When cold weather hits, user pipes are some of the first victims. Dropping temperatures will alter the viscosity of fluids, often causing buildup and restricting flow. The less fluids flow, the more delays the user has while waiting for the pipes to thaw. When this happens, the user needs some kind of pipe heater.
Bring the heat
There are many ways to ensure pipelines stay warm in the winter:
- Cover pipes with insulation.
- Blow hot air on pipes via space heaters.
- Propane flame torch (avoid this if at all possible)
- Wrap pipes with insulated electrical wire, such as heat trace.
- Use a heat lamp.
- Pre-install a heated blanket.
All of these methods are common, but not all are effective. Ambient temperature can have a significant impact on a user's heating system’s ability to perform properly, so heating lamps, space heaters, or other indirect solutions are usually ineffective. The best solutions are actually combinations of multiple methods.
Heat Trace
Wrapping pipes with heating wires is a great solution to maintaining temperatures
Heat Trace is probably the most common pipe heating solution, partly because it has been around so long. Wrapping pipes with heating wires is a great solution to maintain temperatures. It is not designed to heat up anything, however. In addition, heat trace requires insulation and protective covering to make it effective.
This leads to problems when insulation has to be pulled off to check the heating cables, and troubleshoot issues. There’s no doubt that heat trace works, it’s just not the only solution. That’s where pipe heating blankets come in. It doesn’t make sense to work at solving a problem when the user can prevent it from ever occurring in the first place. Instead of attempting to thaw frozen pipes, keep user pipes from freezing before the freeze even happens.
“Piping hot” Pipe heater
Powerblanket knows how inconvenient, expensive, and unsafe frozen pipes can be. That’s why, along with our valve, manifold, and instrumentation heaters, we also provide a product for that important element in between.
After all, it’s just as important to keep the pipes themselves from freezing, regardless of what type of fluid the user may be pumping through them. With this in mind, check out the Powerblanket Pipe Heater, or Heated Pipe Wrap.
Features and Benefits
Protecting fluids from freezing in harsh outdoor environments is what Powerblanket is all about
The Powerblanket Heated Pipe Wrap harbors the same patented technology used in all Powerblanket heating products. This technology, along with its seamless implementation into an easy-to-use and durable blanket, saves labor costs and downtime through simple and fast installation, uninstallation, and reinstallation.
It’s also the safest solution, with all of the blankets built to UL/CSA/SE standards. Protecting fluids from freezing in harsh outdoor environments is what Powerblanket is all about, and Powerblanket pipe heaters make this a real possibility for user pipes or pipelines.
Powerblanket's Pipe Heaters Offer:
- Savings in labor costs and downtime through easy installation, uninstallation, and reinstallation.
- Freeze protection down to -40°F/-40°C.
- Ready-to-ship sizes, available in multiple lengths and diameters.
- Preparation of pipes for the proper curing of coatings.
- Certification to UL/CSA/CE standards.
