The recent polar vortex left a long trail of damage and inconvenience in its wake, with buildings, homes and cars suffering damage in the storm. AccuWeather.com even estimated that the storm could cost the economy over $5 billion due to flight cancellations, power outages, and insurance claims for ice-related damage.
Topics: Commercial Applications, Winter Safety
The polar vortex may be winding down, but now building owners are having to deal with the aftermath of the extreme cold.
The storm caused massive damage to pipes, roofs, windows and even toilets. Many of these worries could be handled with winter prevention solutions.
This year, there have already been a fair share of Winter storms in North America, and around the world. These Winter storms have closed roads and schools, cancelled flights, caused accidents and damage to structures.
There is plenty of advice on how you can keep your structure safe during these storms. However, for your own safety and the safety of others, you should not attempt some winter hacks.
Topics: Commercial Applications, Surface Snow Melting, Pipe Freeze Protection
For many homes and business, insulation can protect pipes throughout the majority of the year. However, during Winter months is when the power of insulation is put the test, as pipes are more at risk of freezing over in subzero temperatures. Choosing the right kind of insulation can offer some protection against freezing temperatures, but is it the most optimal choice for your building?
Topics: Commercial Applications, Pipe Insulation, Pipe Freeze Protection
While you may know you need a heat trace system to protect your pipes for the winter, there are still many questions surrounding the design and installation process. It’s important to understand the system first before any work can begin.
Topics: Commercial Applications, Heat Tracing Maintenance, Pipe Freeze Protection
There is nothing worse than having to constantly dig out your driveway during Winter. An electric snow melting system can help keep a variety of surfaces clear of snow and ice, which can often cause slipping hazards. Let’s look at the different types of systems and how they can be used at your home or business.
Icicles and ice dams can be both hazardous and costly to roofs during winter months. While there are various different techniques to de-ice roofs during heavy snow and ice conditions, concealed system are often a more effective choice.
Topics: Winter Preparation, Commercial Applications, Roof & Gutter De-Icing
One of the main safety concerns when it comes to winter weather systems is the buildup of snow and ice on roofs. When icicles grow large and have a long way to fall, they can cause serious injury and even death. And, only two feet of snow buildup on a roof can cause enough stress for the entire structure to collapse.
Topics: Roof & Gutter De-Icing, Winter Safety, Commercial Applications, Winter Preparation
The effectiveness of plumbing systems in any building relies on the overlap of design expertise from mechanical, plumbing, and fire protection engineering. Building codes often require that domestic/potable water, fire suppression sprinklers, and grease waste systems must function reliably - in all circumstances - in order to be utilized.
Topics: Flow Assurance, Residential Applications, Pipe Insulation, Pipe Freeze Protection, Electric Heat Tracing, Winter Safety, Commercial Applications
When selecting and designing a trace heating system, different aspects such as cost, reliability or efficiency are often some of the first criteria to come to mind. But one of the most important aspects of this decision includes choosing which sensing method to rely on. Factors that can influence which sensing method is best for your application include whether or not the system is required to be controlled based on ambient or pipe surface temperature.
Topics: Flow Assurance, Roof & Gutter De-Icing, Surface Snow Melting, Long Line Heating, High Temperature Heat Tracing, Process Temperature Maintenance, Pipe Freeze Protection, Electric Heat Tracing, Commercial Applications, Industrial Applications, Winter Performance