Many outdoor commercial applications have special needs in cold weather. For example, the oil industry and excavating services cannot operate if the ground is frozen solid. This creates the need for industrial ground thaw heaters, and skid mounted types offer a lot of important benefits.
What Does Skid Mounted Mean?
Some large heating units are mounted on wheels. This makes them easier to move about. However, many of these heaters can be quite heavy and it’s much easier to transport them with moving equipment. Skid mounted heaters are made on special skids which can easily be picked up and moved by lift trucks and this also greatly facilitates storage. In fact, it can free up lot of space in a warehouse or large industrial facility when you have the ability to move and store equipment quickly and without hassles.
Stability
Skid mounted heaters are very stable. For example, there are no axles and wheels which can make it much easier to tip over a unit. In fact, you will enjoy a lot of stability with skid mounted ground thaw heaters because they can rest comfortably on a wide range of surfaces and there is little vibration.
Cost
Skids are not overly expensive and you have fewer moving parts than with heaters on wheels. This can lower the cost of your commercial grade heaters and anything which lowers cost increases over-all efficiency.
Important Features
Not all skid mounted heating units are the same and some are much better than others. So, what are some important options and features to consider? An indirect fired heater may be a good idea. These units provide choices when it comes to heating fuel. For instance, they can run on diesel fuel, natural gas or vapor propane. Plus, you’ll want to make sure you have these safety features:
* Auto shutdown on high temperatures
* Can run 24 hours unattended with no problems
* No fire hazard from exposed flames – this is one of the main reasons to choose indirect fired heaters.
* Ability to function at 40 below zero – if a unit can operate in extreme cold you won’t have to be concerned with icing and other issues in cold weather.
* Indoor and outdoor operating capabilities – can use inside air which has been conditioned or outside air.
* CSA certification – stands for Canadian Standards Association and this is a recognized safety standard in both the United States and Canada. All CSA certified ground thaw heaters must meet rigid standards.
