Maintaining electrical heat tracing systems for pulp and paper mills

Heat tracing is most often associated with winterization of piping, tanks and instrumentation. As such, its role in a pulp or paper mill´s preventive maintenance program can be easily understood. However, many year-round plant functions, some critical to plant operation, depend on proper heat tracing system performance. This paper addresses several aspects of heat tracing applications that deserve routine attention to improve the systems´ overall performance and maintainability.