Electric Flanged Heaters vs. Gas Heaters
When it comes to heating industrial liquids or gases, there are two types of heaters you can use: electric flanged heaters, and gas heaters. This article presents a comparative study of the two types of heaters that are heavily used in a variety of industries. (See Figure 1, for representative sample.)
As you will see in this article, each type of heater has its benefits and drawbacks. The following table lists the advantages and disadvantages:
| Type of Heater | Advantages |
|---|---|
| Flanged Heaters |
1. Flanged heaters are easy to install and maintain. 2. On the whole, flanged heaters are smaller in size than gas heaters. 3. Flanged heaters run on electricity. Thus, combustion does not take place. Therefore, no carbon monoxide is released into the air. 4. Flanged heaters are ideally suited to situations where a high kilowatt output is required. 5. Another advantage of flanged heaters is that they come in a variety of sizes. Different sized heaters can be used to meet the requirements of various applications. 6. Flanged heaters are designed and built for safety. 7. Flanged heaters heat the liquid much faster than gas heaters. 8. If there is a problem with the heating element of an electric flanged heater, only the damaged heating element needs to be changed. In the case of a gas heater, the entire damaged unit needs to be replaced. |
| Gas Heaters |
Disadvantages 1. When gas heaters use natural gas, a lot of carbon monoxide is released into the air during the heating process. This results in air pollution as well as global warming. 2. Gas heaters are larger in size than flanged heaters. 3. If there is a problem with the heating element of a gas heater, the entire unit needs to be changed. In the case of an electric flange heater, only the damaged heating element needs to be changed, making it a costly option. |
As you can see from the above table, there are advantages to electric heating and disadvantages to gas heating. Before you decide which one to go in for, you should consider such factors as: the abundance of electricity or natural gas in your country, and the amount of capital you have to install the heaters. Whereas flanged heaters are easier to install and maintain gas heaters may be more economical to set up, they contribute more towards global warming.
Figure 1