Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: VSP Home Care on December 06, 2011, 06:06:37 pm
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Hi guys, I'm still sorting our RO system out, rather embracing how long its taking but I'm nearly there. I've lagged the main unit in a water cylinder jacket, now I'm turning my attention to the pipes and I'd like know what you guys use to lag them.
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I don't. but its a good idea what you've done. I'd guess I'd use that grey polystyrene stuff that plumbers and the like use to insulate pipes?
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Hi guys, I'm still sorting our RO system out, rather embracing how long its taking but I'm nearly there. I've lagged the main unit in a water cylinder jacket, now I'm turning my attention to the pipes and I'd like know what you guys use to lag them.
How are you going to get heat into those pipes once lagged?
We affix heat tracing before the lagging. A cold pipe is a cold pipe, whatever the lagging.
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We affix heat tracing before the lagging. A cold pipe is a cold pipe, whatever the lagging.
I hope you havn't already done what i'm going to ask you and i missed it..........any chance of putting up an explanation and maybe a bit of an FAQ about how your system works ,what you need etc...? Here or on your site. If i wanted to order any of your stuff i wouldn;t even know what to ask for?
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Hi guys, I'm still sorting our RO system out, rather embracing how long its taking but I'm nearly there. I've lagged the main unit in a water cylinder jacket, now I'm turning my attention to the pipes and I'd like know what you guys use to lag them.
How are you going to get heat into those pipes once lagged?
We affix heat tracing before the lagging. A cold pipe is a cold pipe, whatever the lagging.
I take your point, although I'm hoping to keep the cold out rather than the heat in, this system should be running over night. It's in a shed and although I'm not heating the shed at the moment I might have to if my temp readings go to low. I can't really afford the outlay on a heat trace system at the moment. If it was a van setup I'd certainly go for one. Worst case I'll put a shed heater tube in there and finish lagging the lot out.
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Hi guys, I'm still sorting our RO system out, rather embracing how long its taking but I'm nearly there. I've lagged the main unit in a water cylinder jacket, now I'm turning my attention to the pipes and I'd like know what you guys use to lag them.
How are you going to get heat into those pipes once lagged?
We affix heat tracing before the lagging. A cold pipe is a cold pipe, whatever the lagging.
can you explain this a bit more about heat tracing ?
dos this work the same as under floor heating ?
whats the running cost per 12 hours ?
are you sure heat tracing can be used with ro tube ? WHAT test were done ?
IM really intrested in this .
what temps will it achive ?
what size ro unit is this good enough for ?
thanks
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roll of loft insulation from bq £3.00 throw it over the system....done,easy to remove ..easy to replace
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ok, here's what it is...
Heat tracing is low wattage mains powered cable that sits on the underside of a pipe, and the heat from it enters the pipe and prevents the fluid, usually water, from freezing.
There are two types of heat tracing, one is called constant wattage, which has fairly important drawbacks (can't cross it's self, for example), but the type we do is self-regulating. This means it adjusts its power demand along its entire length depending on the temperature it senses - not through a sensor or anything like that, but via the polymeric core (yawn) which is what makes up the bulk of the cable. It can cross itself, can be cut once on site (and terminated). It is about 8mm in diameter. It doesn't heat to a particular temperature - it consumes 10w per metre, that's it.
The variant we have is 10w per metre. But that is the maximum draw per metre, apart from the inrush, especially when cold, but this rapidly decreases. The best way I can describe the cost is that if you had 6m of the heat cable, it would be akin to running a 60w bulb, but, like I said, it's not that simple - it's simpler! The cable only heats up what it needs to heat up. The light bulb continues to draw energy - how else could it light up? The better insulated the pipe, the less power it demands. You will need to consult your own electricty supplier about the costs, but the light bulb is your starting reference point. You might also like to consider that a 3kw (that's 3000W! not only consumes far more than the heat trace is likely to. It is accepted, however, that if you have a 3kw fire or other oil-filled rad in the van overnight, that it will keep the reel and hoses free from ice.
We have heat traced the van, but on cold nights we do bring in the reel and poles - I'm not pretending it covers all eventualities. The one thing in common with immersion heaters/oil-filled rads, of course, is that you have to remember to unplug the van in the morning. There the similarity ends.
This particular heat trace is good to protect a 108mm diameter pipe, assuming there is an insulation thickness of 50mm. At a guess, the 4040 membranes are 100mm+/-, but what I do is run up one side and down the other to be on the safe side. All plastic pipes need to be covered in aluminium foil tape to ensure transference of heat around and into th epipe in question. The heat from the heat trace goes into the pipe, not the air around the insulation, which is why I mention that an insulated pipe can still freeze. The heat trace must be touching the pipe.
We started off with heat tracing around the RO, filters pumps etc in the shed, and then moved to put it in the van, having found it so useful.
Like I said, it's not the 100% answer for combatting the ice, but it goes a long way. It's more in common use in static systems where there are lengths of water pipe to protect.
One thing: when plugged in to the power, the heat trace remains 'on' despite drawing a low current. Optimal use would be to have it on a thermostat, but that's going to the nth degree. We find that by gauging the weather, we can judge when to switch it on, but if you were going to be absent from the unit for prolonged periods, and had no control over the on/off, then you would definitely need a thermostat - we sell rather fancy ones that were aimed at the home brewer, but you could equally use a cheap version from one of the big sheds.
Ah yes, one more thing - if you have a factory fitted van mount and the pipes go under the floor, then you're out of luck - unless you want to rip up the floor of the van to run cabling - it won't work. How you are meant to protect the pipes in the floor is up to you.
I know this seems a bit 'out there' when everyone, as they do every year, talks about putting paraffin heaters, rads etc etc in the back of their vans, but I suppose it's just one of those things that you have to see it to believe it. I don't have much in the way of pics to show, but will put up, again, the one IO have of the van in the middle of installation.
Sorry this is a bit higgeldy piggeldy, but I've just got in, and wanted to get some info down before the morrow. Don't hesitate to contact me via the Cedaronics website, ok? I've checked over the above, but there still might be erros/typos, so if anything seems at odds, let me know, and I'll try to put you right.
Cheers chaps,
Tim