Finned Tubular Heaters and Elements
Specifying duct heat for a large project, building air handlers, or heating process air in an oven or dryer? We handle it. We supply electric finned tubular heaters and finned heating elements in slip-in, flanged, and custom designs.
We size it, quote it, and return a selection ready for submittal. Our offices are in Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth, serving Texas and the Gulf Coast, and we ship nationwide.
Have questions? Need a quote?
Key Takeaways
Finned Tubular Heater Types
We supply three finned tubular heaters from Indeeco and QMark by Marley, from standard slip-in duct heaters to custom units for air handlers and process air.
| Heater | How it mounts | Controls and ratings | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indeeco TFXU and TFZU finned tubular duct heaters | TFXU slides into the duct. TFZU bolts to duct flanges. Both are built to size | Built-in contactors, airflow switch, fusing, and disconnect. SCR control option | HVAC ducts and air handlers on large projects |
| Indeeco tubular process air heater | Flanged assembly for a duct, plenum, or pipe. Elements replace one at a time | Up to 600 V. Outlet air up to 1,200°F, by construction | Ovens, dryers, and process air |
| QMark TFHU finned tubular duct heater (Marley Engineered Products) | Standard slip-in | UL listed option. Contactor, pneumatic, or SCR control | Commercial HVAC ducts |
Indeeco duct heater elements carry stainless steel fins, five per inch as standard, which put more heat into the air than a bare tube.
Choosing a Finned Tubular Heater for Your Project
Finned tubular duct heaters for HVAC ducts and air handlers
- New buildings and large projects: a custom finned tubular duct heater, slip-in or flanged, built to the duct size
- Standard commercial ducts: a stock slip-in unit
Finned tube heaters for ovens, dryers, and process air
- Process air up to 1,200°F: a tubular process air heater with individually replaceable elements
Finned tubular or open coil for wet and dusty air
- Wet, dusty, or uneven airflow across the duct: finned tubular, every time
- Clean, dry air at the lowest cost: open coil
Controls built into a finned tubular duct heater
- Magnetic contactors and a differential pressure airflow switch
- Control transformer, and fuses on heaters over 48 A
- Automatic and manual reset thermal cutouts
- Disconnect switch with door interlock
Finned tubular heater options
- SCR control
- Weatherproof or dust-tight enclosure
- Insulated duct construction
- All-stainless frame and elements
One heater, one submittal, and nothing left for the electrician to source and wire in the field. We match the heater to the duct, the load, and the site conditions.
Finned Tubular Heating Elements
Finned heating elements for OEM equipment
Building your own duct heaters, air handlers, ovens, or load banks? We supply finned tubular heating elements in volume, built to your drawing, so your production line gets the same element every run.
| Element spec | Range |
|---|---|
| Sheath and fin material | 304 or 316 stainless to 1,400°F sheath. Monel to 900°F. Copper plated steel to 750°F |
| Sheath diameter | 0.250 to 0.625 in |
| Fin height and thickness | 0.25 or 0.32 in high, 0.015 in thick |
| Fin density | 5 fins per inch standard, 8 for a cooler sheath |
| Sheath length | 8 to 249 in |
| Voltage | Up to 600 V |
| Shape | Straight or formed, one-pass or two-pass with both terminals at one end |
Elements are UL Recognized under UL 1030 and CSA approved. Watt density and sheath material are set per application, and we size both for the airflow and outlet temperature your equipment runs at.
Finned Tubular Heater Applications
- Electric duct heaters for HVAC systems in new commercial and industrial buildings
- Air handling unit heating coils for reheat and preheat
- Process air heaters for industrial ovens, dryers, and drying tunnels
- Load bank heaters for generator and UPS testing
- Freeze protection heaters for pump stations, valve houses, and E-house substations
- Makeup air units for plants and warehouses
- Explosion proof duct heaters for hazardous locations
- Marine duct heaters for ships and offshore platforms
- Open coil duct heaters for clean, dry air at the lowest cost
- Hot water fin tube radiation for hospitals and schools
- Industrial heating elements for process equipment and OEM builds
- Industrial heating system design for multi-unit projects
Common Finned Tubular Heater Questions
How many fins per inch does a finned tubular heater have?
Finned tubular elements carry five fins per inch as standard. Eight fins per inch is available when the sheath needs to run cooler. More fins move more heat into the air at the same wattage, so the sheath temperature drops. We specify fin density as part of the heater selection.
What air velocity can a finned tubular duct heater handle?
A finned tubular duct heater handles air velocities up to 5,000 feet per minute. The sheath and fins spread heat along the element, so hot spots stay small when airflow across the duct is uneven. That makes finned tubular a good fit for high velocity ducts and air handlers.
What is the difference between finned tubular and open coil duct heaters?
A finned tubular duct heater seals its coil inside a metal sheath, and an open coil heater puts the bare coil in the airstream. Finned tubular removes the shock risk and handles moisture and dust. Open coil costs less and has lower pressure drop. Open coil also reaches 1,200°F outlet air, against 600°F for finned tubular.