Selecting the right thermal fluid heater for your plant can feel like a daunting task. With so many industrial heating equipment manufacturers and heater models on the market, it can be tough to narrow down your options and make a decision.
Add in the fact that purchasing a new piece of equipment or entire heating system can be an expensive investment costing your business thousands of dollars, and you really want to be sure you’re making the right selection the first time around.
As a plant manager, you have a lot on your plate at all times. That means it’s probably going to be tough to focus your full, uninterrupted attention on the task of choosing a new industrial thermal fluid heater for a long stretch of time. You’re going to need to make the best decision possible for your plant quickly to keep things moving in the right direction.
So how do you go about doing that? Our guide to selecting the best thermal fluid heater for your plant can help you narrow down your options so you can choose the ideal piece of heating equipment for your facility.
There are many factors to consider as you’re shopping your options when it comes to industrial thermal fluid heaters. Here, we’ll walk through the key considerations that will guide you to the best new thermal fluid heater for your facility.
Key Considerations To Help You Find the Right Thermal Fluid Heater
As you shop your options, use the following criteria to help narrow your search.
Industry
The industry in which you work will narrow down your thermal fluid heater options. Some heating equipment has applications across industries, but many thermal fluid heaters and system components are specifically relevant for specific uses or industrial processes.
As you’re exploring your choices, be sure to keep industry in mind to ensure you’re reviewing the most relevant and applicable equipment options.
Heater Application
Like industry, heater application will also help to significantly narrow down your thermal fluid heater options. How you are using the heater within the context of your facility will help to determine which heater type and model will be right for you.
The appropriate heater for an application that requires high operating temperatures and high pressure requirements over a long period of time is going to be very different from the heater that operates for a short run time at a low temperature and pressure. Having a good grasp on exactly how the heater will be used in the processes occurring within your facility will be incredibly beneficial as you start the heater selection process.
Compatibility with Existing Equipment & Systems
Once you’ve narrowed down your options based on industry and application, you’ll likely still have a number of heater options to choose from, especially if you’re comparing models from different heater manufacturers. At this point, it’s a good idea to take into account your existing infrastructure and figure out how the new piece of equipment will fit in.
If you’re planning to replace only specific elements of your industrial heating system, you’ll want to make sure that the thermal fluid heaters you are considering are compatible with the existing systems and equipment you have in place at your facility.
If you’re planning to replace your entire thermal fluid heating system this will be less of a factor to consider. Still, ensuring that the equipment you introduce will work effectively alongside any other systems in place at your facility is important.
Space Requirements or Restrictions
Be sure you understand your options when it comes to the heaters’ footprint and be well aware of the size of the area you have to work with within your facility. Heaters that meet your other needs and requirements but are too large to be accommodated within your plant will have to be eliminated as options.
Budget and Cost
Budget is often one of the most influential factors in the process of selecting the right thermal fluid heater for a facility. Heaters that are out of your organization’s’ price range are simply not options, so this factor is another that can help to significantly narrow your choices, especially if your budget is limited.
When considering the overall budget for your new thermal fluid heater, don’t just consider the cost up front. You’ll want to weigh the estimated account operating efficiency and long term operating costs of the systems that seem to be within your price range to select the option that’s going to be the best fit for your plant long-term.
Efficiency and Emissions Requirements
If your industry, geographic area, or facility has any efficiency requirements, emission requirements, or other regulations that must be met, you’ll need to take these into account when you’re selecting heating equipment as well.
Heater Design
It should come as no surprise that different heating equipment manufacturers feature different industrial thermal fluid heater designs. You’ll want to carefully consider some key design parameters to distinguish between comparable heaters and determine which option is best for your specific application and facility.
In thermal fluid heaters, heating coil design is particularly important design feature to pay attention to. For increased efficiency, higher operating temperatures, lower levels of fluid degradation, and longer tube life, look for heaters that feature coils with large surface areas, like our serpentine coil heaters.
Learn more about the advantages of serpentine coil technology here.
Narrow Your Search for the Right Thermal Fluid Heater For Your Facility
The factors outlined above in our thermal fluid heater selection guide will help you narrow down your options and find the heater that suits your plant and its applications best. Best of all, it will help you do so quickly and efficiently, so you can get back to the other tasks at hand when it comes to running a business.
Interested in more resources that can help you through the process of shopping for industrial heating equipment? Be sure to check out the following!
Key Questions to Ask When Buying Thermal Fluid Heaters & Heating Systems – A helpful list of questions to get you started when you’re shopping your hot oil heater options, plus some strategies to help you gather as much information as possible from the resources you have at hand.
Factors to Consider When Shopping for an Industrial Heating System – Review our list of additional things to consider after you’ve narrowed your options. This list is a great resource to use along with this guide as you search the market for the best heater to meet your facility’s specific needs.
(Don’t need new equipment right now? Be sure to bookmark these for future reference!)
Have questions? Please don’t hesitate to reach out! We’re happy to share the insight we’ve gained from our decades of experience in the industry. You can contact us online here, or give us a call at (715) 748-5888. We’d be happy to discuss your industrial heating needs and point you in the right direction.
Think Enerquip’s thermal fluid heater might be a good fit for your facility? Request a quote today and we’ll get right back to you with the information you’re looking for so you can continue weighing your options.