The FBR-16 stainless steel explosion-proof heating rod is designed for industrial sites with flammable and explosive gases. Both the heating tube and the terminal box use stainless steel housings, and the terminal cavity is designed with an explosion-proof structure, making it suitable for heating media containing hydrocarbons, oil mist, and similar substances. The following points address common on-site issues and outline precautions for installation, use, and maintenance.
The explosion-proof terminal cavity relies on sealing rings and compression nuts to form protection. If the cable outer diameter does not match the sealing ring, or if the compression nut is not tightened, moisture can enter the cavity along the cable, causing insulation resistance to drop. During on-site installation, the cable outer diameter and sealing ring specifications should be checked, and an insulation test should be performed after tightening the compression nut; for heating rods that have already been affected by moisture, power must be cut off, the end cover removed, dry compressed air used to blow out the interior, sealing components replaced, and the rod put into service only after insulation retesting passes.
When the surface load of the heating rod is too high, oil-based media tend to coke on the tube wall, while water-based media may locally vaporize. The commonly used power range of the FBR-16 is 1 kW to 6 kW, and the corresponding tube length and surface load should be selected according to the medium type: a lower power density is preferable for heating thermal oil, while it may be appropriately increased for heating water tanks. If the tube surface is found to be blackened or the medium temperature rises slowly, the actual power density should be checked to determine whether it exceeds the allowable range for that medium.
The heating rod should be fully immersed in the medium being heated to avoid dry firing. For horizontal installation, if the liquid level fluctuates greatly, it is recommended to place the heating zone below the lowest liquid level; for vertical installation, keeping the terminal box facing upward can reduce condensation accumulation. When multiple rods are used in parallel, the spacing between tubes should be maintained to prevent local overheating.
Inspection items include: whether the terminal box temperature is abnormal, whether there is leakage at the sealing surface, and whether the insulation resistance is below the specified value. When the heating rod shows a continuous decrease in insulation resistance, obvious deformation of the tube body, or leakage, it should be taken out of service and replaced. During replacement, a model with the same explosion-proof rating and installation dimensions must be selected, and the operation must be carried out by personnel with the appropriate qualifications.
