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Tank Heaters
Five constructions cover nearly every tank. Which one you need depends less on the liquid than on the tank — whether it can be penetrated, whether it can be taken out of service, and how much power has to go in.
Comparison
| Construction | Mounting | Typical range | Tank penetration | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Over-the-side | Hangs from tank rim | 1 – 24 kW | None | Open tanks with existing chemistry; tanks that cannot be drilled; tanks with sludge |
| Flange | Bolted flanged nozzle | 3 – 500+ kW | Flanged nozzle | Large closed or pressurized vessels; highest capacity in one unit |
| Screw plug | Threaded NPT coupling | 0.5 – 24 kW | NPT coupling | Small tanks, reservoirs, hydraulic sumps, mild fluids |
| Circulation | External in-line | 6 – 500+ kW | Piping connections | Aggressive chemistry, tight control, large volumes, no-penetration requirements |
| Custom engineered | To drawing | As required | As required | Odd geometry, unusual chemistry, classified areas, heater plus control package |
How to choose in three questions
- Can the tank be penetrated? If not — because it is lined, plastic, in service, or full of something you do not want a leak path into — you are choosing between over-the-side and an external circulation heater.
- How many kilowatts? Above roughly 24 kW, over-the-side and screw plug drop out. That leaves flange and circulation.
- How tight does the temperature have to be? A tank heater plus a cycling contactor swings by several degrees. A circulation heater with an SCR and a PID holds within a couple.
Beyond that, the liquid decides the sheath material and the watt density, which decides how physically large the element has to be for the kilowatts you need. That last part is where most specifications go wrong.
Send the tank details
Liquid, temperature, volume, dimensions and available voltage. The construction, sheath and rating come back worked out.