The Important Basics of a Circulation Heater

A circulation heater is the preferred mode of heating flowing oil, liquids and gases in a circulation system. These heaters are seen in systems that are at normal pressures or forced circulation systems. Such heaters can be set up in a short time period, and they give the user access to a self-contained electrical heating system. They can be used in a myriad of facilities and locations such as commercial establishments, industrial units, and even military organizations.

What is a circulation heater?

This particular variety of heater essentially comprises a heater element(s), a pressurized and insulated receptacle, terminal housing, mounting components, as well as threaded inlet and outlet connections that can be fixed in-line. Since these heaters are used with flowing liquids or gases, they are often used in-line with a larger circulation system. Such a heating system is often used for warming or heating air, gases, oils, or other liquids.

A regular or flanged immersion heater can act as the heat source for a circulation heating system. Little or no heat is lost into the surrounding environment because whatever heat is generated is directly dispersed into the gas or liquid. Furthermore, if the vessel containing the matter to be heated is insulated, heat loss is mitigated to a significant degree. Thus, it is safe to say that circulation heaters are among the most efficient heaters available on the market today.

Installing and setting up a circulation heater

The installation and setting-up of such heaters is relatively quick and hassle-free. The terminal housing comprises electrical screw terminals. These terminals can be easily hooked up, the required inlet and outlet pipes can be connected, and the heater is almost ready for use. Before actually using the heater in an application, the desired process temperature needs to be set on the thermostat.

Most circulation heaters come with a thermostat so as to control and monitor the process temperature according to the nature of the material being heated. Just like immersion heaters , circulation heaters are also available in a number of standard as well as customized varieties. Custom varieties are only required if you have an especially unique process that simply cannot make use of a standard heater model.

Applications of a circulation heater

There are a myriad of applications in which such heaters might be used. Where controlled heating is a prerequisite, these heaters are the best choice. They can be used for heating oil and fluids such as plastics for an injection molding process. They can also be used for heating or warming platens or molding dies.

If you are unable to use immersion heaters for heating or preheating liquids for some reason, you could explore the usage of circulation heaters. A circulation heater is also used for steam superheating, as well as heating process air. It can be used for heating process water in cooking or cleaning applications.