This week I just realized something. It’s getting cold outside. This seems to happen every single year. Also, every single year I deny that it is going to happen. I will put off doing maintenance and preparations for the turning of the seasons even though I know that it is inevitable. Once it finally gets cold, I decide that I should probably prepare for the cold. By now, it’s a bit late. So, next year I will get it done before winter comes.
Part of this winterization is verifying the function of all of your heaters and heat trace. Do you know where all your heat trace circuits are and all the details about them? Can you visually see if a circuit is on or off? Below is a list of information you will need for each circuit in order to identify it, locate it, and ensure that you have the parts to fix it if there is a problem.
- Circuit Name and Location
- Pipe Size
- Length of Circuit
- Insulation Type and Thickness
- Heat Trace Type, Wattage, Voltage
- Control Type (Thermostat, RTD, Always On)
- Location of Controller
If you do not have all this information for each circuit, it makes it difficult to do that walk-down and functional verification each year. What is holding you back from getting this info? Does it seem like such a large job that you just don’t think you could get it done? Is it always on your list, but other more important things come up and take precedence? Did you know that the fine folks at Jasper Engineering and Thermon have a dedicated team that does these site surveys and can provide all this information without taking time away from your plant staff? Take the initiate this year to get the info you need to properly maintain your heat trace systems.
Jasper Engineering: 952-938-6504 or sales@jaspereng.com