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 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

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

---

[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!

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.