Electric trace heating began in the 1930s but initially no dedicated equipment was available.

They may use trace heating in conjunction with a variac, so as to control the heat energy delivered.

Industrial applications for trace heating range from chemical industry, oil refineries, nuclear power plants, food factories.

The most common pipe trace heating applications include:

Trace heating maintains the temperature above freezing by balancing heat lost with heat supplied.

Hit-temperature trace heating elements can prevent blockage of pipes.

In laboratories, researchers working in the field of materials science use trace heating to heat a sample isotropically.

If a line becomes frozen because the heating was switched off then this may take some time to thaw out using trace heating.

Trace heating takes the form of an electrical heating element run in physical contact along the length of a pipe.

They suggest trace heating, which consists of a flexible, cut-to-length heater tape, through which an electric current is passed.

Trace heating can also be done with steam, but this requires a source of steam and may be inconvenient to install and operate.

The thermostat will de-energise the trace heating when it measures temperature rising past another set temperature value - usually 2 C higher than the setpoint value.

Electric trace heating cables are an alternative to steam trace heating where steam is not available or unwanted.

Insulating the loft and pipework against the cold is the standard way to prevent burst pipes, but trace heating specialists, Jimi-Heat of Watford, disagree with this.

Antifreeze, the name of this trace heating tape, is controlled by pre-set thermostats, and is only activated when the temperature drops to near freezing, or below, making it economical and cost-effective.,.

This thawing out is done on the three phase systems by using an 'auto transformer' to give a higher voltage, and consequently higher current, and make the trace heating elements a bit hotter.

Control systems for trace heating systems developed from capillary filled-bulb thermostats and contactors in the 1970s to networked computerized controls in the 1990s, in large systems that require centralized control and monitoring.

International standards applied in the design and installation of electric trace heating systems include IEEE standards 515 and 622, British standard BS 6351, and IEC standard 60208.

Trace heating may be used to protect pipes from freezing, to maintain a constant flow temperature in hot water systems, or to maintain process temperatures for piping that must transport substances that solidify at ambient temperatures.

Since smaller-bore pipes present a greater risk of freezing, insulation is typically used in combination with alternative methods of freeze prevention (e.g., modulating trace heating cable, or ensuring a consistent flow of water through the pipe).

It is important to note that snow guards are not the same as heat tape or trace heating systems that expedite the snow melting process; however, these products can be and are commonly used together to offer better protection from sliding snow problems.

The combination of trace heating and the correct thermal insulation for the operating ambient temperature maintains a thermal balance where the heat output from the trace heating matches the heat loss from the pipe.

One paper projected that between 2000 and 2010 trace heating would account for 100 megawatts of connected load, and that trace heating and insulation would account for up to $700 million CDN capital investment in the Alberta oil sands.