SERVICE MANUAL 4 CES

(Supersedes PQ410-3) PQ410-4

161-048978-001
JULY, 2009

Electric Fluid Heat Transfer Systems

GENERAL
This Service Manual is furnished as an aid to help start-up and CAUTION: Hazard of Electric Shock. Any installa-
service Chromalox Heat Transfer Systems. Listed below are con- tion involving electricity must be grounded to earth
ditions which could occur during start-up and operation. to eliminate shock hazard.

1. USE THE RIGHT HEAT TRANSFER FLUID

DO read manufacturer’s technical bulletins and instructions care- turer. If you plan to switch fluids, check with the fluid manufac-
fully. Some heat transfer fluids may ignite or burn spontaneously turer to determine the following.
if not properly used. A. Is the new fluid compatible with the old?
Chromalox Fluid Heat Transfer Systems are designed for a par- B. What is the recommended cleaning method to remove the old
ticular heat transfer fluid or a class of heat transfer fluids. If you fluid, its sludge, or any deposits remaining in the system?
are not sure you are using an accepted heat transfer fluid, check C. Does the fluid manufacturer have a reclaiming service for used
with your local Chromalox sales and application engineering fluid? Do they have a recommended procedure for disposal of
office listed on back cover or consult Chromalox Bulletin PQ301 used or old fluid?
for the correct heat transfer fluid. CAUTION: To avoid possible damage to the heaters
DO NOT mix heat transfer fluids unless authorized and approved do not energize the heater unless the system is
by the fluid manufacturer. filled with fluid.
All heat transfer fluids are not compatible with each other,
whether made by the same manufacturer or a different manufac-

2. PIPE STRAIN
DO provide for expansion and contraction of process piping and Piping should be properly supported so pump can be removed
connections to the system. Piping strains can cause pump and without changing the position of the piping. If piping moves when
motor mis-alignment, excessive wear on pump body, bearings and the pump is removed, pump malfunction is probably due to stress-
stuffing box packing or mechanical seal and will eventually cause es and twisting caused by the piping. These stresses will multiply
failure of the pump and system. when the system is hot due to thermal expansion.

3. PIPING RESTRICTIONS
DO provide sufficient cross sectional area in the process piping pressure can cause excessive wear on the pump and pump stuffing
connections equivalent to the system pipes. In order to prevent box packing or mechanical seal and will eventually cause prema-
undue pressure drop, maximum velocity in all piping should be ture failure of the pump. The major causes of restrictions are:
less than 10 feet per second. A. Inlet and outlet pipes smaller than provided on the system.
DO NOT use process piping connections smaller than the pipes B. Piping many processes in series with one another. To reduce
used in the system. the pressure drop of the system, equipment should be re-piped
in balanced parallel flow.
If there is a high differential pressure between the inlet and out-
let of the heat transfer system at operating temperature, this is
probably due to a piping restriction. A continuing high differential

© 2010 Chromalox, Inc.

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 3. PIPING RESTRICTIONS
C. The use of globe valves in the system. Globe valves have a These should be sized properly for the pumping rate to give
much higher pressure drop than gate valves. Therefore use a minimum pressure drop.
globe valves only for balancing parallel flows. 3. The passageways or coring of a platen manifolded in series.
D. Small inlet and outlet connections on customer’s process. These should be re-manifolded for parallel flow to give a
Examples being: minimum pressure drop.
1. The use of small rotary unions on roll applications. These DO provide for bypass of oil when using pneumatic or electrical-
should be sized properly for the actual pumping rate to give ly operated process valves. System damage may occur if process
minimum pressure drop. piping return lines are restricted or blocked by closed valves.
2. Small inlet and outlet nozzles on jacketed vessels or the use
of an agitating nozzle on the inlet of a jacketed vessel.

4. PIPING GENERAL
DO NOT use Magnesium bed or porous insulations which can DO check all vent tubes, purge valves, and bypass relief valves at
absorb oil. When oil soaked, these insulations may ignite sponta- least once a month. All heat transfer oils oxidize in the presence of
neously and burn at temperatures as low as 400°F. air and sludge can block critical piping. Blocked vent tubes may
DO NOT permit leaks of any heat transfer fluid to continue unat- cause excessive system pressures and/or an explosion.
tended. Periodic inspection of piping and insulation is essential. DO retighten all bolted connections and joints at operating tem-
DO NOT insulate expansion tank lines or the expansion tank. perature. Joints will expand and leak as they get hot. Check all
These components must be kept cool and below 130°F for most threaded connections on controls, gauges, etc. for leaks.
heat transfer oils. (See #6 Expansion Tank Location) DO vent all systems operating at atmospheric pressure properly.
DO NOT insulate flanges, valves or other connections which may Vents must be rigid metal piping terminating outside the building
leak without being observed. or into a suitable container. The vent line should never be made of
plastic, rubber or other low temperature material and should be 1/2
DO NOT use screwed pipe connections on any piping over 1 inch inch or larger pipe.
diameter. Use flanges for connections with spiral wound or
Grafoil® gaskets. WARNING: Oil saturated insulation on piping may
ignite spontaneously at elevated temperatures.
DO NOT use Teflon tape or pipe seal on threaded connections on Repair leaks and replace oil soaked insulation
hot oil systems. Use Copalite® or SilverSeal® or other high tem- immediately!!
perature sealants compatible with heat transfer oils.

5. AIR, WATER OR FOREIGN LIQUID IN THE HEAT TRANSFER FLUID

DO install bleed valves on all process piping. continually. This level should not exceed the three-
The presence of air in the system is indicated by a knocking or quarter mark on the glass nor drop below the one-
hammering of the pump. Air bleed valves should be provided at all quarter mark. Note: If abnormal expansion of fluid is detect-
high points in the system and every place where the heat transfer ed, this is probably due to a pocket of air or steam still present in
fluid flow drops in the vertical plain. These are the places where the system. Check all bleed valves. If problem continues, de-ener-
air pockets will form. gize pump and check bleed valves.
The presence of water (does not apply to water or water-glycol Foreign liquids in the heat transfer fluid may not cause trouble
systems) in the system would not normally be noticed until a tem- immediately. However, after this system has been in operation for
perature above 212°F is reached. Its presence would be indicated a period of time at the normal operating temperature, the foreign
in exactly the same manner as air in the system. Follow the air liquid could cause a chemical change in the heat transfer fluid
removal procedure. which could lead to sludging, the formation of carbon on the heat-
ing element and eventually, failure of the heating element and
CAUTION: During the initial start-up operation, the pump.
liquid level in the expansion tank must be checked

6. EXPANSION TANK LOCATION

DO mount expansion tank 15 feet above system. CAUTION: To avoid possible rupture of expansion
Mount the expansion tank so it is the highest point in the sys- tank due to pressure, vent line should be checked
tem and if possible at least 15 foot above the height of the pump. on a regular basis to be sure it is always open to
To safeguard employees and equipment, run the vent line either the atmosphere. Failure to do so may result in rup-
out of the building or down into a 55 gallon drum. This vent line ture of the expansion tank or other parts of the sys-
should be a minimum of 1/2” internal pipe size. tem causing injury or hazard of fire.

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 6. EXPANSION TANK LOCATION
Note: If the expansion tank cannot be mounted above the highest DO NOT pressurize expansion tank or system unless proper safe-
point in the system, or if the system is going to operate above the ty relief valves are provided.
boiling temperature of the heat transfer fluid, the expansion tank WARNING: If expansion tank is to be pressurized,
will have to be pressurized with air or nitrogen. This eliminates the then it must be equipped with safety relief valve(s).
possibility of heat transfer fluid flashing into vapor in the heater, If this pressure exceeds 15 PSIG, then the heat
at the point of high velocity in the system or at the suction of the transfer system and expansion tank should be
pump which will cause the pump to vapor lock due to insufficient ASME coded.
NPSH (net positive suction head). On hot oil heat transfer systems,
this pressurizing is usually done with nitrogen as this eliminates DO NOT mount expansion tank directly on top of system unless
the possibility of the hot fluid coming in contact with oxygen thus absolutely necessary. If mounted on system, provisions must be
reducing the possibility of oxidation, extending the life of the heat made for cooling of the expansion tank line. Maximum safe oper-
transfer fluid. This pressure should be 5-10 PSI above the vapor ating temperatures are reduced when expansion tank is mounted
pressure of the heat transfer fluid at its operating temperature. on system unless positive suction pressure of 2 to 3 psig is main-
tained on pump.

7. SYSTEMS MOUNTED ABOVE PROCESS EQUIPMENT

(Ceiling or Platform mounted)
When mounting system above process equipment, check to be B. The expansion tank should be connected into the pump suction
sure the pump will not be vapor locked. The cause for vapor lock line and be located high enough to create the necessary NPSH
is insufficient NPSH (net positive suction head). This problem is (See No. 6). If the expansion tank cannot be elevated then it
particularly prevalent on systems with centrifugal pumps, but also should be pressurized with air or nitrogen to obtain the neces-
can appear on systems with positive displacement pumps. The sary NPSH. This will create a positive head on the pump and
things to check when a system is mounted above the process prevent the heat transfer fluid from flashing into vapor at the
equipment are as follows: pump suction when the system is operating at temperatures
A. Piping: Eliminate all unnecessary turns and restrictions in the equal to or exceeding the vapor temperature of the heat trans-
return piping which could cause a vapor lock. fer fluid.

8. PUMP ALIGNMENT
DO NOT allow pump to hammer or cavitate. Excessive vibration B. Check the ends of the meshed teeth on the coupling jaws with
will damage pump and may break pump castings. a feeler gage. The ends of the teeth should be equidistant
CAUTION: All pump and motor mounts and motor-belt should be around the circumference of the coupling. Do not rotate shaft
checked and tightened if necessary. These sometimes loosen dur- when making this check. Allowance must be provided for
ing transit. pump shaft and motor shaft expansion.
Belt Driven — The belt has been properly aligned and adjusted
for the proper deflection prior to shipment from the Chromalox
factory. The proper deflection is 1/4”.
Direct Coupled — The pump and motor on each Chromalox heat
transfer system is factory aligned prior to shipment. However, as
recommended in our instruction sheet on each particular heat
transfer system, the pump and motor could become misaligned in
transit and therefore, should be realigned in the field after the unit
has been permanently set in place. Misalignment can cause wear
on the pump shaft, packing or mechanical seal and bearings. It will
cause excessive stuffing box leakage and will eventually cause
complete failure of the pump and in turn, the system.
To check alignment:
A. Place a straight edge across the coupling, it should be in full
contact with both rims at the top, bottom and both sides. Rotate Figure 1
coupling by hand and repeat this check.

9. PUMP PACKING ADJUSTMENT

Pumps with packed stuffing box or seals may require adjust- When system reaches temperature, tighten the two packing gland
ment during system start up. Packed seals are designed to leak nuts evenly, approximately 1/4 turn at a time until the shaft seal
some oil for proper lubrication of the pump shaft. Drip pans and leaks 1 to 2 drops per minute. Do not overtighten or shaft damage
drain connections are provided on these pumps to contain the oil will occur.
and allow convenient removal. Note: If normal oil leakage from a packed pump is unacceptable
Packed pumps will frequently leak oil at start up until the sys- in the application, mechanical seal pumps are available at extra
tem reaches operating temperature and the seals seat on the shaft. cost. Contact factory.

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 10. OPERATING ABOVE THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE TEMPERATURE OF
THE HEAT TRANSFER SYSTEM OR HEAT TRANSFER FLUID
DO NOT attempt to operate any heat transfer system or heat trans- Exceeding the temperature limits of the heat transfer fluid will
fer oil at temperatures higher than those recommended by the man- cause its thermal breakdown or degradation. This will result in the
ufacturer. formation of sludge in the system and carbon on the heating elements
Chromalox heat transfer systems are designed for a particular and eventually cause pump and heater failure. If you do not know this
maximum temperature. If you do not know this design tempera- maximum temperature, check with the fluid manufacturer.
ture, check with the Chromalox factory or consult the individual WARNING: In hazardous or explosive areas, the
instruction sheet for that system. Exceeding the designed tem- pipe surfaces of oil type heat transfer systems
perature of the heat transfer system will void our warranty. could achieve temperatures higher than allowed
for Class I, Group D, Division I.

11. INSUFFICIENT HEAT

The following are the major causes of insufficient heat: D. Restriction in flow of heat transfer fluid to process. (See No. 3
A. Low voltage. Piping Restrictions)
B. Blown fuse in heater circuit. E. Thermostat set too low.
CAUTION: Hazard of Electrical Shock. Make sure F. Piping or process not insulated. This is a common fault. The
all electrical power is disconnected before servic- piping in heat transfer systems is shipped from the factory
ing or replacing any electrical component. uninsulated, only the heating chamber is insulated. The piping
in the heat transfer system should be insulated at the same time
C. System too small for application (not enough kW). the piping from the system to the process is insulated.
1. Increased work load.
2. Changed product or process.

12. MISCELLANEOUS PROBLEMS

A. Leaking pipe joints can be caused by poor threads, using the 3. Misalignment of pump will cause high leakage of oil pack-
wrong or old gaskets and unsupported piping. New gaskets ing type stuffing box and complete failure of mechanical
should be used whenever a flanged pipe joint is made. A good seal type.
rule of thumb for systems operating above 350°F is to use 4. Unusually high back pressure at high temperature.
flanged or welded connections on all pipe larger than 3/4”. On C. Pump bearing failure.
high temperature systems, threaded pipe will loosen with heat- 1. Misalignment.
ing and cooling of system and in time will leak. 2. Cavitation (for causes of pump cavitation, see sections 3, 4
B. Excessive leakage at stuffing box of pump. and 9).
1. Packed type — normal leakage rate is approximately five 3. Excessively high pressure at operating temperature. Can be
(5) drops per minute when cold, 1 — 2 when at operating caused by incorrect or poor quality heat transfer fluid.
temperature. Water in a heat transfer fluid can also cause high pressure.
Note: Improper tightening of stuffing box gland will D. Spillage from expansion tank.
always cause abnormal leakage and possible shaft damage 1. Tank too small to accept expansion of liquid in system.
(see Instruction Sheet for unit). 2. Expanding pocket of air or steam in system forcing heat
transfer fluid to back-up into expansion tank.
2. Mechanical seal type — water cooling of mechanical seals E. Sludging of heat transfer fluid is caused by either too high a
is recommended when operating over 350°F. Most types heating element temperature or improper materials used in cus-
should not leak either water or oil. However, some water tomer’s piping or process.
cooled high temperature seals are designed to leak steam or
water at a constant rate. DO NOT use brass valves or fittings. Generally speaking on
oil type systems, no copper or copper bearing alloys should be in
DO NOT connect cooling water to flush ports of mechanical seal contact with the heat transfer fluid.
pumps. Water will be forced thru the seals and contaminate the oil.
(Check manufacturer for proper connections.)

13. START UP SUPERVISION

Factory trained personnel are available upon request for those Contact your local Chromalox sales and application engineer list-
customers who are unfamiliar with the initial start-up. ed on back cover and request Bulletin PQ901.

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 14. STANDARD HEAT TRANSFER SYSTEM TROUBLE SHOOTING CHART

Problem Cause Corrective Action

Main power feed off Turn on main power
Circuit breaker off Turn on circuit breaker
A Power light off Control transformer
Primary fuse blown Replace fuse
Secondary fuse blown Replace fuse
Transformer bad Check and/or replace
Pilot light blown Replace bulb
Float switch open Add oil to system
If no float switch, jumper terminals 4 & 5
B Power light on, pump will not start
Motor overloads tripped Reset overloads, check running current
Motor starter bad Check motor starter coil
Power light on, pump light on, motor Motor fuse blown Replace fuse, check motor overloads
C
not running Motor burned out Replace motor, check motor for overload
Broken belt Check and replace belt
Power light on, pump light on, motor Broken coupling Check and replace coupling
D
running, pump not running Turn off system and rotate pump by hand
Pump jammed by slag or foreign object if jammed, disassemble and clean pump.
Check and clean strainer.
Power light on, pump light on, Control relay #1 not closed See M
E motor running, pump running heat Heat on-off switch in off position Turn switch to on
will not come on Process control ITC-1 set too low Set process control to desired temperature
See items, pump noisy, see O;
No oil flow insufficient suction pressure, see J:
high discharge pressure, see K
F Insufficient heat Process piping too small or restricted Check process piping, check heat transfer
area of platen, etc.
Heater fuses blown Check and replace fuses
Heater elements burned out Check continuity and resistance of
elements
Excessive operating pressure over See K
40 psig
Packing gland loose Check and adjust packing gland nuts per
manufacturer’s recommendations
G Pump packing gland leaking Use mechanical seals or sealless pumps
Wrong pump specified
where no oil leaks can be tolerated

Mechanical seals on pumps should be

water cooled over 350°F.
Improper cooling of seals
Failure to do so will cause seal failure
and leaks.
Check piping and flange alignment
H System leaks when filling Rough handling during shipment retighten and torque all bolts to
specifications
Expansion and contraction due to Check all flange bolts and connections
temperature has loosened connections retighten and torque to manufacturer’s
I System leaks at temperature and after specifications
cool down
Wrong gasket materials Replace gaskets as necessary, use spiral
wound or Grafoil® gaskets

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 14. STANDARD HEAT TRANSFER SYSTEM TROUBLE SHOOTING CHART

Problem Cause Corrective Action

System temperature too high for oil See fluid manufacturer’s data for
causing vapor lock maximum oil temperature
Vapors lock due to steam or air in oil Bleed air & steam from system, change
Insufficient suction pressure (0 or oil if problem continues
J vacuum), pump noisy, gauges Net positive suction pressure too low Raise expansion tank to increase suction
vibrating, discharge pressure low head, static head should be 4-5 psig.
(below 20 psig) (See expansion tank location No. 6)
Strainer plugged Remove and clean strainer
Valve closed Check all valves
High discharge pressure over 40 psig, System piping blocked or restricted Check all valves, check strainer
pressure gauges fluctuating rapidly, Check process piping sizing, check for
K pump noisy, expansion tank normal, Process piping blocked or restricted closed valves or improperly installed
system operating on bypass relief automatic valves, check all bleed
valve valves for air or steam
Steam or water in oil Bleed system, change oil
Expansion tank too low Expansion tank should be mounted 15 ft.
Expansion tank overflows or “burps” above system
L (over 220°F) Expansion tank line too short Lengthen expansion tank line to cool oil
and provide cold oil seal
Tank too small for system Check volume on process piping
Over-temperature control open Set thermostat above process temperature
M Control relay #1 will not close and reset
Pressure switch not closed See N
Switch set wrong Set pressure switch to approximately 5 psi
over suction gauge pressure
Check pump & motor rotation, see arrow
N Pressure switch will not close Pump running backwards on motor, reverse phase lead on circuit
breaker
Not enough or no fluid in system Check fluid levels in expansion tank,
make sure all valves are open
Pump cavitating See O
Bleed system periodically until all air or
stem is removed
Air or steam in system
Insufficient bleed valves in process
O Pump noisy and/or cavitation piping to remove trapped air
Contaminated oil Change oil
Pump damaged by overtightened
packing gland Replace pump
Insufficient suction pressure Suction pressure should be 4-5 psig

Limited Warranty:
Please refer to the Chromalox limited warranty applicable to this product at
http://www.chromalox.com/customer-service/policies/termsofsale.aspx.

2150 N. RULON WHITE BLVD., OGDEN, UT 84404

Phone: 1-800-368-2493 www.chromalox.com
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