8
Installation Guide: Single Run of Cable
If installing a single run of heating cable on a pipe, follow the
steps below:
1. Mount the reel of cable on a holder and place near one
end of the pipe run to be traced. Choose the end from
which it will be the easiest to pay out the cable.
2. Pay out the cable from the reel and loosely string along
the piping, making sure the cable is always next to the
pipe when crossing obstacles. For example, if the heater
is on the wrong side of a crossing pipe, you will have to
restring the cable or cut and splice it.
To prevent damage to cable, avoid such things as:
— Pulling the cable over sharp edges.
— Forcibly pulling the cable free if it snags while
being paid out.
— Walking on or subjecting the cable to other abuse
which could cause mechanical damage.
3. When you reach the end of the circuit, secure the heating
cable to the pipe using glass tape or plastic cable tie with
a temperature rating compatible with the heater cable.
If this end is to have an end seal installed, remember to
leave about a foot of extra cable. If it is a power connec-
tion, leave about two feet of extra heater cable.
4. If the heater cable is to be spiraled, go to step 4a.
Begin attaching the cable to the pipe about every foot (0.3
meters).
Place the cable on the bottom half of the pipe at the 4 or
8 o’clock position. Refer to installation detail AD1. Go to
step 5.
a. Note the path of the heater cable and the spiral factor
of the design. A simple way to think about spiral factor
is: A 1.1 spiral factor means install 11 feet of heating
cable on every 10 feet of pipe, etc. At about every 10
feet of pipe, pull the required amount of cable and let
hang in a loop, and attach the cable to the pipe.
b. Rotate the loops around the pipe until all the slack has
been taken up. Even out the spirals of the heater cable
and secure to the pipe as necessary to obtain good
contact. The entire circuit can be installed with hang-
ing loops with the spiraling on the pipe being done
when you trace the heat sinks. Refer to installation de-
tail AD3.
5. At a heat sink (pipe supports, valves, pumps, reducers,
gauges, bucket strainers, etc.), attach the heater cable
to the pipe just before the heat sink. Refer to the design
specs or Table 3 to determine the amount of heater cable
you need to install on the heat sink. Pull this amount of
cable into a loop, attach the heater cable on the other
side of the heat sink and continue attaching the cable
down the pipe as before.
6. When you reach the heater cable reel, you should have
the heater cable attached all along the pipe, with the cor-
rect amount of heater cable pulled in loops at all heat
sinks. Attach the cable to the pipe, (leave an extra foot if
at an end seal, two feet if at a power connection) and cut
the heater cable from the reel.
7. Install the heater cable loops on the heat sinks. Refer to
the proper installation detail AD5-AD12 for a general idea
of how to install the cable, but remember:
• It is important to get the proper amount of heater ca-
ble on the heat sink, rather than exactly as the detail
shows. The detail is just a guide.
• Self-regulating heater cables are very flexible and can
be single overlapped for installation ease. Feel free to
use this feature when you can.
• By having the cable installed this way, it can be re-
moved easily from the heat sink without cutting of ac-
cess to, or removal of the heat sink is required.
Note: If a tee is designed into the system, or if you are using
two or more short cable lengths to complete a circuit, allow
two or three feet of each cable to overlap. This will allow flex-
ibility in assembling the connection kit and locating it on the
pipe.
FIRE HAZARD. Do not overlap constant wattage
heating cables.
To Next Page
Loading...
Need help?
General