Melting solutions for Snow and Ice in the Winter months!

It’s that time of year again! December is upon up and winter have well and truly reared its icy head. As we enter these cold months, ice, snow and freezing all become issues that we are faced with. We all look forward to a white Christmas, but sometimes problems can arise from a winter wonderland.

Once the holidays are over and the work force returns, it’s often when the real cold sets in. Snow and ice can be dangerous for those on the pavement as well as those in vehicles on the road.

At Cross Electrical we have a range of snow and ice melting solutions that can help keep your property and business safe for users.

Winter danger areas include roads, driveways, ramps, helipads and pedestrian zones. These can all are kept free from snow and ice with Cross Electrical. There is less traffic congestion and there are fewer accidents on icy winter roads.

Using a Cross outdoor surface heating/cooling system saves costs, reduces the amount of personnel required for clearing snow and minimises personal injury and damage to property significantly in adverse weather conditions. In addition to this, the system is energy efficient, as all systems have ‘bespoke’ temperature control panels incorporating electronic controllers with remote sensors mounted in the surface of the outdoor area providing maximum energy savings.

Stations or other services that are outside which see a lot of footfall would benefit from underground heating as additional costs for the operator for on-call duty such as clearing snow and cleaning up is difficult to plan ahead of time. At the same time, the costs for cleaning the carriages and maybe escalators which exist due to the contamination caused by grit and salt are reduced.

Should the heating cables be directly under asphalt, embedded in concrete or integrated into stairways or steps our products provide longevity of service for any application. To find out more about our Cross snow melting system don’t hesitate to contact us with your questions.

Our top tips for saving money on heating this winter!

We hate to face up to it, but the fact is, winter is here! The clocks have gone back, Halloween has been and gone, and the temperatures are starting to drop lower and lower.

As you know, here at Cross Electrical we offer Thermal Insulation, Electrical Trace Heating, Frost Protection and Temperature Maintenance services to businesses and individuals up and down the country. We also supply underfloor heating services – which is one fantastic way to chop your energy bills in half for the winter!

The GREEN ELECTRIC MAT From Hemstedt with unilateral connection and i-sleeve (see more here) is the floor heating mat that provides economically efficient heating. Underfloor heating is also a luxury in the winter months, creating an ambient temperature and a pleasant warm floor underfoot. A luxury that saves you money and helps the environment – for us it’s a no brainer!

But what else can you do to save on your bills this winter...?

Put on a jumper!

Okay, this may sound silly, but it’s true! Most families have the heating on at 20 degrees centigrade all day, and wander about the house comfortably in a T-shirt. By turning down your thermostat by just one degree, to 19 degrees, you can shave £60 a year from your bill! If you feel cold just wear a few more layers, but you will barely notice the difference if your house is well insulated!

Be clever!

You can make sure that the central heating and hot water is off when you’re out for the day - whether that’s at work, school or visiting friends and family! By using your timer carefully and cleverly, so it comes on only when absolutely necessary, you can save a lot of money!

Turn off the radiators in rooms you don’t use, like a guest bedroom for example, and keep windows and doors closed if the heating is turned on.

Go old school

As well as wrapping up, why not buy a hot water bottle! These days you can pick one up for less than £4 and they can really help to keep you warm, especially in bed at night! As well as this, stock up on fleecy blankets and throws to keep you warm! You can buy lovely soft throws on the high street or in supermarkets for a fiver – which will save you a lot of money if it means turning your thermostat a bit more!

Be careful with your lights

Lighting accounts for 19% of the average household’s electricity bill. One no brainer is switching to energy-saving bulbs – which can knock over £55 a year off your bills!

Cut out your bad habits when it comes to having your lights on! Be vigilant in turning off lights when you’re going out, or if you’re not in a room.  Unplug appliances that have a light on when inactive. That includes the TV, DVD player and even your mobile phone charger.

Keep your heat in!

Don’t let heat you’re paying for slip out! Make sure that you draw the curtains or blinds at night and use draught-blockers for doors to maintain as much keep as possible!

These are but a few on the many tips that float around when it comes to keeping your and your home warm without facing huge winter energy bills! Do you have any other tips or tricks up your sleeves? We’d love to hear them so drop us a comment below or contact us on FB or Twitter!

Our Thermal Insulation Services

As you may know from reading our previous blogs, heat flow is an unavoidable effect of the contact of objects of inconsistent temperatures. What our thermal insulation can supply is a way to maintain a steady gradient of temperature. It does this by providing an area of insulation in which heat flow is reduced or thermal radiation is reflected rather than absorbed.

We have worked hard to build a strong reputation for the provision of efficient and reliable insulation services to the commercial, industrial and public sectors. Experienced in all aspects of pipework insulation and trace heating systems, we have completed a large number of installations for various businesses involved in power generation, petrochemicals, water utilities, heating and ventilation services amongst many others!

Our thermal insulation applications supply frost protection, heat conservation and personnel protection for process lines, and the prevention of freezing to pipework and vessels.

Our range of thermal insulation services include:

• Heating
• Hot Water Services 
• Chilled Water Lines 
• Process Lines 
• Petrochemical Pipe Work 
• Petrochemical Plant Tanks 
• Vessels 
• Hoppers 
• Filter Systems 
• Personnel Protection 

We also offer bespoke sheet metal manufacturing to pipelines, flanges, valves, vessels and ductwork.

We also provide a large assortment of purpose-made insulation jackets suitable for valve & flange covers, mobile vessel covers and completely electrically heated jackets. Our thermal insulation engineers are on hand to offer valuable advice to all customers, ensuring their needs are met comprehensively from the outset.

Cross Thermal Insulation Services are pleased to offer any technical advice and explicit specification application support. We would be only too pleased to provide a full quotation package from on-site measurements through drawing take-offs to a bill of quantities!

For more information and technical advice, please call Cross Thermal today on - 01159 375 121

Don’t get left in the cold

Okay, so it may not be time to pop the heating on yet and you can still get away with leaving your coat at home, but believe it or not, now is the time to start prepping your property for the winter!

In the next couple of month the weather will be turning dramatically colder, (depressing, we know). We are currently installing Trace heating and pipe protection for a variety of uses throughout the UK including preventing burst pipes. The majority of failing pipes in this country are caused by pipes bursting when frozen. We have a range of easy to install pipe protection for small domestic applications or larger commercial purposes!

We know it may not be at the top of your list of priorities at the moment, but now is the time to sort out these issues!

Here at cross we have pipe protection is for a number of applications including –

• Boiler condensate pipes

• Outdoor water supplies

• Water and waste pipes

• Irrigation systems

• Sprinkler systems

• Farm and animal water supplies

For larger domestic or commercial pipe protection requirements we supply the very best in trace heating. Trace heating cables provide focused and controllable heat to prevent pipes and gutters from freezing. Trace heating cables 'self regulate' their temperature so they cannot overheat. What’s more is that they can also be cut to length during installation to ensure the perfect fit!

There are many benefits of trace heating, which you can find in our blog post here. Here at Cross Electrical Ltd we design, manufacture, install and supply a complete range of heating cables suitable for every Trace heating application. Give us a call on – to find out more about how you can start preparing your home or commercial property for the cold months now! 

What are Longline Trace Heating Cables?

What are Longline Trace Heating Cables used for?

Longline trace heating cables are used when circuit lengths exceed the ratings of conventional parallel-resistance heat trace cables and you need a single power source. Industrial longline trace heating is necessary to heat long pipelines for -

• Transfer lines between processing plants.
• Condensation prevention.
• Temperature maintenance.
• Viscosity control.
• For pipe freeze protection.
• Between storage or transportation facilities

The intricacy of this pipe heat trace system comes from the need for long electrical circuit lengths, usually with a single electrical power point.

Ideal applications for longline trace heating systems might include -

• Pipes between petrochemical facilities 
• Piers for ocean transport vessels
• Freeze protection or temperature maintenance of tank farms
• Condensation and coagulation prevention on filters, etc…

Why is longline trace heating important? Well without it, the following problems could occur -

• Liquids freezing resulting in disastrous pipe failures.
• Liquids becoming too viscous.
• Gases condensing.

Here at Cross Electrical Ltd we design, manufacture, install and supply a complete range of heating cables suitable for every Trace heating application. We offer a wide range of industry-proven longline trace heating solutions as a complete heat management system. This includes the selection of suitable pipe heat trace technologies, highly developed control system technologies, in addition to engineering design services and site services!

 Some of our longline length heating cables include:

XSWE Single Wire Heating Cable

Teflon PFA insulated heating cable for maintaining temperatures up to 120°C, medium to long length heating circuits. Maximum withstand temperature of 230°C (power off).  Approved for use in hazardous areas.

XCN Mineral Insulated Cupro Nickel Sheathed Single Conductor Heating Cable

For maintaining temperatures up to 250°C medium to long heating circuits, maximum withstand temperature 400° (power off), approved for use in hazardous areas.

XINC Mineral Insulated Inconel Sheathed Single Conductor Heating Cable

For temperatures up to 600°C, highly corrosion resistant for medium to long length heating circuits, maximum withstand temperature 1000°C (power off) approved for use in hazardous areas.

XSS Mineral Insulated Stainless Steel Sheathed Single Conductor Heating Cable

For maintaining temperature up to 500°C medium to long length heating circuits, maximum withstand temperature 1000°C (power off), approved for use in hazardous areas.

Our general applications include –

• Heating Pipelines, tanks & vessels,
• Frost Protection for water pipes,
• Condensation prevention within hoppers and process equipment,
• Snow and ice prevention for roads, ramps and stairs,
• Underfloor heating,
• Emergency Maintenance Services,
• Annual Test and Survey Contracts.

For more details on these applications please see out website! Simply click here

What’s so great about our XEL-W Hot Water Pipework system

We promote our modern solution, the XEL-W, because it offers an effective, energy efficient solution for hot water pipe work within re-circulation systems. With global warming being such a widely talked about issue, and everyone becoming more and more aware of their carbon footprint, energy efficiency is an important part of the building and construction industry.

In fact, UK building regulations require all engineers, architects and builders to ensure that they work hard to reduce energy use in the areas in which they work, and they must to utilise renewable sources of energy.

That is where our  XEL-W hot water pipework comes in. 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, our hot water pipework is extremely efficient.

Standard methods of hot water distribution in a building, often referred to as ‘flow and return’, don’t necessarily work with in commercial use.

This is because the system is not energy efficient for commercial and industry use and can often lead to significant heat losses and subsequently money losses.

Our aim is to ensure your industry is utilising the correct temperature maintenance when building or constructing homes and buildings to enable the best cost-effectiveness for yourself and your clients in addition to using energy efficiently. 

XEL-W  offers an effective solution for hot water pipe work within re-circulation systems. This piece of equipment can have a significant impact on energy efficiency. By combining hot water comfort with economical methods, the self-regulating heating cable fitted 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.

It’s the perfect solution for hot water temperature maintenance of pipes in:

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

By providing hot water from every tap outlet it eliminates the necessity for return pipe work and reduces energy consumption. What’s even better is that it is very easy to install and no maintenance is required. 

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.

What is Trace Heating?

With this month’s blog we are going back to basics, explaining exactly what Trace Heating is and what it is used for. As we are specialists in Trace Heating systems, we automatically assume that everyone knows exactly what it is and how is works, which is obviously not the case. So what is Trace Heating? Read on to find out...

What is Trace Heating?

Trace heating, known as Electric heat tracing, heat tape or surface heating, is a system used to maintain or raise the temperature of pipes and vessels. Trace heating takes the form of an electrical heating element run in physical contact along the length of a pipe. The pipe must then be covered with thermal insulation to retain heat losses from the pipe. Heat generated by the element then maintains the temperature of the pipe. Trace heating is used for many applications from protecting pipes from freezing, to maintaining a constant flow temperature in hot water systems, or to maintain process temperatures for piping that must transport substances that solidify at ambient temperatures.

When did Trace Heating come about?

Electric trace heating began in the 1930s but to begin with no dedicated equipment was available. Mineral insulated cables were run at high current densities to produce heat, and control equipment was adapted from other applications. Mineral-insulated resistance heating cables were introduced in the 1950s, and then parallel-type heating cables that could be cut to length in the field became available. Self-limiting thermoplastic cables were marketed in 1971.

So what is Trace Heating used for?

The most widespread pipe trace heating applications include:

Temperature maintenance

Road & Ramp Outdoor Surface Heating

Anti-condensation

Gulley and roof snow / ice protection

Frost protection and freeze prevention

Door / frame interface ice protection

Window de-misting

Pond freeze protection

Soil warming

Anti-cavitation purpose

Here at Cross Electrical, we’ve been controlling the temperature for industries for over 40 years, so why compromise? Call us today on -01159722050

Benefits of Underfloor heating

Underfloor heating is where heating cables are applied within floor structures or beneath flooring systems to provide both primary and comfort heating. Here at Cross Electrical we have a wonderful range of unique, quality underfloor heating solutions for homeowners and the contracting industry alike. Installed in hours without the need for specialist tools or skills, our special underfloor heating products are low profile and won't raise floor levels.

But why would you install underfloor heating in your home? Here’s just a few reasons...

Space Saver -

Under floor heating allows you the freedom to design your room layout without having compromise around conventional heat sources. It can be irritating working your furniture and around heat sources like radiators. Underfloor heating gives you the flexibility to put your furniture where it best suits your lifestyle needs and room shape.

Minimum Maintenance –

There is little that can go wrong or that needs to be maintained in an underfloor heating system.  If correctly installed and tested, any potential leaks or problems can be identified at an early stage and dealt with before the laying of the floor. Thus there are no regular maintenance costs to incur which can sometimes be the case with traditional convection heating.

Fabulously Flexible -

Unlike traditional convection heating systems, controlled by a single thermostat, an underfloor heating system provides the flexibility to control individual room temperatures via thermostats. This means you can control the temperature of every area of your home instead of wasting energy and money heating areas of the property which are used less.

Crazy Comfortable -

One of the worst things about getting out of bed can be stepping out onto a cold laminate or stone flooring! Whether it’s in your bedroom, kitchen or bathroom, cold floors on warm feet can be really horrible! Thus, one of the key advantages to underfloor heating is that it banishes this problem, heating the whole floor area of your home. Furthermore, compared to conventional radiators, an underfloor heating system generates more radiant heat as opposed to convective heat, leaving you with a generally cosier environment.

Super Safe

Installing and using a floor heating system means there are no radiators, and so there is no longer a risk to small children and other vulnerable groups to get burnt.

Health improvements

Floor heating is good for asthma sufferers and people with allergies as it produces a lot less airborne dust than radiators.

With a range of under floor heating systems for safely heating under tile floors, under wood floors, under laminate floors, under carpet floors and more, we’re confident that we can supply a heating system for your project. We have the products and support to make your project run smoothly and we offer a free quotation service and practical advice. This simple method of heating has been available from Cross for many years, providing a cost effective and energy efficient system for any application.

Heating throughout history

Fire had been the original and obvious source for home heating for throughout history and until recent times was the only source for home heating. With this being said, the manner in fire has been used for heating has changed greatly.

In the Skara Brae site in Orkney, Scotland (3180 BCE-2500 BCE) the homes contained a square hearth in the center for both eating and cooking. This standard heating unit with a hearth in the center of the room and a smoke hole overhead, continued in some parts of the world up until the Middle Ages, but in the Roman world great improvements were made. The upper class Roman had a hypocaust heating system. In this system, the floor was raised several feet off the ground on tile pillars, and fires were then built underneath the floors, becoming the first known case of radiant heating.[i]

The fireplace as we know it today first came around in the 1200’s. During these times they were likely to smoke up a room due to the lack of chimneys. This impracticality meant that fireplaces themselves were often built more for aesthetic reasons over practical uses.

The radiator was obviously a huge improvement in heating a room when it was invented in 1855. Hot water or steam was used to heat individual rooms, but with simplistic thermostats often meant it was difficult to get the temperature right where it was wanted. There have been stories from the 1800’s of people having to open the windows in winter when a room have overheated.

The furnace was introduced in the late Victorian period, where a central unit could heat an entire building. By the middle of the 20th century, Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning systems had been introduced throughout the western world.

Cross Electrical (Nottingham) Ltd specialises in the design, manufacture, supply and install electrical trace heating systems incorporating a thermal insulation division. Our fully qualified service and installation engineers provide both a national and international coverage for all types of application within industry and commerce.

HERE AT CROSSELECTRICAL WE ARE THE CONTROLLERS OF TEMPERATURE!

Call us today on - +44 (0)115 937 5121

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[i] http://timourrashed.com/ancient-methods-heating-home/

Temperature Maintenance from Cross Electrical

Many raw materials and products will only remain in a liquid state if they are kept above a specific temperature. Electric trace heating and thermal insulation isa system used to maintain or increase the temperature of vessels and pipes. This process can be used to protect pipes from freezing or to maintain process temperatures for piping that must transport substances that solidify at ambient temperatures.

Traceheating is an electrical heating element placed in physical contact along the length of a pipe. The pipe is then covered with thermal insulation to maintain the temperature and reduce any heat losses, so that the heat generated by the element then preserves the temperature of the pipe.
Electrical trace heating and thermal insulation provides the solution of maintaining the temperature of a product in a pipe or vessel ensuring that your process pipework and systems deliver your product to the point of delivery at the required temperature.

When subjected to low ambient temperatures, heat loss can cause the contents viscosity to increase. This can cause the material to harden or set within the pipework, either slowing down the process or causing problems to pumping equipment. For example, wax is a substance which starts to solidify below 70 °C, which is usually far above the temperature of the surrounding air. Therefore the pipeline must be provided with an external source of heat to prevent the pipe and the material inside it from cooling down.

Trace heating can also be done with steam, but this requires a source of steam and may be inconvenient to install and operate. By utilising the correct type of Heating Cable, Thermal Insulation and Temperature Control, process pipework will operate efficiently for many years.
From our range of XSSTC (mineral insulated heating cables) XSW, XSWE (single wire), XHP and self-regulating heating cables we can confidently Design and Install, Maintain and Supply heating systems ensuring  production never stops.

With CrossElectrical controlling the temperature for industries for over 40 years why compromise? Call us today on -01159722050

The history of underfloor heating

Did you know that underfloor heating is far from a new concept? It has actually been dated back as far as the Neolithic period and has been used throughout history as a main form of heating. The type of underfloor heating we offer to you today is a far cry from some of the methods used in the past.  We’ve compiled a concise history of some of the inventive systems used by our ancestors to heat their homes.

The earliest forms of heated flooring have been dated back to as early as 5,000 BC. Archaeologists have found evidence that shows the use of ‘baked flooring’ dating back to this time. Found in China, these methods heated floors by drafting hot smoke from fires through trenches cut into the floors.
There is evidence that the Romans were using underfloor heating systems on a larger scale by around 500 BC. Their homes were constructed with voids in the floors and walls through which air, warmed by an open fire, could pass through to heat the structure. These systems were often used in Roman baths and would heat the pools of water as well as the rooms.

In the following 500 years, similar methods of underfloor heating was widely used throughout China and Korea, but was not used significantly in Europe until much later. These days it has developed so much that it has become one of the most energy efficient forms of heating available on the market. As people are striving towards more energy efficient homes, underfloor heating is being used more and more in both commercial and residential new build properties.
The systems of today are exceptionally comfortable and controllable. They remove the need for radiators resulting in more room space and heat provided underfloor is distributed completely evenly causing is zero dust circulation.

This simple method of heating has been available from us for many years, providing a cost effective and energy efficient system for any application. We have the products and support to make your project run smoothly, offering a free quotation service and practical advice. Our electric under floor heating products can be installed in hours without the need for specialist tools or skills, the products we propose are low profile and won't raise floor levels.   Call us today for more information!

Prevent Downtime with Heat Tracing

By preparing for winter; processing plants, machinery and equipment means production can continue as normal through the season. Installing Cross Electrical heat tracing cables can avoid constant maintenance and improve machine efficiency and ultimately prevent downtime.

It is considered good practice to develop an action plan during cold snaps to assist in prioritising and managing problems. This could include anything from frozen pipes to the unavailability of staff during very bad weather conditions.

Investing in trace heating will mean that vulnerable parts of machinery and the plant itself stay operational during the cold weather by running an electrical current alongside pipes. These pipes are then coated in thermal protection to prevent heat escaping. This allows the hot water system to flow continually despite the weather.

Cross Electrical have a wide range of trace heating cables to suit a variety of frost protection applications. This also includes our own XSSTC, XHP, XSW and XEL heating cables that can be designed for many winterisation projects. Thermostatically controlled, the heating cables only ever energise when temperatures drop below a pre-configured figure, acting to prevent the disastrous consequences of winter.

The XHP family of fixed resistance, constant wattage heating cables is used for metal, plastic pipes and vessels. XHP heating cables can be designed for non-standard heating applications using any voltage from 6 to 415 volts. These cables provide fixed resistance; therefore circuit resistance can be tested periodically regardless of ambient or process temperatures and can be used on applications up to 280⁰C.

The XEL family of self-regulating, parallel circuit heating cables is used for frost protection of metal and plastic pipes and vessels. With the facility to cut on site to the required length, XEL heating cables provide a reliable heating solution to the problem of frozen pipework.

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.