Electric Heaters Megohm Testing &

Dryout procedure if Low Insulation Resistance (Megohms)

WARNING: HIGH VOLTAGE EQUIPMENT TESTING--- RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK OR ELECTROCUTION.

All procedures described below should only be performed by qualified personnel. Failure to observe proper safety
procedures could causeinjury or death. All power should be disconnected prior to attempting any work on
equipment. Test equipment described creates high voltages. Proper safety equipment must be worn during tests.

Determining a Low Megohm Condition – Insulation resistance is usually measured using a 500V DC
potential between live circuits (heater terminals) and the chassis (ground). At time of shipment from the
factory, typical insulation resistance values range from 5 Megohms or greater for unsealed multiple
assemblies to 20 Megohms or greater for individual elements. Often the insulation resistance value of an
unsealed heater or heating element can drop quickly after shipment from the plant but can recover
quickly during the initial heat up. In fact in many high temperature applications, it is preferred to leave
the elements unsealed so they can “breath” during operation. In other situations the moisture must be
removed from the element prior to start up to prevent a possible dielectric failure.

Caution: Equipment damage can occur if proper precautions are not taken. The following is
general description of testing of electric heating equipment. It is not intended to be a complete guide to
trouble shooting. This information is believed to be accurate but does not completely identify all
limitations and equipment impacts. No warranty is implied or given by Chromalox related to the use of
this information. This information is to be used at the equipment owners risk. Material can be returned
to Chromalox for inspection if there is any concern regarding use of this information. Chromalox Field
Service people are also available to assist as required at the equipment location.

Introduction: One of the more common field problems is an electric heater that is reported to have low
insulation resistance (Megohm values) after it has been installed in the application or process. This is
particularly common with large flange heaters, circulation heaters and assemblies with multiple
elements (duct heaters, etc.). The following discussion and recommendations while directed toward
multiple element assemblies are appropriate for all field installed electric heaters including individual
elements.

Characteristics of MgO: The refractory material (MgO) used in electric heating elements is very
hygroscopic and may absorb moisture. This moisture can be absorbed from the humidity in the air
during transit, storage, long down times or when exposed to a humid environment. The heater terminals
do not have to be sprayed or immersed in water for this to occur although the problem is frequently
caused by terminal housings being left open during installation allowing water and/or rain to enter the
enclosure.

Characteristics of a Heating Element: The compacted MgO inside a heating element has about 15%
open area. The open area allows air to expand and contract inside the element with small changes in
ambient temperature. Moisture enters the open ends of the element (terminals) as humidity in the air
and permeates through out the MgO. Typically this process occurs very slowly over time with most of
the moisture initially concentrating in the end of the element near the terminal.

103 Gamma Dr ext. Pittsburgh PA 15238 Ph

MEG ELEMENT DRYOUT BB 6_2_10 REV0.DOC PAGE 1 OF 5

Problems Associated with Moisture Absorption: As the MgO absorbs moisture, the insulation
resistance (Megohm value) decreases proportionately. In most heating elements, the amount of moisture
absorbed by the MgO is negligible and is quickly driven off when the heater is energized. However, if
moisture absorption process continues for an extended period of time, the MgO in the entire element
may eventually become saturated with moisture. It may also react chemically with the water (hydrate).
The end result is an element or heater with abnormally low insulation resistance. If the insulation
resistance is low enough, it may result in a high leakage current to ground that can cause nuisance trips
of ground fault protection equipment (GFI) when the heater is energized. In some instances the
presence of moisture in the MgO may actually cause a dielectric breakdown (short circuit) and element
failure during the initial heater start up.

Dry Out Procedures: While low insulation resistance usually does not affect heater efficiency or life, it
can cause serious electrical problems during initial start up. Therefore, as a general rule, it is
recommended that any heating element and/or heater assembly with less than 1 Megohm insulation
resistance per circuit be reviewed with factory before applying full power. Bear in mind that large flange
heaters with multiple elements and/or very long elements on each circuit may have relatively low
Megohm values due to the combined parallel insulation resistance of multiple elements. In some cases
individual circuits with 12 or more elements may still be acceptable with Megohm readings less than

1.0.

Recommended Procedure: The recommended procedure for correcting low insulation resistance is
to dry the heater out with externally applied uniform heat (oven). This dry out or baking
procedure is best performed under the supervision of service personnel at the factory. If a heater or
heater assembly has a low or questionable insulation resistance (Megohms) the recommended procedure
is to contact the Product Engineering Department in Pittsburgh or the Service Department for further
instructions. If it is determined that the heater has an unacceptably low insulation resistance and cannot
be easily repaired in the field, the Service Department will issue a material return authorization (MRA)
for rework and dry out at the factory.

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Alternate Procedures: If it is not practical to return the heater to the factory for rework, the insulation
resistance of many heaters can usually be restored (dried out) in the field by using one or more of the
following procedures. These procedures only apply to heaters and heating elements that are unsealed or
only have simple moisture barriers on the element terminals (RTV, conformal coating, or silicone resin).

1. Drying Out an Installed Heater: Energize the heater at approximately ½ the rated voltage (¼
Wattage). Operating the heater under these conditions produces enough heat in the elements to
drive the moisture out while reducing the risk of overheating the equipment. However, even at ¼
of the wattage it is possible to overheat and damage the equipment or the heated media. The
temperatures of the element sheath material, heated media and associated process equipment
must still be limited to safe values. Failure to limit sheath temperatures could permanently
damage the elements and void the equipment warrantee. If the heater has an over temp control
or sensor, use this device to limit the operating temperature (sheath temperature) to safe limits
during the dry out process. Continue the process until the heater circuits read 1.0 Megohm or
higher.

Note: If the heater has a phase angle SCR control, set the SCR controller manually for ½ on.
This procedure will produce ¼ of the wattage while limiting the peak voltage applied to the
heater to approximately ½ of the rated voltage.

2. Procedure for Heaters that cannot be Dried Out in Place: Uninstall the heater. Remove the
terminal enclosure, hardware, gaskets, wiring and any other devices that may be damaged by
heat. Bake the entire element or heater assembly in an oven set at approximately 3000F to 3500F
for several hours, preferably overnight. Heaters with E2, E3 or E4 non-removable housings
should have the covers and gaskets removed prior to baking. Baking ovens that are large enough
to accommodate large flange heaters may be found at local electric motor rewind shops.

Special Terminal Construction: Some heater configurations and terminations require special treatment
or cannot be dried out in the field under any circumstances. Heaters with the construction details
described below should be returned to the factory for evaluation and repair.

1. Standoff Terminal Construction: Heater assemblies with standoff terminals cannot be dried
out by low voltage operation alone. The heat from the element operating at ½ voltage will not
travel into the standoffs and the moisture remains in the cold pin area, particularly if the
terminals have been provided with a moisture barrier. The preferred method is to bake the entire
heater including the standoff terminals in an oven. However, in some circumstances a welding
(heater) blanket in combination with low voltage operation has been successfully used. The
welding blanket is wrapped around the stand off area to externally apply heat to the standoff
sections while the low voltage operation drives the moisture inside the element to the standoff
area. Again if an external weld blanket is used, the temperature of the blanket and equipment
must be limited to safe levels. Otherwise remove the terminal enclosure, hardware, gaskets,
wiring and any other devices that may be damaged by heat from the welding blanket.

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 2. Heaters with Sealed terminals: Heating elements, assemblies and heaters with standoff
construction that have element terminals sealed with epoxy or have glass to metal hermetic seals
installed cannot be effectively dried out in the field. The moisture cannot be driven past end seal
using heat alone. As a point of reference, heating elements with glass to metal hermetic seals
typically have 2000 Megohms (cold) or better insulation resistance at time of shipment. If the
insulation resistance value of an individual hermetically sealed element is less than 1000
Megohms (cold) or a heater assembly with multiple element circuits is less than 1.0 Megohm
(cold) at the time of installation, contact the local Chromalox sales office or the factory for
instructions.

Maintaining Insulation Resistance: Normally a heater with an acceptable insulation resistance will
continue to maintain its optimum insulation resistance if operated on a frequent or daily basis. When
unsealed heaters and elements with only moisture barriers are operated with long down times (over 1
week) or are in high humidity environments, the following procedures are recommendation to help
prevent deterioration of the insulation resistance over time.

Note: In addition to moisture accumulation in the MgO inside the heater elements, low insulation
resistance can also be caused by condensation and high humidity on the bus bars, terminals and
exposed wiring inside the terminal enclosure. See paragraph 1b below.

1. Installed Heaters:

a. Heater assemblies with E2, E3 or E4 terminal housings may be kept dry during down time by
sealing the openings in the terminal housing and providing a dry nitrogen or instrument air
purge of the terminal enclosure.

b. Where dry nitrogen or instrument air purge is not practical, flange immersion heaters and
other heater assemblies with relatively large terminal enclosures can be kept dry by heating
the ambient air inside the enclosure above the dew point. This can be accomplished by
installing a small thermostatically controlled electric heater that will provide sufficient heat
during down times or in harsh environments to keep the enclosure above the dew point. In
most typical applications, an air temperature inside the terminal enclosure of approximately
900F and 1200F is usually adequate. This procedure also prevents condensation on the wiring
and exposed terminals inside the terminal housing during extended down times.

2. Heaters in Storage: Heaters placed in storage should have the terminal housing sealed and a
desiccant placed inside. This can be easily accomplished with E2, E3, and E4 terminal housing.
E1 General-Purpose (open) enclosures should be enclosed or wrapped with plastic and sealed
tightly with tape to prevent moisture and condensation from entering the terminal area during
storage.

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How to Avoid Megohm Problems: In applications where long time storage, extended down times or
harsh operating environments are anticipated, moisture seals rather than moisture barriers are
recommend for the element terminations. Some typical terminal seal options are listed below.

1. Ceramic insulators with RTV are a cost effective moisture seal for most flange immersion heater
applications.

2. Where it is possible to predict the operating temperature of the terminations, epoxy provides an
excellent moisture seal. Since most commonly used epoxies are limited to operating
temperatures of less than 3000F, check the factory for specific recommendations and temperature
limits in a specific application.

3. In critical applications and severe environments, glass to metal hermetic seals may be necessary
to insure long-term insulation resistance of the individual elements.

Final Comment: There are many factors that affect the operation and life of electric heaters. While the
obvious solution to low Megohm values is to “seal” all heating elements, this may not always be
possible or recommended for a particular application. If in doubt, contact the local Chromalox
representative or the factory for specific recommendations.

Prepared by:

Carl Jeerings
Engineering Consultant

Comment: The purpose of this document is to provide specific steps to be utilized in conjunction with
Chromalox Service Bulletin, Problem: Electric Heaters with Low Insulation Resistance (Megohms),
in order to facilitate needed dry out of heaters. This document does not supercede the Chromalox
Service Bulletin and the recommendations contained therein.

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