Electric Heat Tracing: Installation Procedures
Electric Heat Tracing: Installation Procedures
Electric Heat Tracing
INSTALLATION PROCEDURES
Electric Heat Tracing
The following installation procedures are suggested guidelines for the installation of a Thermon electric heat tracing system1. Individuals installing these products are responsible for complying with all applicable safety and health guidelines. Proper personal protective equipment, or PPE, should be utilized during installation. Contact Thermon if you have any additional questions.
Complete Electric Heat Tracing System . . .
A complete electric heat tracing system will typically include the following components1: 1. Electric heat tracing cable2 (self-regulating, power-limiting, parallel constant watt or series constant watt). 2. Power connection kit. 3. RTD sensor or control thermostat3. 4. In-line/T-splice kit (permits two or three cables to be spliced together). 5. Cable end termination. 6. Attachment tape (use on 12 intervals or as required by code or specication). 7. Electric Heat Tracing label (peel-and-stick label attaches to insulation vapor barrier on 10 intervals or as required by code or specication). 8. Thermal insulation4 and vapor barrier (by others). The absence of any of these items can cause a system to malfunction or represent a safety hazard. Illustration A: Typical Heat Tracing Installation
5
Applications . . .
1. Electric heat tracing cables are used for freeze protection or temperature maintenance of piping, tanks and instrumentation. This set of instructions covers typical piping applications. For installation details on tanks and instrumentation, refer to the Installation Guides on our website www.thermon.com. 2. Heat tracing cables may be installed in ordinary (nonclassied) and hazardous (classied) locations depending on the specic cable options and approvals2. The National Electric Code and Canadian Electrical Code require ground-fault protection be provided for electric heat tracing .
Types of Heating Cables . . .
Self-Regulating Heating Cables: BSX Self-Regulating Heating Cable (refer to Form TEP0067) RSX Self-Regulating Heating Cable (refer to Form TEP0004) KSX Self-Regulating Heating Cable (refer to Form TEP0072) HTSX Self-Regulating Heating Cable (refer to Form TEP0074) VSX Self-Regulating Heating Cable (refer to Form TEP0008) Power-Limiting Heating Cable: HPT Power-Limiting Heating Cable (refer to Form TEP0011) Parallel Constant Watt Heating Cable: FP Parallel Constant Watt Heating Cable (refer to Form TEP0016) Series Constant Watt Heating Cables: TEK Series Constant Watt Heating Cable (refer to Form TEP0021) HTEK Series Constant Watt Heating Cable (refer to Form TEP0022)
Notes . . . 1. Illustration depicts a typical self-regulating heating circuit. 2. Ground-fault equipment protection is required for all heat tracing circuits. 3. Temperature control is recommended for all freeze protection and temperature maintenance heat tracing applications. 4. All heat-traced lines must be thermally insulated. 5. Refer to Thermon form number PN50273 for installation instructions for MIQ mineral insulated heating cables.
4 5
8 6 7
Electric Heat Tracing
Upon Receiving, Cable . . .
1. Upon receiving heating cable, check to make sure the proper type and output have been received. All exible cables have the catalog number, voltage rating and watt output printed on the jacket. 2. Visually inspect cable for any damage incurred during shipment. The heating cable should be tested to ensure electrical integrity with at least a 500 Vdc megger between the heating cable bus wires and the heating cable metallic braid. IEEE 515 recommends that the test voltage for polymer insulated heating cables be 2500 Vdc. Minimum resistance should be 20 megohms. Connect the positive lead of the megger to the cable bus wires and the negative lead to the metallic braid. (Record 1 on Cable Testing Report.) 3. Store in dry location.
Before Installing Cable . . .
1. Be sure all piping and equipment to be traced is completely installed and pressure tested. 2. Surface areas where heat tracing is to be installed must be reasonably clean. Remove dirt, rust and scale with a wire brush and oil and grease lms with a suitable solvent.
Initial Installation . . .
1. Locate the cable on the lower quadrant of the pipe at the 4 or 8 oclock position. If accessibility is a problem the cable may be installed at the 10 or 2 oclock position. Temperature sensor should be located at least 90 from all heating cables. Refer to Illustration B for Heating Cable vs. Sensor Location. 2. Begin temporary installation at the proposed end-of-circuit location and lay out heating circuit on the pipe, allowing extra cable for the power connection and for any splice locations3. Refer to Illustration C for temporary installation. 3. Make heating cable allowances for valves, anges, elbows and supports as per the applicable drawings and table on pages 3 and 4 of these installation procedures.
Temperature Sensor (Typical) 45 90 45 Pipe Wall
Illustration B: Heating Cable vs. Sensor Location
90
45
45
45
45
45 Heating Cable (Typical)
Single Cable Installation
Dual Cable Installation
Triple Cable Installation
Illustration C: Temporary Installation
Proposed End-of-Circuit Location
Pipe Support
Notes . . .
Cable Allowance for In-Line Heat Sinks Proposed Power Connection Location
1. Termination kits to fabricate a heat tracing circuit are not addressed in detail in these installation procedures. Refer to installation instructions included with cable termination kits or contact Thermon for specic instructions to fabricate heating cable. 2. For information on specic cable types and options, refer to Types of Heating Cables on page 1. 3. Heating cable minimum bend radius is 10mm (3/8) at -15C (5F). See product specication sheet for additional details.
Electric Heat Tracing
Installation on Elbows, Supports and Flanges . . .
1. Install heating cable in accordance with Illustrations D, E and F below. Secure heating cable to piping using attachment tape. 2. Elbows: Locate the cable on the outside radius of an elbow to provide sufcient heat to compensate for the added piping material. Secure the cable to the pipe on each side of the elbow with attachment tape. 3. Pipe Supports: Insulated pipe supports require no additional heating cable. For uninsulated supports, allow two times the length of the pipe support plus an additional 15 (40 cm) of heating cable. 4. Flanges: Allow cable to be looped around pipe on each side of and adjacent to the ange. Heating cable must maintain contact with ange when bending around pipe anges to compensate for additional heat loss. 5. Refer to the product specications sheet for minimum bend radius for the specic cable type. Do not exceed bend radius when completing installation.
Illustration D: Pipe Elbow
Illustration E: Pipe Support
Attachment Tape (Typical)
Heating Cable
Heating Cable
Attachment Tape (Typical)
3 Min. (8 cm)
Illustration F: Pipe Flange
Attachment Tape (Typical)
3 Min. (8 cm)
Support Length
Heating Cable Circuit Layout on Support
Note: Flange allowance will vary based on method of insulating ange and adjacent piping.
12 Max. (30 cm)
Electric Heat Tracing
Installation on Valves and Pumps . . .
1. Install heating cable in accordance with Illustrations G and H below. Secure heating cable to piping using attachment tape. 2. Additional cable is required to provide extra heat at valves, pumps and miscellaneous equipment to offset the increased heat loss associated with these items. Refer to Table 1 for estimated cable requirements for installation on typical valves and pumps. Allowances shown in Table 1 are for 150 pound valves. More cable is required for higher rated valves. Refer to heat trace isometric drawing for project specic allowances. 3. Install heating cable on valves and pumps utilizing a looping technique (this allows the valve or pump to be removed if required). Crossing constant watt heating cable over itself should be avoided. 4. Refer to the product specications sheet for minimum bend radius for the specic cable type. Do not exceed bend radius when completing installation.
Pipe Size " " 1" 1" 1" 2" 3" 4" 6" 8" 10" 12" 14" 16" 18" 20" 24" 30"
Note . . . 1. The valve allowance given is the total amount of additional cable to be installed on the valve. If multiple tracers are used, total valve allowance may be divided among the individual tracers. The total valve allowance may be alternated among tracers for multiple valves in a heat trace circuit. Allowances are for 150 pound valves. More cable is required for higher rated valves. Refer to heat trace isometric drawing for project specic allowances.
Table 1: Valve and Pump Allowances1
Valve Allowance Screwed Flanged or Welded 6" 9" 1' 1' 6" 1' 6" 2' 2' 6" 4' 7' 9' 6" 12' 6" 15' 18' 21' 6" 25' 6" 28' 6" 34' 40' 1' 1' 6" 2' 2' 2' 6" 2' 6" 3' 6" 5' 8' 11' 14' 16' 6" 19' 6" 23' 27' 30' 36' 42' Buttery 0 0 1' 1' 1' 6" 2' 2' 6" 3' 3' 6" 4' 4' 5' 5' 6" 6' 6' 6" 7' 8' 10' Pump Allowance Screwed 1' 1' 6" 2' 3' 3' 4' 5' 8' 14' 19' 25' 30' 36' 43' 51' 57' 68' 80' Flange Flanged Allowance 2' 3' 4' 4' 6" 5' 5' 6" 7' 10' 16' 22' 28' 33' 39' 46' 54' 60' 72' 84' 1 3" 1 6" 1 6 2 0" 2 0" 2 3" 2 3" 2 9" 3 3" 3 9" 4 3" 5 0" 5 6" 6 0" 6 6" 7 3" 8 3" 10 0"
Illustration G: Typical Valve Detail
Illustration H: Typical Pump Detail
Attachment Tape (Typical) Heating Cable
Heating Cable Attachment Tape (Typical) Heating Cable Serpentined on Valve Heating Cable Serpentined on Pump
Circuit Layout on Valve
Circuit Layout on Pump
Electric Heat Tracing
Completing the Installation . . .
1. Begin nal cable attachment by securing the end-of-circuit termination kit and working back toward the power supply. Refer to Illustration I. Flexible heating cables are to be installed using attachment tape. Circumferential bands of tape should be installed at 12 (30 cm) intervals to keep the cable in proper contact with the pipe. Refer to Table 2 below to calculate the number of rolls of attachment tape required based on the pipe diameter1. If applicable, refer to installation details provided with the project drawings or contact Thermon for additional information regarding installation. 2. In addition to the circumferential tape requirements, a continuous covering of aluminum foil tape may be required when: Spray or foam2 thermal insulation is applied. Heat tracing nonmetallic piping. 3. Complete splice connections (if required) in accordance with the installation instructions provided with the splice kit. 4. Before making power connections, The heating cable should be tested to ensure electrical integrity with at least a 500 Vdc megger between the heating cable bus wires and the heating cable metallic braid. IEEE 515 recommends that the test voltage for polymer insulated heating cables be 2500 Vdc. Minimum resistance should be 20 megohms. (Record 2 on Cable Testing Report.) 5. Install power connection kit in accordance to the detailed installation instructions provided with the kit. 6. Secure temperature sensor (if required) to pipe utilizing attachment tape. Locate temperature sensor as shown on page 6.
Notes . . . 1. Table 2 assumes circumferential bands every 12 (30 cm) along the length of the process piping. 2. Verify exposure temperature of heating cable versus curing temperature of insulation.
Illustration I: Final Cable Attachment
Proposed End of Circuit
Attachment Tape
Proposed Power Supply
Table 2: Attachment Tape (Value Represents Approximate Linear Pipe Length Allowance Per Roll)
Tape Length 36 yd 60 yd Pipe Diameter in Inches "-1" 130' 215' 1" 115' 195' 1" 110' 180' 2" 95' 160' 3" 75' 125' 4" 65' 105' 6" 50' 80' 8" 40' 65' 10" 35' 55' 12" 30' 50' 14" 26' 43' 16" 23' 38' 18" 21' 35' 20" 19' 31' 24" 16' 27' 30" 13' 22'
Electric Heat Tracing
Final Connections . . .
1. Follow the circuit fabrication instructions for the specic cable type. Power connection and end-of-circuit termination kits are designed for each type of cable; substitutions should not be made. 2. For ambient controlled power, the heating circuit should be connected directly to the switched power feed wiring.
CB L1 L2/N NO Ambient Sensing Thermostat
Thermal Insulation . . .
1. The need for properly installed and well-maintained thermal insulation cannot be overemphasized. Without insulation, heat losses are generally too high to be offset by a conventional heat tracing system. 2. In addition to piping and in-line equipment such as pumps and valves, all heat sinks must be properly insulated. This includes pipe supports, hangers, anges and, in most cases, valve bonnets. 3. Regardless of the type or thickness of insulation used, a protective barrier should be installed. This protects the insulation from moisture intrusion, physical damage and helps ensure the proper performance of the heat tracing system. Seal around all penetrations through the thermal insulation. 4. After the installation of the thermal insulation and weather barrier but BEFORE ENERGIZING THE HEATING CIRCUIT, the megohmmeter test should be repeated. This should call attention to any damage to the heating cable that may have occurred during the insulation installation. (Record 3 on Cable Testing Report)
Heater
NC
COM
Heat Tracing Junction Box (SPDT Thermostat Shown)
5. Apply caution labels to insulation weather barrier at required intervals along pipe
Final Inspection and Documentation . . .
3. For pipewall sensing thermostatic control, the heating circuit is to be connected in series with the control contacts as shown below. The pipewall sensing thermostat may require more than one support point.
CB L1 L2/N NO Pipewall Sensing Thermostat NC
1. It is recommended that the circuit be temporarily energized so that the volts, amps, pipe temperature and ambient temperature may be recorded. This information may be of value for future reference and should be maintained for the historical operating data log (Record 4 on Cable Testing Report). 2. Stabilized design can be used for self-regulating heating cables to assign a lower T-class through the use of the Thermon CompuTrace software or Thermon Engineering. 3. Stabilized design can be used for power-limiting and constant watt heating cables without a limiting device to determine the T-class through the use of the Thermon CompuTrace software or Thermon Engineering. 4. A sample historical operating data log form is included in the Electric Heat Tracing Maintenance and Troubleshooting Guide, Thermon Form TEP0066). The National Electric Code and Canadian Electrical Code require ground-fault protection be provided for branch circuits supplying electric heat tracing.
Heat Tracing Junction Box
COM
Thermostat Sensor
Heater
(SPDT Thermostat Shown)
Cable Testing Report
1. Refer to Thermon Installation Procedures, FORM PN 50207, for general installation procedures, requirements and guidelines. 2. Upon receiving heating cable, check the cable to make sure the proper type and output have been received. All exible cables have the catalog number, voltage rating and watt output printed on the outer jacket. 3. Visually inspect cable for any damage incurred during shipment. The heating cable should be tested to ensure electrical integrity with at least a 500 Vdc megger between the heating cable bus wires and the heating cable metallic braid. IEEE 515 recommends that the test voltage for polymer insulated heating cables be 2500 Vdc. Minimum resistance should be 20 megohms. (Record 1 on Cable Testing Report.) A. Connect the positive lead of the megger to the cable bus wires. B. Connect the negative lead of the megger to the metallic braid. C. Energize the megger and record the reading. Readings between 20 megohms and innity are acceptable. Readings below 20 megohms may mean the electrical insulation has been damaged. Recheck the heating cable for physical damage between the braid and the heating element; small cuts or scuffmarks on the outer jacket will not affect the megger reading unless there was actual penetration through the braid and dielectric insulation jacket. 4. Once the installation is complete, but prior to installation of thermal insulation, recheck the heating cable with at least a 500 Vdc megger between the heating cable bus wires and the heating cable metallic braid. IEEE 515 recommends that the test voltage for polymer insulated heating cables be 2500 Vdc should be 20 megohms. (Record 2 on Cable Testing Report.) 5. After the thermal insulation is installed, the megohmmeter test should be repeated. Minimum resistance should be 5 megohms. (Record 3 on Cable Testing Report.) 6. After the thermal insulation is installed and power supply is completed, record the panel and circuit breaker information. Ensure all junction boxes, temperature controllers, cable glands, etc. are properly secured. Set the temperature controller (if applicable) to the manual setting and apply rated voltage to the heat tracing circuit(s) for 5 minutes. Record the ambient temperature, measure and record the circuit(s) voltage and current. (Record 4 on Cable Testing Report.)
NOTE: To ensure the heating cable warranty is maintained through installation, the testing outlined on this sheet must be completed on the installed heating cables, and the test results recorded and mailed/faxed to: Thermon Customer Service 100 Thermon Drive San Marcos, Texas 78666 Fax: 512-754-2420
make additional copies as required for each circuit.
Customer: Address: Phone No: Project Reference: Contractor: Address: Phone No.
Cable Testing Report
Record 1: Prior to Installation
Cable Type: Reel Length: Reel Number: Insulation Resistance M Ohms: Tested By: Witnessed By: Date: Date:
Record 2: After Installation of Heating Cable
Insulation Resistance M Ohms: Heater Length: Heater Number: Tested By: Witnessed By: Date: Date:
Record 3: After The Thermal Insulation Is Installed
Insulation Resistance M Ohms: Tested By: Witnessed By: Date: Date:
Record 4: Final Commissioning
Panel Number: Breaker Number: Volts: Ambient Temperature (deg. F): Pipe Temperature (deg. F): Recorded Amps (After 5 Min.): Tested By: Witnessed By: Date: Date:
THERMON . . . The Heat Tracing Specialists 100 Thermon Dr. PO Box 609 San Marcos, TX 78667-0609 Phone: 512-396-5801 Facsimile: 512-396-3627 1-800-820-HEAT In Canada call 1-800-563-8461 Specications and information are subject to change without notice. Form PN50207-1111
