Tag Archives: M1

“Vue de toits (effet de neige)” 1878 Gustave Caillebotte

One of the core documents for heat tracing is entering a new 5-year revision cycle; a consensus standard that is especially relevant this time of year because of the personal danger and property damage that is possible in the winter months.  Education communities depend upon heat tracing for several reasons; just a few of them listed below:

• Ice damming in roof gutters that can cause failure of roof and gutter structural support
• Piping systems for sprinkler systems and emergency power generation equipment
• Sidewalk, ramp and stairway protection

IEEE 515 Standard for the Testing, Design, Installation, and Maintenance of Electrical Resistance Trace Heating for Industrial Applications is one of several consensus documents for trace heating technology.   Its inspiration originates in the petrochemical industry but its principles apply to all education facilities exposed to cold temperature and snow.   From its prospectus:

This standard provides requirements for the testing, design,installation, and maintenance of electrical resistance trace heating in general industries as applied to pipelines, vessels, pre-traced and thermally insulated instrument tubing and piping, and mechanical equipment. The electrical resistance trace heating is in the form of series trace heaters, parallel trace heaters, and surface heating devices. The requirements also include test criteria to determine the suitability of these heating devices utilized in unclassified (ordinary) locations.

Its principles can, and should be applied with respect to other related documents:

National Electrical Code Article 427

NECA 202 Standard for Installing and Maintaining Industrial Heat Tracing Systems

IEC 62395 Electrical resistance trace heating systems for industrial and commercial applications

 ASHRAE 90.1 Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings

Lowell House / Harvard University

We are happy to explain the use of this document in design guidelines and/or construction specifications during any of our daily colloquia.   We generally find more authoritative voices in collaborations with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee which meets 4 times per month in Europe and in the Americas.  We maintain this title on the standing agenda of our Snow & Ice colloquia.  See our CALENDER for the next online meeting.

Issue: [18-331]

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Kane Howard

Category: Electrical, #SmartCampus

LEARN MORE:

Good Building Practice for Northern Facilities

Electrical Heat Tracing:International Harmonization Now and in the Future, IEEE Industry Standards Magazine, May/June 2002 pages 50-56