Heating of liquids includes many different applications, heating of water being the most common one. Also organic liquids can be heated, from low viscous to high viscous ones, such as bitumen.

Loval liquid heaters are heating elements where heat is generated by tubular elements the heated part of which is in direct contact with the heated liquid. Examples of products where Loval liquid heaters are used are hot water storage tanks, deep fat fryers, steam generators, hot drinks vending machines, catering equipment, central heating units and heat pumps.

There are numerous applications of liquid heaters and consequently the construction of the heaters varies greatly. The number of elements in each heater is typically from one to three but can in some cases be over one hundred. Also mounting methods vary, e.g. screw-on heads, fixing plates or bolt on DN flanges. Elements can be fixed to the heads and flanges by various brazing methods, of which Loval are forerunners.

Effective heat transfer from heating elements to the ambient is typical of liquid heaters. Therefore shortened element life caused by overheating of element sheath or aging of resistance wire are normally not problems.

The choice of sheath material is based on corrosion resistance. Corrosion can destroy heating elements in a very short time. Ground water based drinking water can be rich in carbon dioxide and iron and also its chloride content can be high. Water can also be hard which means high content of water soluble Ca and Mg salts. Hard water causes lime scale on hot surfaces. E.g. hot water storage tank manufactures rely on our material choice and use Loval elements in their products.

Central heating units of small houses use Loval screw on type immersion heaters. Electric heating elements can also be reserve heat sources in fuel boilers.

Industrial applications require big DN flanged heating units. They can be used either in tank for flow tube applications. Such heaters are tailored to customers´ process data. Basic information is the heat transfer coefficient which determines the surface temperature of the elements and the temperature difference between the element and the heated liquid. These in turn determine the size of the heater.

Various oils are most typical of organic liquids. Oil is heated for very different applications, e.g. for hydraulic units, lubrication oil, light or heavy fuel oil and heat transfer oil.