Air heaters: Recommendations and Precautions

Compressed air heaters are more and more in demand in order to obtain a controlled temperature, especially during cold periods. The applications are diverse, from breathable air to the drying of parts via the pneumatic transport of viscous products...

Air heaters

It is however useful to recall here some essential rules for the correct installation and use of this equipment.

First of all, of course, never install a heater on an undried and/or non-oiled compressed air network. As the compressed air is in contact with the heating coil, there should be no oil or water present.

Never leave a heater energized without compressed airflow. If the application is intermittent, the electrical supply to the heater must be controlled by use to avoid the "breakdown" of the temperature control system.

Insulate and minimize the pipe between the heater outlet and the point of use. A hot pipe in a cold atmosphere behaves like a radiator .... Calories are dissipated in the ambient air and on arrival there is only cold air!

Provide for the installation of a safety thermostat for critical applications. Even if they have a built-in safety device, it is strongly recommended for sensitive applications to install a safety thermostat to cut off the electrical supply to the heater in the event of unexpected overheating.