Catco heaters are rated for 6000 BTU/hr per square foot of heater face area. We assume a heating value of around 1000 BTU per standard cubic foot of fuel. To get the natural gas fuel consumption, divide the BTU rating by 1000. For example, a 3000 BTU/hr unit will consume 3 SCF per hour. You can see the BTU ratings of all Catco heaters on our catalytic heater product page.
Contact us and we’ll guide you based on our decades of experience. The more of the following information you can give us, the more precise we can be: Desired temperature in the building Dimensions of the building Type of construction Minimum outside temperature Insulation type Types and numbers of doors and windows Air changes per hour
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Catco catalytic heaters are tough and reliable and have no moving parts, so maintenance is minimal. However, if your heater is equipped with a valve and thermocouple, it can be useful to keep spares on hand. You can get info on these products on our accessories page, or you can contact us to order some.
Catco catalytic heaters have no moving parts so they’re pretty easy to maintain. The biggest issue we see is a heater getting wet. This can be caused by rain or snow, but it’s more common that a wet fuel supply is the problem. A few tips: The best thing you can do is make sure your heater has a clean, dry fuel supply. We have several options for filters and drip pots to help. It’s not uncommon for there to be some water in the line in a new installation. Aggressively purge fuel lines before installing your heater. If an
In most applications, several years. The catalyst isn’t consumed as part of the chemical reaction — with perfect fuel and a perfect environment, they would last forever. In the real world, the interaction between the catalyst, fuel, and oxygen gets disrupted and eventually starts to degrade. How frequently they need to be replaced or remanufactured depends on the quality of the fuel and the harshness of the operating conditions. In oil and gas production where conditions are harsh, many operators do this every year. In gas utility applications where operating conditions tend to be more forgiving, we’ve had heaters operate
Catco heaters are completely flameless from start-up to shutdown and are available with certifications from FM and CSA for use in hazardous locations. As part of this certification process, Catco heaters are proven to be non-incendiary for Group D environments. While running at 100% output, Catco heaters have been directly exposed to natural gas, propane, heptane, gasoline, and other flammable gases and vapors. In each case, no ignition occurs. Catco heaters have an impeccable safety record across four decades and hundreds of thousands of installations. If you have some questions about our certifications or catalytic heater safety, please contact us.
Catalytic heaters bring fuel and oxygen together in the presence of a hot catalyst. The result is a chemical reaction that produces infrared heat but no flame. In Catco heaters, the process looks like this: The chemical reaction won’t take place unless the catalyst is at a high enough temperature. In Catco heaters, we preheat the catalyst with an electric heating element. A voltage is applied with either a hardwired power source or starting cables, and this raises the temperature so the reaction can begin. Once the catalyst is hot, you turn on the fuel (either natural gas or propane).
Ther are three options for temperature control on an Instrument Gas Heater. Catco recommends our Steady Heat Controller, which mixes a hot and cold stream of gas to provide a constant outlet temperature around 135° F. This is warm enough to prevent freezing, but below the temperature that would damage most equipment. Another method is using a thermostat. A probe is placed on the tubing to sense the temperature of the gas. Once it gets higher than the set point, a valve reduces the fuel input to the heater by about half. Then once the gas temperature drops, the heater
Most of the time, we recommend a Heated Enclosure Package, which mounts directly onto your equipment and directs infrared heat at the body. You can see a list of our most popular models here. There are other times where a different approach might be best for your application. Visit our page on freeze protection for valves and regulators to see the best options depending on your type of equipment, or contact us and we’ll be glad to help you find the best solution.