sw.bd. space heater

[cvirgil467]

anyone know what space heaters are used for in low volatge sw.bds and what climates are they typcially recommended in?

Thanks.
C

 

[charlie b]

I believe their purpose is to drive out moisture. The source of the moisture is condensation. So I would say any climate for which there is a high humidity and a significant change in temperature from mid-day to early morning.

 

[Jraef]

If the air temperature inside of a piece of electrical equipment falls below the dew point, the moisture in it will condense and form droplets on metal surfaces. If there is enough moisture, it can accumulate to the point of providing a conduction path across insulators and once that happens, flash-over becomes likely. Depending on the relative humidity and barometric pressure the dew point can very high , so if at any time your local environment can be lower than the dew point, a strip heater is recommended. But if your equipment is energized and under load all the time, that can vary because the heat rejection of the switchboard itself may be enough. The biggest risk is with equipment that is turned on and off throughout the day or is off for periods of time. The equipment is warm, but the night is cool so when the power goes off and the equipment cools, water collects and allows tracking or flashing over the next time it is energized.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dew_point

 

[dezwitinc]

Space Heaters

Space Heaters

I installed a couple of generators at the Krome Detention Center in Miami a couple of years ago.
The control panels were supplied with heaters inside of them to help keep moisture from causing problems.