If you don’t have the right tools, you may find it difficult to store temperature-sensitive materials in barrels and drums. Luckily, with drum heaters, you can keep a host of industrial materials at the correct temperature. You should also keep in mind that if you want to use a drum heater or other heating appliances, following safety precautions is paramount. Given below are some of the precautions that should be taken.
Basic Safety Precautions
Always make it a habit to use the drum heaters inside a room or building. The reason is that they are not designed for outdoor use. Aside from this, using these appliances outside will expose them to moisture.
During the heating cycle, you should not leave the heaters unattended overnight if possible. Some of the new wrap-around full-coverage heaters are designed for 24/7 use and can be safely used around the clock. If you use a silicone or rubber band-type of drum heater, make sure that the band is below the material level in the drum. If you don’t follow this advice, your drum may overheat and the material inside may catch fire or at best, spoil.
Electrical Wiring Precautions
If you want to prevent electrical shocks, don’t let the heater get wet. In other words, you should not drop water or other liquids on the heater controls. Aside from this, make sure that the grounded plug is attached to the heater. This is really important because it will prevent electric shocks.
Always keep in mind that some drum heaters, such as immersion heaters should be plugged into the power source before use. For safe operation, you should make sure that the wiring is done based on the standards set by the authorities in your area.
Drum Heaters and Dust
As with any electric equipment, make sure that your product is placed in a location where heavy dust is not present, such as hay storage, grain elevators, and grain silos, just to name a few. If you put your heater in an area where lots of dust is flying around, chances are that the product may explode or catch fire since hay dust or grain catches fire pretty quickly.
Thermostat Controls
Make sure that the controls of your thermostat are in working condition. At times, the controls are set in a way that the heater doesn’t go beyond the maximum temperature set by the manufacturer. If, due to control failure, maximum temperature is exceeded, the product will shut down automatically. At times, a problematic product may not respond to the controls, causing overheating issues that may result in ignition. Always make sure your heater is in good working condition and serviced regularly.
If you are having issues with the controls of the thermostat, we suggest that you replace the drum heating unit as soon as possible.
Immersion Heater Safety
You may want to be careful when using immersion heaters. Make sure that your immersion heater doesn’t connect to the drum or sludge surface or side. Direct contact for a long period of time may result in overheating of the drum. As a result, the contents of the drum may catch fire or be ruined.
Aside from this, make sure that you use immersion heaters in places where lower heat is required in order to prevent the overheating issues.
So, you may want to follow these safety precautions when using your drum heater.
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