Remember last winter? Frost protection

Remember the drastic temperatures and weather spouts of last winter? Since then, trace heating has since become a requirement in many homes across the UK.

Since then we are all too aware of the damage that frozen pipe work can cause to domestic homes after temperatures plummet below freezing including building damage, temporary blockages and inconveniences while pipes and ice thaws out, the same problems are also very prominent in industrial, commercial and agricultural environments.

Particular problems during last winter were caused by heating condensate pipes which caused boilers to shut down due to frozen pipe work between boilers and homes which ran externally to the properties.

Note: It is important to note that it is not always the freezing that causes the expensive consequences and outcome such as leaks, but the splits and cracks once the pipes thaw out that do causing widespread damage to homes, businesses and production lines.

We all know that a proactive approach is always better than a reactive approach, and this same system applies to frozen pipe work with the best prevention being to install trace heating cables onto all pipes which are likely to be exposed to the freezing conditions.

This can involve wrapping a cable to pipes which heats up when temperatures plummet below a certain temperature. We offer various trace heating cable options as Cross Electrical which can be tailored to suit your output levels and temperature requirements to ensure optimum levels of performance with less downtime.

Once pipes are wrapped with these cables, thermal insulation is then be applied to the pipes to further insulate and keep heat in equaling a very cheap and cost effective alternative to the consequence that frozen pipe work can bring to businesses and homes, as a barrier against freezing temperatures.

Cross Electrical can manufacture, design and install a complete trace heating system to solve any problems that future winters may cause and will ensure that your pipe work never freezes again.

Apply anywhere from outbuildings and outside taps through to garages and processing pipe work. 

Hot water temperature maintenance

Static water in any hot water system over time will cool and during the winter months the prospect of it freezing is even more likely.

This can cause an inconvenience in any industry, as in order to get running water or an adequate temperature of water, cold water has to be run out of the system before hot water will reach its output or tap.

As a result water bills and energy bills can increase with higher levels of water wastage and more energy being consumed in order to heat the water. Time is also exhausted by the user spending time unproductively controlling water temperature.

A simple, efficient and cost effective way of combating this problem is to use trace heating solutions to ensure that water is kept a consistently regulated temperature and hot inside hot water pipe work and at a temperature tailored to suit your requirements.

This also ensures that a circulating system isn’t needed in order to provide hot water.

At Cross Electrical we can supply both trace heating and thermal insulation for hot water pipe work for adequate temperature maintenance solutions not only over the winter months but throughout the entire year so that a thermal balance is created where the heat output from trace heating correctly matches heat lost from the pipe.

If you are looking for more industry specific trace heating solutions for the chemical industry, oil refineries, power plants or food factories then we can also design, manufacture and supply to suit such requirements using your regulatory temperature as a limit and carefully matching one of our solutions.

We are also finding a greater increase in the use of trace heating in laboratories for researchers working in the materials field and need trace heating for use isotropically in combination with other objects with thermodynamic properties.

You will find some ready assembled trace heating for water pipe kits with preset and predetermined temperature and limit controls throughout our website.

Please take the time to browse our brochure and should you not be able to find what you are looking for or a specific answer to your question then please don’t hesitate to contact the team at Cross Electrical.

Temperature maintenance and trace heating in your holiday home

If you’re lucky enough to own a holiday home or string of holiday homes it is probable that with vacation season being over your properties are more than likely to see a reduction in the number of holiday makers, guests and visitors.

As the nights get darker and the weather and temperatures cool your holiday homes will require more regular maintenance with an absence of body heat from passing people, traffic and day-to-day activities.

While you are not present at your holiday home, you should put in place such a maintenance program to keep your property in good working  order not only to keep running costs down but to be sure that it is at its most efficient and attractive when holiday season begins again.

Taking consideration to risks will keep your property safe, secure and functioning when you are unlikely to be visiting or renting out.

Prepare for winter

As many of us have experienced over the winter months, when temperatures plunge there is a high likelihood of pipes freezing or bursting.

Such damage can not only be harmful to your home but also to your bank balance and if it happens at a time when your holiday home is unoccupied, it can mean the burst pipe can go unnoticed for weeks which can cause even further damage – damaged ceilings, water-soaked furniture and ruined electrical appliances can be the nasty consequences of such an eventuality.

Without taking the right precautions freezing temperatures are likely to damage the plumbing and pipe systems for your vacation property.

There are many ways that you can prevent burst water and heating pipes and leaks:

Switching on NOT off

One of the main causes of frozen pipes is turning off the central heating completely when your holiday home is empty. While this can seem a cost efficient solution in terms of saving energy and money while your holiday home isn’t occupied it can expose your home to the outside temperatures in addition to the exposure of irreparable damage being caused to burst pipes.

As one of the main causes of frozen pipes, switching off your central heating completely and preventing the continuous flow of water is not the solution. It is recommended to leave your heating on a low temperature to minimise such dangers particularly during the coldest months (aim between 7 and 15 degrees) and consider a timer.

Lagging

Hot water or heating pipe work contained in unheated areas such as lofts, cellars and basements or those within the walls of your holiday home will be more prone to freezing.  As pipes are often situated above the insulation you should ensure that they are lagged well with insulating foam coverings. The thinner the pipes, the thicker the insulation sleeves should be. Water tanks also need insulation too. If your pipes are located in a loft space, keep the loft door ajar to allow heat to circulate. 

Drip Drop

You will have noticed a reoccurring theme in the above two methods – flow. Keeping the fluid within your pipe work continuously flowing will prevent water from freezing and therefore bursting as it provides pressure relief.

Simply turning off a tap for the prolonged period that your holiday home is empty will not be enough to prevent freezing as with a lot of water already in your heating and hot water systems putting a stop to the flow will build up pressure. Allowing your taps to drip slightly will keep water flowing albeit extremely slowly.

Drain

Suddenly stopping a continuous flow for a long period is likely to cause problems. Ask yourself, where is the water already in the system going to go? If it is cold, it will freeze; pressure will build up and as a consequence – burst.

Consider getting a qualified plumber to drain down the water and central heating system which will remove any risks to freezing completely.  

Temperature maintenance/Trace heating

While lagging outside or under insulated pipes can seem like enough, it isn’t always which is when having a temperature maintenance or trace heating system fitted can lower the risks the freezing temperatures can pose.

Having a low voltage electrical cable with frost thermostats wrapped around your pipes beneath the lagging is an excellent prevention method.

Thermostatically controlled, the heating cables only ever energise when temperatures drop below a stipulated figure, acting to prevent the disastrous consequences of winter.

Never overheating, with extremely low running costs purchasing trace heating from Cross Electrical can bring investment benefits for many years to come and do not require drainage of your water systems or interrupt your current electrical supplies.  Find out more about our trace heating solutions here.

Insurance

Having the right type of holiday home insurance to cover every eventuality is key to protecting your holiday home.  By predicting and implementing such cover you will ensure that your property is not rendered worthless following any misfortunes.

To find out more about our hot water pipe work, temperature maintenance products and trace heating solutions contact Cross Electrical today.

A guide to Bitumen heating

As specialists in providing a comprehensive package of design, installation and maintenance of Bitumen trace heating systems throughout the UK and overseas, we have successfully installed our trace heating products in a broad variety of applications of Bitumen in its liquid state including storage and processing facilities.

What is Bitumen?

As an oil-based substance, Bitumen is a semi-solid hydrocarbon product that is produced by removing elements such as liquid petrol and diesel from heavy crude oil during the refinement process.

Commonly known as Asphalt in other areas of the world, when paired with a mixture of small stones, sand and filler it can be used for road paving – however, this is not the type of bitumen that we refer to.

With our Bitumen Trace Heating systems, we aim to offer solutions with the intended purpose of safely handling this liquid Bitumen.

With modern electrical trace heating becoming increasingly more important in industries that deal in manufacturing, heated hoses and wires with particular features are becoming a requirement in the production of ground reinforcement and heat recycling.

You may already have a Bitumen Processing facility in place, in which case we can provide you with the advice as well as the right heating cables to suit your needs.

We understand that the efficient handling and storage of Bitumen is vital to the smooth running of your business which with downtime could see reduced production and processing and in turn a loss of profits.

Planned and preventative maintenance of your heating systems could prevent such occurrences – at Cross Electrical, we provide this maintenance service whether you purchased from us or another provider.

Click here for further information on our responsive maintenance and service option.

How?

Our Bitumen trace heating systems are designed by looking closely at your needs and your method of processing. We offer practical advice on the temperature control of pipework throughout our understanding of working in a safe, reliable and maintenance free environment.

Our sole aim is to ensure that Bitumen can flow freely all day, every day without blocking pipework or solidifying between delivery points and storage containments.

As Bitumen needs to be kept among some of the highest range of temperatures, usually handled above 150°C with some of the most optimum temperatures higher than 600°C, it is vital to ensure that there are no danger of reactions to colder weather or outside forces which could drastically affect the temperature of the Bitumen.

Because of this, Cross Electrical provide preventative solutions to combat this with a variety of fully terminated trace heating units which can comprise of heating cables, thermal insulation and temperature controllers. These units, we ensure are fully compliant with your requirements and are catered toward your industry needs and functions.

These units are not only efficient in keeping the Bitumen at the most optimum state but are also robust and durable, designed with an applications environment in mind, with considerations to fumes and heat.

Our range

Our range of trace heating units which are applicable for Bitumen solutions include the XSSTC, which are heavy duty stainless steel sheathed heating cables, the standard XSS/SC and XCN/SC.

All of these can be purchased from us to be installed by your own pre-approved engineers with a view to delivering a newly designed or replacement heating unit via next day delivery.

This service works well if you have a fully established Bitumen processing faculty.

Our Cross Electrical qualified and highly trained engineers can also complete an on-site installation to industry standards with full consideration placed to healthy and safety and quality assurance legislation – this service includes a full project management service and on-site supervision.

The ranges we provide are:

•  XSSTC – This range of heating cables is made from a stainless steel sheathed twin conductor and provides single run heating heating circuits for applications above 600°C.
• XSS/SC – This range is made of stainless steel sheathed single conductor heating cables which can provide resistance to most corrosive substances above 600°C with a minimum installation temperature of -60°C.
•  XCN/SC – Made from Cupro-Nickel, this range of single conductor heating cables is cost efficient for Bitumen kept at intermittent temperatures up to 250°C.

Find out more about our full range of Bitumen Trace heating cables on our website, you will also find some PDF guides to which cables will suit your application.

For answers to any questions or to enquire about our products please contact us.   

Avoid School Closures: Prepare Schools for the Winter Now

The summer holiday is a time for students and teachers to relax but if you are responsible for managing the school then it can actually be the busiest part of the year.

It is important to get the school completely prepared for when the new term begins and the whole academic year starts again. You might need to complete safety checks, test security systems, and complete jobs that cannot be completed during term time. Amongst other things, you might want to think about what heating and freeze protection systems you have in place.

Although the summer has only just begun, you should prepare your building for the winter months in advance to avoid the hassle of having to close your school due to safety, and parents becoming annoyed by the costs ensued from childcare.

At Cross Electrical we specialise in trace heating systems which are designed to prevent pipes from becoming frozen during the winter by reducing the amount of heat that they lose via their surface. Electrical trace heating is a method of raising the temperatures of pipes in a freezing climate so that water inside them does not freeze.

It is a safe and maintenance-free system; once it has been put in place you no longer need to worry about pipes freezing during the winter.

In addition to preventing pipes from freezing, trace heating can also be used to maintain a constant temperature in hot water systems. It is particularly useful for containing substances that would otherwise solidify in ambient temperatures.

A thermostat is usually used to boost heat if a substance within a pipe falls below or rises above certain temperatures, these temperatures are referred to as the “setpoints”.

Heat tracing cables can be situated on the roof of a building or in the gutters during the winter to melt any ice that builds up there. When tracing cables are put into gutters it does not mean that no ice occurs in the gutter at all. Instead the aim is to provide a path for melted water to fall from the roof and down the piping.

Combining trace heating with the right thermal insulation creates a balance whereby the heat output from the trace heating matches the heat loss from the pipe so that a perfect, consistent temperature is maintained.

This type of piping is used in many industrial applications such as oil refineries or food factories where a certain material solidifies below 50◦C for example, which is much hotter than the surrounding air. The pipeline must have additional external heating to prevent the pipe and what it is carrying from cooling down – which is where trace heating comes in.

Essentially trace heating is a cost-efficient, reliable method of preventing ice from harming a building. If you would like to find out more about the trace heating systems and other methods of protecting your building from extreme weather condition, contact us on 01159 375 121 or make an enquiry via our website.

Efficient energy with Cross Electrical hot water distribution

UK building regulations require all engineers, architects and builders to ensure that they work hard to reduce energy consumption and use in the areas in which they work while trying their best to utilise renewable sources of energy.

Hot water pipe work is just one area in which those working in these types of industry can make an impact on this reduction in the energy use of a whole building, more so than making a change in other sectors. 

Hot water pipes must be able to withstand the maximum temperature of the water being piped. Pipe material may be copper or an appropriate thermoplastic material.

Standard methods of hot water distribution in a building which are often referred to as a ‘flow and return’ in domestic water heaters function on designs which don’t necessarily work within commercial use due to its method of water at the tap outlet as opposed toin the pipe work like a Cross Electrical solution would.

This system is not energy efficient for commercial and industry use and can often lead to significant heat losses meaning further monetary losses also.

At Cross Electrical our aims to ensure your industry is utilising the correct temperature maintenance when building or constructing homes and buildings to enable cost-effectiveness for yourself and your clients in addition to producing and using efficient energy. 

This is why we promote our modern solution the XEL-W which offers an effective solution for hot water pipe work within re-circulation systems. 

You can see from our graph the significant impact this piece of equipment can have. By combining hot water comfort with economical methods, the self-regulating heating cable fitted which is made to be fitted on one single pipe’s delivery system can compensate for the heat loss of water in the pipe while ensuring that hot water is delivered at the desired temperature the whole way through to the hot water system.

The XEL-W is the perfect solution for hot water temperature maintenance of pipes in:

• ·         Family homes
• ·         Houses and flats
• ·         Hospitals
• ·         Sports centres
• ·         Industry buildings

By providing hot water from every tap outlet it eliminates the necessity for return pipe work, reduces energy consumption and is easy to install without any maintenance required. What’s more it can also be used for low temperature process maintenance.

 

With 50% less pipe work than normal hot water pipe work systems the XEL-W has been specifically designed for such application and can even be fitted to existing systems preventing the running of gallons of cold water in order to get to the hot water.

Welcome to Cross Electrical

Cross Electrical is a company based in the East Midlands that specialises in electrical trace heating systems that incorporate a thermal insulation system. The company was established in 1971 to service the heavy fuel oil industry, and since then it has become one of the market leaders in this type of engineering.

Our engineers are all fully qualified with lots of experience in installing these systems. We also employ service and repair technicians who are given thorough training and provided with test and fault location equipment.

Although we are based in the East Midlands, our engineers provide a service anywhere across the country, as well as internationally, for all applications within industry and commerce.

Cross Electrical have expertise in bitumen trace heating systems and our service includes the processing of Bitumen in its liquid state. When dealing with bitumen we tend to install mineral cables because the surface temperatures of these cables can bear the high temperatures of bitumen which ranges from 150°C to over 200°C.

We sell snow- and ice-melting systems

Another product that we specialise in is snow and ice melting systems. Snow can be a huge inconvenience for people who need to walk to work, or particularly in areas around stairs where a slippery floor can cause accidents. Our systems can be situated directly under asphalt, embedded in concrete, or integrated into stairways. They are temperature-controlled so that ice or snow on top of them is immediately melted. Likewise, our roof gutter heating systems are implemented to prevent icicles forming and potentially harming people, downpipes from bursting, and water penetrating through to buildings.

Frost Protection Systems limit damage

Our frost protection system is designed with the aim of preventing frozen pipes from forming and cracking, which in turn creates long-term damage to buildings. The XEL range of Self-Regulating Heating Cables can be used on plastic or metal pipes. They cannot overheat because they are self-regulating but they are also good for the environment because they only heat up when they need to in order to prevent freezing.

If you have any questions about our company or what we do then please feel free to contact us, we look forward to hearing from you.