Unpacking and Operation of your Drum Heater

How to Set Up and Operate your Barrel Blazer 55 Gallon Drum Heater

In this YouTube video tutorial, our latest Fix-It Friday shows you how to set up and operate your Barrel Blazer drum heater. Barrel Blazers are an ideal solution for a 55 gallon drum heater. 

Unpacking and Setting Up a Barrel Blazer Drum Heater

When you first receive your Barrel Blazer drum heater, you will see the box includes; the drum heater, heat controller, instruction manual, and bolts for securing the heater to your rig floor.

Installation is easy and only requires one person to do the job. If you are installing the drum heater in a mobile rig, the first step is to secure it to the floor using the bolts provided in each of the four corners – ensuring you are not pinching the electrical chord allowing it to freely move behind the heater. Next, install the heat controller to the wall – ensuring it is placed above where the 55 gallon drum would sit and giving the heating switches room to prevent accidentally being turned to the “ON” position.

IMPORTANT!!! Do not remove the screws in the center of the heater, as those are intended to hold the heating element in place.

A drum rack, or E track, is ideal to give your 55 gallon drum middle support.

Understanding How the Heating Element Works

Barrel Blazer drum heater

There are two switches on the heat controller; turning on one switch will provide 240 watts (approximately 2 amps of 120 volt) of heat, while turning on two switches will provide 4 amps.

Periodic temperature monitoring will be required to ensure your material is within the required temperature range in order to achieve an optimal application. An infrared thermometer works great to identify the heat externally, while the interior is approximately 5 degrees warmer than the outside.

Ambient, or environmental, conditions largely impacts the final drum temperature as well as the starting temperature. Starting temperatures and length of time to heat also depends on how much material is inside the drum to start. A temperature graph is provided with the instruction manual as a reference point.

Placing and Securing your 55 Gallon Drum of Material

Lastly, placing and securing your material is the final step in getting ready to use your new Barrel Blazer drum heater. The low profile design makes placing a drum nearly effortless with a dolly. Securing the drum in place with a drum strap is imperative to ensure the drum does not move in a mobile rig.

Learn more about the Barrel Blazer drum heater.

John Davidson is the VP of Operations at SprayWorks Equipment Group and is an SPFA PCP Certified Roofing and Insulation Installer, Roofing and Insulation Project Manager, and Supplier Rep. With over 30 years of experience in the spray foam and polyurea industry, John brings a wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience. He has worked on commercial and residential buildings, bridges and infrastructure.

2 Comments

  1. hey John
    I just ordered 4 barrel blazers for our new rig.
    I dont see anywhere if theyre hard wired or include a plug.
    Please advise.
    In our current rig, we use 4 similar heaters from another manufacturer.
    We see advantages and disadvantages to both so we decided to try yours this time around.
    Many thanks.
    Harvey Barnes
    Liquid Green

Leave a Reply to SprayWorks Equipment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *