Over the side immersion heaters in plastic tanks

[Davebones]

Our old anodizing room had mostly metal tanks which all were bonded together with a ground wire ran around the room and to building steel . Our new anodizing room has all new plastic tanks . These tanks have the over the side 480v , 3 phase heaters installed on them . The only ground to the fluids inside the tank is the ground wire with the over the side heater . Our old system 480v panel had a Bender RCM470LY-13A ground monitor which would show us when a heater was starting to break down but the new control panels have no ground monitor on them . In the future we plan adding ground monitor's to the control panels . There's a concern that someone could get shocked should a heater fail . Since these are all plastic tanks would running a ground wire around the room and bonding to a ground electrode inside each tank be the best way to reduce this hazard ?

 

[petersonra]

Seems to me that the equipment ground and conductor that goes with the brand circuit that feeds the heaters effectively grounds the heaters.

I'm not sure what adding another wire would do.

 

[Davebones]

The concern is that the only ground is thru the wire with the heater . Old system all tanks were metal and bonded together . Being the only ground now is with the 480v heater feeds the concern is should the ground be lost , corrosion , bad termination , etc .

 

[petersonra]

The concern is that the only ground is thru the wire with the heater . Old system all tanks were metal and bonded together . Being the only ground now is with the 480v heater feeds the concern is should the ground be lost , corrosion , bad termination , etc .

I think you would be better served by having an inspection program to make sure those things don't happen, or if they do that they get repaired.

 

[ptonsparky]

GFE maybe.