The debate about what the heating cable is better - a self-regulating or resistive - are constantly, and often the person who wants to understand this, confronted with the fact that on the same issues he can find a totally opposite opinion. At this point, not being an expert, to understand anything is nearly impossible. Let's try to help you sort out this issue.
To begin with, most companies still agree that the use of self-regulating heater cable has more advantages and, although it is more expensive to install, in operation, these costs are recouped with interest. However, some companies just give him a preference, and some have gone to work at all only with self-heating cables. And this is justified, because he has many advantages. Here are some of them.
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First, and most importantly, high reliability, self-regulating cable, there is no danger of burn-in cable areas overlap and overheating, including for insulation. In resistive cables cable burnout may overlap in places, as well as in poor heat transfer (the application of thermal insulation materials).
Ease of installation is also said to use a self-regulating heating cable: cable can be cut into sections the required length on site installation, the length of the segments can be any.
Saving energy by using a self-regulating cable reaches 30-50%, and the use of thermostats on the entire length of the cable and it does up to 80% for heating large pipelines. This is especially true for objects with a large capacity. We can say that the efficiency of self-regulating heating cables above.
High power density of some models samregov (up to 64 W / m) allows the cable to work effectively even in the most severe climatic conditions, with rapid changes in temperature and high humidity.
Protect from freezing water pipes
In cold weather, often in danger of freezing municipal and industrial water pipes laid in the open air outside, in a cold unheated basement or at a shallow depth in the ground in the area of soil freezing. Standard insulation is used at present for the protection of pipelines, especially in colder periods do not provide complete protection from freezing, but only slows down the process. Therefore, no additional water heating can promerznut in the winter.
The use of heat pipe cable systems can effectively protect any pipes from freezing, ensuring their smooth and comfortable operation regardless of ambient temperature.
The most reasonable and truly beneficial in this case the use of self-heating is the heating cable. And although the cost of the cable itself is higher than the resistive, it pays off ease of installation and more cost-effective operation. No need for additional control over the ambient temperature and mechanical temperature control of heating reduces the cost of energy as well as on additional staff. In addition, the use of self-heating cable allows you to simplify the calculation and design of the entire heating system as a whole and to increase its overall durability and reliability.
In this case, due to the fact that self-regulating heating cables automatically increase the thermal capacity at lower temperature and, conversely, reduce it by increasing the ambient temperature, provided the most efficient operation of heating and overheating is eliminated and the resulting breakdown of the system even under a thick layer thermal insulation.
The effect of self-heating temperature of cable based on the use of this cable is a special semiconductor matrix, which changes its conductive properties, depending on the ambient temperature (both air and surfaces with which it comes in contact). It is the property of self-regulation and, accordingly, self-heating temperature changes, can in some cases, to renounce the use of expensive control systems and, ultimately, lower operating costs for heating, while making it more reliable.
For heating of domestic water heating cable is usually placed on top of the pipe under the insulation. This option eliminates the stacking contact with the cable passing through the water supply and water can significantly increase the reliability and service life of electrical systems, which otherwise can deteriorate from contact with the liquid. The use of high-quality insulation to reduce energy consumption of the system, as further increases the safety of heat. However, in some cases the installation of the cable and inside the pipeline, with heating cables used must have the execution of the shell and clutches.
