Everyone has their favorite winter food or beverage to warm yourself from the inside out. Potato soup with cheddar cheese and bacon is at the top of my list for winter foods, but a simple Irish Coffee after removing snow is also a welcomed treat to warm my insides.
But what can you do to prepare homes and businesses for cold weather? As temperatures lower, fluids may become less viscous, making them harder to pump or pour. Oils used for heating may need to be warmed so they are easier to handle. Other fluids may freeze, not only preventing flow but damaging pipes, storage containers and flow control equipment. This can result in damage to other equipment, lost production time and higher maintenance costs.
BriskHeat offers two new products designed to warm industrial fluids from the inside out. The DHI Drum Immersion Heater is made to be inserted through holes in the top of 55-gallon drums, and the TTI Tote Tank Immersion Heater fits into bulk containers to warm the contents. Both products are available in 120 and 240 VAC with the 120 VAC having plug-and-play convenience using a 3-prong NEMA 5-15 plug. Temperature controllers on the 240 VAC units are supplied with either Fahrenheit or Celsius display temperatures. The maximum temperature setpoint is 167°F (75°C) and there is a visual high-limit alarm fixed at 180°F (82°) to protect tanks and drums made from poly materials. Rated IP55, these heaters can be used in dusty environments where the controller could be exposed to water jets from any direction. The heating element is made from Incoloy 840 and with a stainless steel mounting bushing, the DHI can be used in applications requiring food-safe materials.
Small tote tank heaters are 36 inches (914 mm) tall and hold between 170 and 250 gallons. The TTI heater is 34 inches (864 mm) tall with 1500 watts of power used to heat the lower 18 inches (457 mm). This allows for the heater to be used on partially filled containers so long as the heated section is submerged. DHI immersion heaters are 32 inches (813 mm) with the bottom 12 inches (305 mm) portion heated. It is rated at 1000 watts.
February 2020 was brutally cold with record-setting cold temperatures throughout the southeastern and south-central United States. An immersion heater is part of the solution to prevent cold temperatures from taking its toll. Adding a full coverage insulator increases thermal efficiency and results in your fluids heating faster than with a full coverage heater alone. For faster heat-ups, a full coverage heater can be used with the immersion heater.
Don’t wait for Old Man Winter to creep through your door and chills you to the bone. Now is the time to plan for the cold months ahead. Contact BriskHeat or your local distributor to get more information about immersion heaters and other freeze protection products.
