When cold weather hits, your 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 you’ll have while waiting for the pipes to thaw. When this happens, you’ll need 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 your 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 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 you can prevent it from ever occurring in the first place. Instead of attempting to thaw frozen pipes, keep your 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 you may be pumping through them. With this in mind, check out the Powerblanket Pipe Heater, or Heated Pipe Wrap.
Features and Benefits
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 our 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 your pipes or pipeline.
Our 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
See all the details of the Powerblanket pipe heater by downloading the free product spec sheet. For more information about pipe heater blankets, click HERE.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do pipe warmers work?
Yes, pipe warmers effectively prevent pipes from freezing by using electrical resistance to generate heat, which is then transferred to the pipes, ensuring non-flowing water pipes remain unfrozen.
How to keep pipes from freezing without heat?
To keep pipes from freezing without direct heat, you can use pipe insulation, seal leaks that allow cold air in, and maintain a comfortable indoor temperature.
What pipe warmers prevent freezing?
Pipe warmers, such as electric heat tracing or heat tape, prevent freezing by maintaining and raising the temperature of pipes through electrical heating elements.
How do you insulate pipes from freezing?
Insulate pipes from freezing by wrapping them with heat tape or thermostatically controlled heat cables, and sealing any leaks that allow cold air near the pipes.
Pipe heaters from Powerblanket keep your fluids flowing all year long, providing freeze protection for your entire system.
