Last updated on August 4th, 2020 at 01:06 pm

Immersion heaters are used across a wide range of industries. Especially in the winter months, they are used by industry to address freezing issues. The main problem is that businesses in oil and similar sectors keep storage tanks and other important equipment outdoors. Thus, exposing them to the elements. This is a serious issue when working in colder environments. Especially during the winter months when freezing is a real problem. Fortunately, a combination of insulation and immersion heaters can take care of this issue, whether it’s oil or water being stored outdoors, an immersion heater can make a big difference.

What is an Immersion Heater?

An immersion heater is a heater that installs right into a liquid container to heat it up. Many times it’s locked in by a flange or a screw-fitting, and it has many coils that protrude out into the liquid and heat up to warm it.

Why Freezing Temperatures are a Problem

It’s obvious that any company that has to rely on water being stored outdoors in more northern locations will suffer from freezing issues, but what might not be obvious is that oils and other liquids also cause serious issues when they become too cold.

Oil doesn’t necessarily freeze at temperatures that would turn water into an unusable solid crystal. But, oil does become a sludge that is difficult to pump from one place to another. Petroleum companies are constantly moving oil around, and that’s one of the main reasons immersion heaters are so important.

Combining Heat with Insulation

An excellent heater can’t do much for a freezing liquid if it loses all the heat it produces to the environment. That’s why many oil storage containers are actually heavily insulated. The heat goes into the liquid and the container helps hold it in. Not only does the container work to keep the heat in, but it helps hold those cold temperatures out, which makes a real difference in how much heat has to be pumped into the system. Without insulation even a powerful heater would have a hard time keeping the liquid at high enough temperatures. With proper insulation a company can rely on less powerful heaters and save energy in the process.

The Other Benefits of an Immersion Heater

There are plenty of heating alternatives that could be used instead of immersion heaters, but most of them simply don’t offer the same benefits. Immersion heaters offer uniform heat distribution throughout a liquid, they generally have very low maintenance costs and are quite durable. Immersion heaters are the ideal way to keep liquids from freezing up when exposed to the environments. Which is why more companies are beginning to adopt them.

If you’re currently suffering from problems with freezing liquids, or you’re simply looking for a more reliable heat source than your current heater, an immersion heater could be the right thing for you. There are several types available, but each form-factor will likely offer you good enough performance to meet your heating needs. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about immersion heaters.