When Is Frost Protection Trace Heating Required?

Every pipe and vessel will experience heat loss when its temperature is greater than the surrounding ambient temperature.

When subjected to low ambient or freezing temperatures this heat loss can cause the contents to crystallise and freeze.

For example, most water pipes are located either outside or in unheated internal areas, where in winter months the ambient temperature may drop below its freezing point. When water freezes, it expands and this expansion can cause a lot of problems to the pipework.

Typical applications for frost protection trace heating include:

• Freeze protection heating cable to water pipework - both external and unheated internal areas.
• Trace heating of building services pipework.
• Fire sprinkler pipe frost protection.
• Surface heating to vessels and tanks.