Frequently Asked Questions

Heat Exchange and Transfer, Inc. (HEAT) designs and builds a full line of thermal fluid heating equipment, including hot oil systems, water and glycol systems, circulation heaters, tank heaters, temperature control panels, and the auxiliary equipment and fluid care products that support them.

A hot oil system circulates heat transfer fluid through a closed-loop piping circuit to carry heat (energy) from a heater to a process. HEAT's hot oil systems reach temperatures up to 750°F at far lower pressures than steam would need at the same temperature. This makes the loop simpler and safer to run. In many jurisdictions it also removes the licensed boiler-operator requirement that applies to steam systems. Hot oil gives precise temperature control for batch or continuous processes. HEAT builds hot oil systems in four heating configurations (electric, gas-fired, exchanger mode, and direct inject), plus pre-assembled hot oil packages for faster installation.

Water and glycol systems circulate heated water or a water-glycol mixture through a closed-loop piping circuit instead of thermal oil, at temperatures up to 350°F. Above 212°F, the loop is pressurized to keep the water liquid. That's the main trade-off against hot oil, which reaches higher temperatures at low pressure. Water transfers heat better than any glycol mixture, but it freezes and boils, so HEAT blends in ethylene or propylene glycol for freeze protection and a modestly higher boiling point. That blend reduces heat transfer, so systems are sized to account for it. Like the hot oil line, water and glycol systems are available in electric, gas-fired, exchanger-based, and direct inject configurations.

HEAT's circulation heaters heat a liquid or gas inline as it flows through process piping. The fluid passes over the heating elements once before it continues to the process. Internal baffles create turbulent flow, which spreads heat evenly and prevents hot spots on the elements. Because they're electric, they turn nearly 100% of their electrical input into heat in the fluid. They can heat asphalt, thermal fluid, water, water-glycol mixtures, air, nitrogen, and other process gases. Gas outlet temperatures reach up to 1200°F, and liquid temperatures are limited by the fluid's rated range. Standalone units mount horizontally or vertically in line with existing piping. Packaged versions put the heater and control panel on a single base with safety interlocks. Units are available for hazardous (classified) locations, certified to UL823.

HEAT's tank heaters are made to order, engineered to the specific fluid, tank geometry, temperature target, and available site power. Open coil heaters use flexible, low watt density elements inside closed pipe wells that can be removed without draining the tank. Flanged immersion heaters use U-shaped electric resistive elements welded to an ANSI flange for precise temperature control. Unitary storage tank heaters combine a cluster of closed pipe wells with open coil heaters on a single flange, also removable without draining the tank.

HEAT builds control panels with our heat transfer systems when our customers require them and also as a stand-alone product for use with HEAT equipment. CC Series temperature control panels are made-to-order, pre-wired assemblies. Both the CC Series and the controls that come with our systems are typically built around a digital PID temperature controller with remote setpoint input and process variable retransmit. Panels can be rated up to 600 VAC, three-phase, and are available in NEMA 4, 4X, 12, and 7 enclosures. For hazardous locations, HEAT builds panels for Class I, Division 1 and Division 2 areas, certified to UL1203 (explosion-proof), UL 121201 (nonincendive), or NFPA 496 (purged and pressurized). Panels are UL508A listed, and certification to CSA C22.2 No. 286 is available for Canadian installations.

HEAT's auxiliary equipment includes bolt-on cooling modules that attach to existing hot oil systems, fill and drain systems sized to handle large volumes of thermal fluid during startup or maintenance, flow distribution equipment, pump seal cooling systems, and the tanks and vessels that support the piping loop.

HEAT's fluid care products extend thermal fluid life by controlling contamination, moisture, and degradation. The line includes flash point management systems, the BOSS 1000 hot oil sampling device, HTFF Series hot oil filters, and portable pump and filter carts. HEAT also supplies major-brand heat transfer fluids, including Therminol, MultiTherm, Paratherm, Duratherm, Mobiltherm, Calflo, and Dowtherm.

HEAT's systems support a wide range of process heating applications, including dryers, heat exchangers, extruders, mixers, ovens, rolls, presses, molds, jacketed vessels, storage tanks, and pipe tracing, along with direct heating of liquids, gases, and tank contents.

HEAT has designed thermal fluid systems for nearly every processing industry, including aerospace and defense, automotive, building materials, chemicals and plastics, consumer and personal care, electronics and telecom, food and beverage, mining and metals, paper and packaging, pharmaceutical, nuclear and power, and textiles.

Yes. HEAT rents thermal fluid heater systems, including the NFP 550 Series electric thermal fluid heater and the HWS 225 Series electric glycol heater, for research and development, pilot operations, short-term production, and equipment repair or replacement. Our rental fleet allows us to ship these systems quickly to our customers. See our rental equipment page for current availability. Rental lets a plant address a temporary production need or a capital-versus-operating-budget decision without committing to a permanent system right away.

HEAT supports installed systems through its spare parts and factory support program. Common items such as electrical components and instrumentation are typically available within one to three business days, while flanged heaters are built to order, with roughly a two-week lead time for standard designs and six weeks or more for custom designs. HEAT also supplies pump components for major manufacturers, provides installation manuals on request with a system's serial number, and offers training through HEAT University tutorials and custom videos.

Heat Exchange and Transfer, Inc. (HEAT) holds third-party certifications for its control panels, electric heaters, hazardous-location equipment, and pressure vessels. Industrial control panels are UL508A listed and certified to CSA C22.2 No. 286 for Canada. Electric heaters may be certified to UL499 (industrial process flange heaters) and UL823 (heaters for hazardous locations). Hazardous-location electrical equipment is certified to UL1203 (explosion-proof and dust-ignition-proof), UL 121201 (nonincendive, Division 2), and NFPA 496 (purged and pressurized enclosures). HEAT holds ASME U and UM certificates for building and stamping pressure vessels, and offers CRN registration and TSSA compliance for Canadian installations. Certificates of compliance are available on the Certifications page.