Heat Tracing for Safety Showers and Eyewash Stations
Safety showers and eyewash stations fail in winter in the worst possible way: they freeze, and nobody knows until an emergency. Protecting them is a small, well-defined job — but it is easy to get wrong because the acceptable temperature range is narrow and the equipment is often outdoors.
Why they freeze
- Small-bore supply lines with low or no flow
- Outdoor or unheated locations
- Intermittent use — water sits in the line for months
- Exposed pipework and valves without insulation
- Drains and traps that hold water
Design points
1. Maintain temperature is set by standards
Emergency equipment typically needs tepid water — commonly 20–25 °C at the outlet, with a defined minimum and maximum. Freeze protection alone is not enough; the water must be usable in an emergency. Confirm the applicable standard and the required temperature window.
2. Self-regulating cable is usually the right choice
Small lines, short circuits and the need to avoid overheating make self-regulating cable a practical choice; it can be cut to length on site for retrofits.
3. Insulation and weather protection
Outdoor units need insulated pipework with weather-proof cladding and sealed penetrations. Do not insulate the shower head or the valve handle in a way that interferes with operation.
4. Controls
Thermostatic control with an alarm is recommended. If the tracing fails in a cold snap, someone should know before the next emergency. A local indicator plus an alarm contact to the BMS is a practical solution.
5. Drain points and dead legs
Drains, traps and dead legs are the first to freeze; trace them or make sure they are arranged to drain. A traced line with an untraced dead leg still freezes.
6. Retrofit considerations
Common retrofit: cable on existing pipe, new insulation and cladding, new thermostat, alarm contact. This can usually be done without changing the plumbing.
Typical scope for one unit
| Item | Typical |
|---|---|
| Supply line | 15–25 mm pipe, 5–20 m traced |
| Cable | Self-regulating, 10–30 W/m class |
| Control | Thermostat + alarm contact |
| Insulation | 20–40 mm with weatherproof cladding |
| Power | 230 V circuit, RCD protected |
What to check after installation
- Insulation resistance and continuity of the circuit
- Thermostat set point matches the required tepid-water window
- Alarm reaches the monitoring point
- Drains and traps are clear and traced if needed
- Documentation: circuit number, set point, alarm address
Safety shower freeze protection?
Send the locations, supply line layout and the required water temperature. We propose tracing, control and alarms.
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