Electric Heat Tracing

Maintenance and Troubleshooting Guide

Introduction Cable Testing
A complete electric heat tracing system will After a heat tracing circuit has been installed and
typically include the following components: fabricated and before the thermal insulation is
installed, the heating cable should be tested to
1. Electric heat 5 ensure electrical resistance integrity. The cable
tracing cable1
should be tested with at least a 500 Vdc megohm-
(self-regulating,
meter (megger) between the heating cable bus
power-limiting,
4 6 wires and the heating cable metallic braid. It is
parallel constant
recommended that the test voltage for polymer-
watt or series
insulated heating cables be 2500 Vdc or 1000 Vdc
resistance).
for MI cable.
2. Power
After properly terminating the cable, connect the
connection
8 positive lead of the megger to the bus wires and
kit.
the negative lead to the metallic braid as shown.
3. Control thermostat2. The minimum acceptable level for the megger
7 reading for any polymer-insulated heat tracing
4. In-line/T-splice kit 1 cable is 20 megohms. This test should be re-
(permits two or three
peated after the thermal insulation and weather
cables to be spliced together).
barrier have been installed.
5. Cable end termination.
6. Attachment tape (use on 12"
intervals or as required by code
or specification).
7. Electric Heat Tracing
label (peel-and-stick label 3
attaches to insulation
vapor barrier on 10'
intervals or as required
Connect the positive lead of the megger to the cable
by code or specification). 2 bus wires and the negative lead to the metallic braid.
8. Thermal insulation3 and
vapor barrier (by others).
The absence of any of these items can
cause a system to malfunction or represent a
safety hazard.
Notes . . .
1. Ground-fault maintenance equipment protection is required for all
heat tracing circuits.
2. Thermostatic control is recommended for all freeze protection and
temperature maintenance heat tracing applications.
3. All heat-traced lines must be thermally insulated.

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Thermal Insulation Final Inspection
The value of properly installed and well-maintained The heating circuit can now be tested for proper
thermal insulation cannot be overemphasized. operation. This includes measuring and recording
Without the insulation, the heat loss is generally the connected voltage, steady-state current draw,
too high to be offset by a conventional heat tracing length and type of cable, ambient temperature and
system. temperature of the pipe. (See the Inspection
Report Form on page 3.)
Before the thermal insulation is installed on a heat-
traced pipe, the tracing circuit should be tested for The complete system (especially the thermal
dielectric insulation resistance. This will ensure that insulation) should now be visually inspected.
the cable has not been damaged while exposed on Additional insulation should be applied snugly
the uninsulated pipe. around pipe shoes or other heat sinks and sealed
from the weather. Expansion joints on high-
In addition to piping and in-line equipment such as
temperature lines should be examined carefully.
pumps and valves, all heat sinks must be properly
There may be exposed insulation where sections fit
insulated. This includes pipe shoes, hangers,
together or around flanges, valves, pipe hangers or
flanges and, in many cases, valve bonnets.
connection kits; these locations should be sealed
There are many different pipe insulation materials, to prevent ingress of moisture.
each of which has advantages in particular appli-
Electric Heat Tracing caution labels should be
cations. Regardless of the type or thickness of
applied to the outer surface of the weather barrier
insulation used, a protective barrier should be
at regular intervals of 10 feet (or as required by
installed. This protects the insulation from moisture
code or specification). The location of splices and
intrusion and physical damage and helps ensure
end terminations should also be marked with splice
the proper performance of the heat tracing system.
and end termination caution labels.
Notes . . .
When rigid (noncompressible) materials are used, the inside diameter
of the insulation is usually oversized to accommodate the heating cable
Maintenance
on the pipe.
Once the heat tracing system has been installed,
Insulating materials are very susceptible to water absorption, which
dramatically increases the heat loss and should be replaced if the ma- an ongoing preventive maintenance program
terials get wet. should be implemented using qualified personnel.
Support documentation providing general informa-
tion and an operating history of the specific cir-
cuits in the system should be maintained.
The results of the operational testing described
above form the testing base line or normal range.
Subsequent measurements should be recorded
periodically and compared to this base-line data to
help identify potential malfunctions.

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 Inspection Report Form for Electric Heat Tracing (Typical)

Location System Reference Drawing(s)

CI RCUIT I NFORMATION
Heater Cat. No. Circuit Length Bkr. Panel No.
Power Connection Design Voltage Bkr. Pole(s) No.
Tee Connection Ground-Fault Protection (type)
Splice Connection Ground-Fault Trip Setting
Heater Controller
VISUAL
Panel Number Circuit #
Date
Initial
Thermal Insulation
Damaged Insulation/Lagging
Water Seal Good
Insulation/Lagging Missing
Presence of Moisture
Heating System Components
Enclosures, Boxes Sealed
Presence of Moisture
Sign of Corrosion
Heater Lead Discoloration
Heating and/or High Limit Controller
Operating Properly
Controller Setpoint
ELECTRICAL
Dielectric Insulation Resistance Testing (bypass controller if applicable) Refer to I EEE 515-1997, Section 7.9
Test Voltage
Megger Value
Heater Supply Voltage
Value at Power Source
Value at Field Connection
Heater Circuit Current Reading
Pipe Temperature
Amps Reading at 2-5 min.
Amps Reading After 15 min.
Ground-Fault Current
Comments and Actions

Performed by Company Date

Approved by Company Date

Use this form as an original to make copies

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Troubleshooting
The following information is intended to assist in troubleshooting electric heat tracing systems. The
primary objective is to provide an enhanced understanding of the elements of a successful heat tracing
installation. Of these elements, one of the most important is the thermal insulation.
Before calling the heat tracing vendor, make a visual inspection of the installation; perhaps the thermal
insulation is wet, damaged or missing. Also consider the possibility that repairs or maintenance of in-line
or nearby equipment may have resulted in damage to the heat tracing equipment. These are common
causes of tracing problems which are often overlooked. Other possible causes are listed below with their
symptoms and remedies.
If an electric heat tracing circuit is suspected to be damaged, a dielectric insulation resistance (megger)
test should be performed using a 2500 Vdc megohmmeter for polymer-insulated heating cables or 1000
Vdc for MI cable. Periodic testing with accurate records will establish a normal range of operation (refer
to the Inspection Report Form on page 3). Dielectric insulation resistance readings which deviate from
the normal range can quickly reveal a damaged circuit.
Symptom Possible Cause Remedy

I. No heat/no current A. Loss of power (voltage) A. Restore power to tracing circuit

(check circuit breaker and electrical
connections). Poorly made termina-
tions can cause EPD-type breakers
to trip unexpectedly
B. Controller setpoint too low B. Adjust setpoint
C. High temperature limit switch C. May require manual reset to re-
activated enable heat tracing circuit
D. Open series heating circuit D. Repair or replace circuit1
E. Controller failure E. Repair sensor or controller2

II. Low system temperature A. Controller setpoint too low A. Adjust setpoint
B. Temperature sensor located too B. Relocate sensor
close to heating cable or other heat
source; may be accompanied by
excessive cycling of control relays/
contacts
C. Insulation material and/or thickness C. Replace insulation; increase
different than designed insulation thickness (if dry);
consider increasing voltage for
higher cable output3
D. Ambient temperature lower than D. Install higher output heating cable;
designed increase insulation thickness; raise
voltage3
E. Low voltage (check at power E. Adjust voltage to meet design
connection point) requirements3

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Symptom Possible Cause Remedy

III. Low temperature in A. Wet, damaged or missing insulation A. Repair or replace insulation and
sections jacket
B. Parallel heating cable; open element B. Repair or replace; splice kits are
or damaged matrix available from cable manufacturer
C. Heat sinks (valves, pumps, pipe C. Insulate heat sinks or increase
supports, etc.) amount of tracing on heat sinks
D. Significant changes in elevation D. Consider dividing heating circuit
along length of the heat-traced pipe into separate, independently
controlled segments

IV. High system temperature A. Controller on continuously A. Adjust setpoint or replace sensor2
B. Controller failed with contacts B. Replace sensor or controller2
closed
C. Sensor located on uninsulated pipe C. Relocate sensor to an area repre-
or too close to heat sink sentative of conditions along entire
pipe length
D. Backup heating circuit controller D. Adjust setpoint or replace backup
on continuously controller

V. Excessive cycling A. Temperature sensor located too A. Relocate sensor

close to heating cable or other heat
source; may be accompanied by
low system temperature
B. Ambient temperature near con- B. Temporarily alter controller setpoint
troller setpoint
C. Connected voltage too high C. Lower voltage
D. Heating cable output too high D. Install lower output heating cable or
(overdesign) lower voltage
E. Controller differential too narrow E. Widen differential or replace con-
troller to avoid premature contact
failure

VI. Temperature variations A. Unanticipated flow patterns or A. Redistribute heating circuits to ac-
from setpoint along process operating temperatures commodate existing flow patterns;
pipeline confirm process conditions
B. Inconsistent cable installation along B. Check method of cable installation,
pipeline especially at heat sinks
C. Inconsistent cable performance C. Compare calculated watts/foot
[(volts x amps) length] for the
measured pipe temperature with
designed cable output for the same
temperature; regional damage to
parallel cable can cause partial
failure

Notes . . .
1. Flexible, plastic-jacketed heating cables may be field-spliced; MI cables usually require replacement.
2. Mechanical thermostat sensors cannot be repaired or replaced; RTD or thermocouple sensors can be replaced. Some controllers have replaceable
contacts/relays or may require a manual reset if a trip-off condition on the heating circuit was detected.
3. The operation of most electric heat tracing cables is dramatically affected by changes in the supply voltage. Before making any changes, consult the
cable manufacturer with information on the alternate voltages available. Otherwise, cable failure and/or an electrical safety hazard may result in
some situations.
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 Printed in U.S.A.
Thermon Manufacturing Co.
Form TEP0066-0800
PN 20745

THERMON . . . The Heat Tracing Specialists

100 Thermon Dr. PO Box 609 San Marcos, TX 78667-0609
Phone: 512-396-5801
Facsimile: 512-396-3627 800-820-HEAT
www.thermon.com In Canada call 800-563-8461