# Heat Trace



## Loose Neutral (Jun 3, 2009)

Working on a job the other day and had to troubleshoot some heat trace. Basically adding a piece to some valves. I don't have a lot of experience with this so my question is does the dielectric break down over time? The circuit would hold if it was only spliced once, but not if spliced to the other piece. The other run was only about 150' and the new run is only about 50'.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Maybe I am missing something but why don't you think adding 50' of load is the problem?


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## Loose Neutral (Jun 3, 2009)

It's only 5 watt a foot.


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## Loose Neutral (Jun 3, 2009)

240v


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## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

...new piece is no good?


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## Celtic (Nov 19, 2007)

Did you meg it...before installation, after installation , after insulation?

Is it the same type and brand heat trace?
Terminated properly?


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## Loose Neutral (Jun 3, 2009)

Celtic said:


> Did you meg it...before installation, after installation , after insulation?
> 
> Is it the same type and brand heat trace?
> Terminated properly?


Gonna check it with a megger monday, but i suspect by the looks of the j box that the cable is beat.


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## glen1971 (Oct 10, 2012)

You can splice heat trace as often as needed.. So long as they are done up tight and correctly you won't have a problem... What kinda trace? I know with some of the products out there, it is easy to cross the two wires when putting on the "pants" at the power kit.. I'd megger your new piece from the power kit to ground and ohm it out wire to wire.. Then check the easy ones first - power and end kits - for problems..


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## te12co2w (Jun 3, 2007)

*MI?*

Is it MI? Some of the MI stuff I have seen is designed to be wired in series, not parallel.


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## Loose Neutral (Jun 3, 2009)

We moved on. They are going to replace cable. Its old and the only other piece on the circuit. Funny though I've heard frog legs, pants and rabbit ears for the rubber boot.


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