What is a self-adjusting heating cable and how does it work?
Self-regulating or self-limiting? These terms are often used interchangeably, with self-limitation more accurately describing how it works. Self-limiting heating cables consist of two parallel bus wires embedded in a heating matrix from carbon particles. Above this layer is the insulation and above this the mesh and finally the outer covering. When operating temperature increases, molecular expansion increases the distance between carbon particles. Resistance increases and output drops.
When temperatures drop, this process is reversed and production increases. This procedure regulates or limits heat depending on the ambient temperature and prevents the trace from overheating.
