinned copper braid and fluoropolymer over jacket, ensures operating integrity in Div. 1 hazardous environments with maximum maintenance temperature rating of 150°F (65°C) and 302°F (150°C) and a maximum exposure temperature of 185°F (85°C) and 420°F (215°C).
Chromalox CWM Constant Wattage heating cable is designed for use on 120 to 480V and withstands temperatures to 392°F (200°C). Equipped with a ground braid and optional FEP jacket, Chromalox Constand Wattage cables are third-party tested and approved for use in harsh corrosive and hazardous area applications.
Let Liberty Electric help you design a proper heat trace system to avoid improper installations that can cause your system to not function when needed.
Removable insulation covers for valves, flanges, and other fittings in industrial plants are an effective, convenient, and low cost solution to reduce heat loss and make your entire process more efficient. Our standard pipe and valve insulation line products are designed to fit an array of sizes, and can be used on almost any application that requires thermal processing including:
The insulation thickness significantly affects the temperature of piping that uses electric heat trace systems. Here's how:
Increasing the insulation thickness generally improves the effectiveness and efficiency of the electric heat trace system by reducing heat loss, stabilizing temperature, and preventing condensation. However, the optimal insulation thickness should be determined based on a detailed analysis of the system's requirements and environmental conditions.
To provide the calculations that show how long different insulation thicknesses can maintain the temperature of pipes of varying diameters if the electric heat trace system stops working, we need to consider several factors such as the pipe material, the temperature difference between the pipe and the ambient environment, and the specific heat loss characteristics of the insulation material. Without specific values for these parameters, I can provide an example table with assumed values for illustrative purposes. In a real-world scenario, we would need to use detailed calculations or empirical data specific to your application.
| Pipe Diameter | Insulation Thickness | Temperature Hold Time (hours) |
|---|---|---|
| 1" | 1" | 2 |
| 1" | 2" | 4 |
| 1" | 3" | 6 |
| 1" | 4" | 8 |
| 2" | 1" | 1.5 |
| 2" | 2" | 3 |
| 2" | 3" | 4.5 |
| 2" | 4" | 6 |
| 3" | 1" | 1 |
| 3" | 2" | 2.5 |
| 3" | 3" | 3.5 |
| 3" | 4" | 5 |
| 4" | 1" | 0.5 |
| 4" | 2" | 1.5 |
| 4" | 3" | 2.5 |
| 4" | 4" | 4 |
To get accurate hold times, we would need to perform thermal calculations using specific data about the insulation material's thermal conductivity, the pipe's thermal properties, the initial temperature difference, and other environmental factors.
Contact us today and we can help you specify out the best system to include the proper insulation thickness.
Industrial pipe tracing uses electric heating cable to replace heat lost from pipes, tanks, valves, and other equipment. It is commonly used for freeze protection and process temperature maintenance during static or low-flow conditions. Maintaining the correct temperature can prevent water from freezing and help process materials avoid precipitation, excessive viscosity, or solidification. Applications include water lines, condensate returns, compressed air systems, fire protection piping, storage tanks, and process piping.
The three primary types are self-regulating, constant wattage, and mineral-insulated cable. Self-regulating cable automatically changes its heat output as the surrounding temperature changes, making it well suited for freeze protection and many temperature-maintenance applications. Constant wattage cable delivers a consistent watt density and is often used where steady output or higher process temperatures are required. Mineral-insulated cable supports demanding high-temperature, corrosive, and industrial applications where durable construction and distributed heating are important.
System design depends on pipe diameter, pipe material, required maintenance temperature, minimum ambient temperature, insulation type and thickness, and the number of heat sinks in the piping run. Valves, flanges, supports, and fittings increase heat loss and must be included in the calculations. The surrounding environment, available electrical service, hazardous-area classification, and control requirements must also be evaluated. These factors determine the appropriate cable type, wattage, circuit length, insulation, and control configuration.
Insulation limits heat loss from the pipe and allows the heat trace cable to maintain the required temperature more efficiently. Proper insulation can improve temperature stability, reduce energy consumption, and help prevent condensation on the pipe surface. Insufficient or damaged insulation may prevent the system from delivering the intended freeze protection or process temperature maintenance. The correct insulation thickness should be determined through heat-loss calculations using the project’s actual pipe, temperature, material, and environmental conditions.
Heat trace controls range from basic ambient-sensing or pipe-sensing thermostats to multi-circuit monitoring and power distribution panels. Advanced systems can provide real-time temperature information, alarms, failure notifications, programmed heating sequences, backup operation, and wireless connectivity. The appropriate control package depends on the number of circuits and the operational importance of the piping system. Process-critical, fire protection, and safety-related applications may require more extensive supervision than standard freeze protection systems.
Our team is here to help you with all your Heat Trace needs.
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