IEC 60800:2021

IEC 60800 ®
Edition 4.0 2021-11
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
Heating cables with a rated voltage up to and including 300/500 V for comfort
heating and prevention of ice formation

Câbles chauffants de tension assignée jusques et y compris 300 V/500 V pour le
chauffage des locaux et la protection contre la formation de glace

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IEC 60800 ®
Edition 4.0 2021-11
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
Heating cables with a rated voltage up to and including 300/500 V for comfort

heating and prevention of ice formation

Câbles chauffants de tension assignée jusques et y compris 300 V/500 V pour le

chauffage des locaux et la protection contre la formation de glace

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
INTERNATIONALE
ICS 29.060.20 ISBN 978-2-8322-1042-3

– 2 – IEC 60800:2021 © IEC 2021
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 4
INTRODUCTION . 6
1 Scope . 7
2 Normative references . 7
3 Terms and definitions . 9
4 Mechanical classification . 11
5 Requirements for marking . 11
6 Requirements for installation instructions . 12
7 General requirements for construction of heating cables . 13
7.1 General . 13
7.2 Conductors . 13
7.3 Insulation . 14
7.4 Electrically conducting screen . 14
7.5 Armouring . 14
7.6 Sheath . 14
7.7 Moisture resistance . 14
8 Testing . 15
8.1 Type tests – General requirements . 15
8.2 Type tests – Detailed test requirements . 15
8.2.1 Electrical resistance of heating conductors and screen . 15
8.2.2 Water immersion and temperature cycling test . 16
8.2.3 Verification of rated output for parallel heating cables . 17
8.2.4 Verification of start-up current for parallel heating cables . 17
8.2.5 Penetration test for electrically conductive screen . 17
8.2.6 Flammability test . 18
8.2.7 Deformation test for installation classification . 19
8.2.8 Cold impact test . 20
8.2.9 Cold bend test . 21
8.2.10 Ageing test for insulation . 22
8.2.11 Ageing test for non-metallic sheath . 22
8.2.12 Compatibility test . 22
8.2.13 Weathering and UV resistance test . 22
8.2.14 Tensile test . 23
8.2.15 Reverse winding test . 24
8.2.16 Heat shock test . 24
8.2.17 Shrinkage test for insulation and sheath . 25
8.2.18 Hot set test . 25
8.2.19 Cyclic ageing test for the heating cable . 25
8.2.20 Cyclic ageing test for splices and end seals . 26
8.2.21 Checking of the durability of markings . 26
8.2.22 Pressure test at high temperature for insulation and sheath . 26
8.3 Routine and sample tests . 27
8.3.1 General remarks . 27
8.3.2 Voltage test . 27
8.3.3 Heating cable resistance and output verification . 27

8.3.4 Insulation thickness . 27
8.3.5 Sheath thickness . 27
8.3.6 Hot set test . 28
Annex A (normative) Weathering and UV resistance test . 29
Bibliography . 30

Figure 1 – Typical arrangement for splice testing . 18
Figure 2 – Typical arrangement for end seal testing . 19
Figure 3 – Cold bend test . 21
Figure 4 – Jaws for tensile machine . 24

– 4 – IEC 60800:2021 © IEC 2021
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
HEATING CABLES WITH A RATED VOLTAGE UP TO
AND INCLUDING 300/500 V FOR COMFORT HEATING AND
PREVENTION OF ICE FORMATION
FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote international
co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To this end and
in addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications, Technical Reports,
Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) and Guides (hereafter referred to as “IEC Publication(s)”). Their
preparation is entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested in the subject dealt with
may participate in this preparatory work. International, governmental and non-governmental organizations liaising
with the IEC also participate in this preparation. IEC collaborates closely with the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international
consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation from all
interested IEC National Committees.
3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National
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4) In order to promote international uniformity, IEC National Committees undertake to apply IEC Publications
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any IEC Publication and the corresponding national or regional publication shall be clearly indicated in the latter.
5) IEC itself does not provide any attestation of conformity. Independent certification bodies provide conformity
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services carried out by independent certification bodies.
6) All users should ensure that they have the latest edition of this publication.
7) No liability shall attach to IEC or its directors, employees, servants or agents including individual experts and
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Publications.
8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
indispensable for the correct application of this publication.
9) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this IEC Publication may be the subject of patent
rights. IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
IEC 60800 has been prepared by IEC technical committee 20: Electric cables. It is an
International Standard.
This fourth edition cancels and replaces the third edition published in 2009. This edition
constitutes a technical revision.
This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous
edition:
a) modification of the title: "up to and including", has been introduced;
b) update of IEC 60811 references;
c) introduction of a test for mechanical properties of sheaths after the water immersion and
temperature cycling test;
d) introduction of a weathering and UV resistance test according to ISO 4892-2:2013, Annex A.

The text of this International Standard is based on the following documents:
Draft Report on voting
20/1972/FDIS 20/1991/RVD
Full information on the voting for its approval can be found in the report on voting indicated in
the above table.
The language used for the development of this International Standard is English.
This document was drafted in accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2, and developed in
accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1 and ISO/IEC Directives, IEC Supplement, available
at www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs. The main document types developed by IEC are
described in greater detail at www.iec.ch/standardsdev/publications.
The committee has decided that the contents of this document will remain unchanged until the
stability date indicated on the IEC website under webstore.iec.ch in the data related to the
specific document. At this date, the document will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
– 6 – IEC 60800:2021 © IEC 2021
INTRODUCTION
This document is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the essential requirements
and testing appropriate to electrical resistance heating cables used for comfort heating and
prevention of ice formation. While some of this work already exists in national standards or
international standards, this document has collated much of this existing work.
This document provides a means to verify the electrical, thermal and mechanical durability of
resistive heating cables, so that in normal use their performance is without danger to the user
or surroundings. Compliance is checked by carrying out all the tests specified in this document.

HEATING CABLES WITH A RATED VOLTAGE UP TO
AND INCLUDING 300/500 V FOR COMFORT HEATING AND
PREVENTION OF ICE FORMATION
1 Scope
This document is applicable to, and specifies requirements for resistive heating cables for low
temperature applications such as comfort heating and the prevention of ice formation. These
heating cables and heating cable sets can comprise either factory assembled or field (work-
site) assembled units, and are heating cables assembled in accordance with manufacturer’s
instructions.
Bare conductors and protected conductors to be supplied at voltages equal to, or less than,
50 V are excluded from the scope of this document.
Typical applications include, but are not limited to:
• surface heating installed in or under surfaces;
• direct and storage heating;
• snow melting and frost protection of roofs, gutters, pipes, etc.
Electrical resistance trace heating systems for industrial and commercial applications are
specified in the IEC 62395 series [1] and for explosive atmospheres applications in the
IEC/IEEE 60079-30 series [2], as are mineral insulated heating cables.
Applications in which the sheath temperature exceeds 100 °C are outside the scope of this
document.
The object of this document is to ensure that electrical resistance heating cables operate safely
under their normal defined conditions of use. This is achieved by:
• employing heating cables of the appropriate construction that meet the test criteria detailed
in this document;
• including, for heating cables with an electrical protective component, a metallic braid,
concentric wires or sheath, or other suitable electrically conductive material for protective
purposes in case of fault;
• ensuring that the heating cables operate at safe temperatures with respect to the materials
used in the construction of the cables and their installations according to national
regulations.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies.
For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any
amendments) applies.
IEC 60050-461, International Electrotechnical Vocabulary (IEV) – Part 461: Electric cables
(available at http://www.electropedia.org)
____________
Numbers in square brackets refer to the bibliography.

– 8 – IEC 60800:2021 © IEC 2021
IEC 60228, Conductors of insulated cables
IEC 60332-1-1, Tests on electric and optical fibre cables under fire conditions – Part 1-1: Test
for vertical flame propagation for a single insulated wire or cable – Apparatus
IEC 60332-1-2, Tests on electric and optical fibre cables under fire conditions – Part 1-2: Test
for vertical flame propagation for a single insulated wire or cable – Procedure for 1 kW pre-
mixed flame
IEC 60364-7-701, Low-voltage electrical installations – Part 7-701: Requirements for special
installations or locations – Locations containing a bath or shower
IEC 60364-7-753, Low-voltage electrical installations – Part 7-753: Requirements for special
installations or locations – Heating cables and embedded heating systems
IEC 62230, Electric cables – Spark test method
IEC 60811-201, Electric and optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic materials –
Part 201: General tests – Measurement of insulation thickness
IEC 60811-202, Electric and optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic materials –
Part 202: General tests – Measurement of thickness of non-metallic sheath
IEC 60811-401, Electric and optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic materials –
Part 401: Miscellaneous tests – Thermal ageing methods – Ageing in air oven
IEC 60811-501, Electric and optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic materials –
Part 501: Mechanical tests – Tests for determining the mechanical properties of insulating and
sheathing compounds
IEC 60811-502, Electric and optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic materials-
Part 502: Mechanical tests – Shrinkage test for insulations
IEC 60811-503, Electric and optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic materials –
Part 503: Mechanical tests – Shrinkage test for sheaths
IEC 60811-506, Electric and optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic materials –
Part 506: Mechanical tests – Impact test at low temperature for insulations and sheaths
IEC 60811-507, Electric and optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic materials –
Part 507: Mechanical tests – Hot set test for cross-linked materials
IEC 60811-508, Electric and optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic materials –
Part 508: Mechanical tests – Pressure test at high temperature for insulation and sheaths
IEC 60811-509, Electric and optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic materials –
Part 509: Mechanical tests – Test for resistance of insulations and sheaths to cracking (heat
shock test)
IEC 62395-1:2013, Electrical resistance trace heating systems for industrial and commercial
applications – Part 1: General and testing requirements
ISO 4892-3:2016, Plastics – Methods of exposure to laboratory light sources – Part 3:
Fluorescent UV lamps
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in IEC 60050-461 and the
following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:
• IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
3.1
armouring
mechanical reinforcement of the heating cable
Note 1 to entry: The reinforcement can be made of one or more layers of steel wires or braid, or of a metallic sheath
or other suitable material.
3.2
cold lead
electrically insulated conductor or conductors used to connect a heating cable to the branch
circuit and designed so that it does not produce significant heat
3.3
connection splice
sealed splice, connecting the heating cable to the cold lead, or an identical heating cable
3.4
earthing conductor
uninsulated conductor (drain wire) which is in good electric contact with the electrical screen
along the length
3.5
electrically conductive screen
metallic braid, concentric wires, metallic sheath, or alternative covering with sufficient
conductivity so that, when bonded to ground, will cause a residual current device (RCD) to
operate under fault conditions
3.6
end termination
sealed termination, which may be heat producing, connected to the heating cable at the end
opposite to that where the power is supplied
3.7
factory assembled heating cable set
heating cable set (unit) supplied with components, which are assembled by the manufacturer
3.8
field assembled heating cable
heating cable supplied in bulk with components to be assembled during installation
3.9
heating cable
cable, with or without an electrically conductive screen, metallic or equivalent, sheath or armour
intended for emitting heat for heating purposes

– 10 – IEC 60800:2021 © IEC 2021
3.10
heating cable set
heating cable with suitable power connection and end termination included
3.11
heating conductor
part of a serial heating cable in which the electrical energy is transformed into heat
3.12
insulation
material which insulates each conductor from other conductors or from conducting parts at earth
potential
3.13
integral components
factory-assembled or field-assembled electrical terminations and connections, such as heat
shrink terminations, moulded end seals or splices, which conform to the general shape of the
heating cable and are exposed to the same environments as the heating cable
3.14
maximum sheath temperature
maximum temperature of the outermost covering of a heating cable
3.15
nominal voltage
actual voltage applied to the heating cable when in service
3.16
parallel heating cable
heating elements electrically connected in parallel, with the heating element either continuous
or in discrete units or zones, such that the watt density per unit length is not significantly
changed with any change in circuit length
3.17
rated resistance
resistance at 20 °C of 1 m of conductor
Note 1 to entry: Most heating cables contain more than one conductor and the resistance is measured for all
conductors.
3.18
rated voltage
reference voltage for which the heating cable is designed
Note 1 to entry: The rated voltage is expressed by the combination of two values U /U, expressed in volts:
U being the RMS value between any insulated conductor and "earth" (metal covering of the cable or the
surrounding medium);
U being the RMS value between any two-phase conductors of a multicore cable or of a system of single-core
cables.
Note 2 to entry: See IEC 62440:2008, 5.2 [3].
3.19
routine test
test made by the manufacturer on each manufactured length of cable to check that each length
meets the specified requirements

3.20
sample test
test made by the manufacturer on samples of completed cable or components taken from a
complete cable, at specified frequency, so as to verify that the finished product meets the
specified requirements
3.21
sheath
uniform and continuous covering, metallic or non-metallic, enclosing the insulated conductor(s),
used for mechanical protection and to protect the cable against influences from the
surroundings
3.22
type test
test made before supplying, on a general commercial basis, a type of cable covered by this
document, in order to demonstrate satisfactory performance characteristics to meet the
intended application
Note 1 to entry: Type tests are of such a nature that, after they have been made, they need not be repeated, unless
changes are made in the cable materials or design or manufacturing process which might change the performance
characteristics.
4 Mechanical classification
The heating cables in this document have been divided into two classes which indicate their
ability to withstand mechanical forces during and after installation. These classes are as follows:
– mechanical class M1: for heating cables intended for installation with low risk of mechanical
damage;
– mechanical class M2: for heating cables intended for installation with higher risk of
mechanical damage.
The class of any heating cable is determined by its performance as measured against the
requirements in 8.2.7 and 8.2.14.
NOTE 1 Mechanical class M1: for heating cables intended for use in applications with low risk of mechanical
damage, for example the installation on even surfaces like flat, smooth sub-floors of concrete or wooden materials
or thermal insulations, embedded in screeds with no sharp objects.
NOTE 2 Mechanical class M2: for heating cables intended for use in applications with higher risk of mechanical
damage, such as the installation on steel reinforcing grids, direct embedding in soil, in concrete with sharp objects,
on roofs and gutters.
5 Requirements for marking
The product shall be identified by printing, embossing or indenting on the sheath or on a label
attached to the product or on a component inside the heating cable.
Embossing shall not be used on the insulation.
A label shall be attached to the product in a permanent way and be clearly detectable to the
electrical installer.
The label shall be attached to the part of the product which is clearly visible when unpacking
the product ready for installation.

– 12 – IEC 60800:2021 © IEC 2021
The marking shall at least contain:
• the identification of the manufacturer by name and/or a symbol;
• the type reference;
• the resistance per metre of heating cable at 20°C in ohms per metre for single or twin
conductor series resistive heating cables and for a parallel heating cable, the power output
in watts per metre at a reference temperature. This is not required for heating cable sets;
• the mechanical classification;
• the rated voltage for parallel heating cables or maximum nominal voltage for series heating
cables;
• if applicable, the indication "not flame-retardant".
The distance between the end of one complete set of marks and the beginning of the next shall
not exceed:
– 550 mm, if the marking is on the sheath;
– 275 mm, if the marking is on a component inside the heating cable.
If the units are factory assembled, the following additional information shall be provided:
For series resistive sets:
– nominal voltage;
– total wattage and wattage per metre;
– total resistance.
For parallel resistive sets:
– nominal voltage;
– power output in watts per metre at a reference temperature or total wattage.
Printed marking shall be durable. Compliance with this requirement shall be checked by the
test given in 8.2.21.
The above are the minimum requirements and suppliers are free to add any additional
information which may be useful, such as the following:
Traceability identification shall be added such as week and year of manufacture, or batch
number.
NOTE National or regional regulations can give other requirements.
6 Requirements for installation instructions
The manufacturer shall provide product-specific installation instructions for heating cables,
heating cable sets and components. The instructions shall be clearly identified as to the
products and locations that apply, and shall include the following information:
a) the intended use(s), either by general application type or by specific listed application;
b) a means of isolating all line conductors from the supply;
c) the indication that over-current protection is provided;
d) the statement "Residual current device (RCD) having a residual current not exceeding
30 mA is required";
e) for mechanical classification M1 heating cables, intended for reduced levels of mechanical
forces, the statement "Caution: Do not use in areas subject to high mechanical loads or
impact";
f) an applicable statement to indicate that any metal sheath, braid, screen or equivalent
electrically conductive covering of the heating cable shall be connected to an earth terminal;
g) if unscreened heating cables are installed, the indication that they shall be covered by an
electrically earthed mesh or equivalent and protected by a 30 mA RCD according to the
installation standard. See also IEC 60364-7-701 and IEC 60364-7-753;
h) minimum installation temperature;
i) minimum bending radius;
j) maximum sheath temperature, if applicable;
k) a statement such as: "The presence of the heating cable shall be made evident by the
posting of caution signs or markings, at appropriate locations, such as at the power
connection fittings and/or at frequent intervals along the circuit and be part of any electrical
documentation following the installation";
l) if applicable, the statement "The heating cable shall only be installed in concrete or other
non-combustible materials";
m) for series resistive heating cables with more than two conductors, the indication that the
resistance of each conductor shall be given.
The above are the minimum requirements and suppliers are free to add any additional
information which may be useful.
NOTE National regulations, or in their absence, the IEC 60364 series [4], can give additional requirements.
7 General requirements for construction of heating cables
7.1 General
The heating cables shall be designed and constructed so as to give electrical, thermal and
mechanical durability, and so that, in normal use, their performance is without danger to the
user or surroundings.
Tapes, fillers, filler strings, etc. may be used in the heating cable.
All integral components shall comply with this document.
Compliance is checked by all the requirements and tests specified in this document.
It is presupposed that all exposed parts of a heating cable and heating cable set intended for
use in contact with tap water are constructed of materials that meet relevant national or local
requirements.
7.2 Conductors
Conductors shall consist of one or more wires of pure or alloyed metal, or other suitable
material.
The resistance of the heating conductors at 20 °C shall be in accordance with the values given
+10
by the manufacturer with a maximum tolerance of %.
−5
The heating conductor-material used shall not have a negative temperature coefficient of
resistance. Compliance shall be checked according to the test in 8.2.1.

– 14 – IEC 60800:2021 © IEC 2021
7.3 Insulation
The insulating materials used in heating cables shall be suitable for the intended use. This shall
be verified by meeting the tests and the requirements given in this document.
The minimum mean value of the insulation thickness shall be stated by the manufacturer and
measured in accordance with IEC 60811-201, and meet the minimum requirements specified in
8.3.4.
7.4 Electrically conducting screen
When applicable and required, heating cables shall be provided with an evenly distributed
electrically conductive metallic screen, or electrically conductive metallic sheath, tape or
laminate or other suitable electrically conductive material. The metallic screen or electrically
conductive material shall enable protection device(s) to operate as intended.
NOTE 1 For heating cables without an electrically conducting screen, additional national requirements can apply.
The resistance of the conductive sheath or screen, inclusive of a separate earthing conductor
which shall be in contact with the sheath or screen, shall be not higher than the resistance of
each conductor in the heating cable or higher than the resistance of a plain copper conductor
having a 0,5 mm cross-sectional area as given for a class 1 conductor according to IEC 60228,
whichever is the lesser. A number of copper wires may be included in order to comply with the
requirements.
NOTE 2 In some countries, national regulations require the resistance to be less than that of 0,5 mm copper
conductors.
Compliance shall be checked as described in 8.2.1.
If a conductive sheath or screen alone is used as the earthing conductor, the resistance
measured shall be the total resistance including the earthing connection wire (drain wire).
Electrically conductive screens shall be so constructed as to prevent the penetration of foreign
substances greater than 1 mm in diameter into the insulation without touching the screen.
Compliance shall be checked by the test specified in 8.2.5.
7.5 Armouring
Separate armouring, if any, may consist of metallic or non-metallic wires, sheath, tape or
laminate. Electrically conductive armouring shall be so constructed as to prevent the
penetration of foreign substances greater than 1 mm in diameter into the insulation without
touching the armouring. Compliance shall be checked by the test specified in 8.2.5.
NOTE National regulations can give other requirements.
7.6 Sheath
The sheathing materials used in heating cables shall be suitable for the intended use. This shall
be verified by meeting the tests and the requirements given in this document. A non-metallic
outer sheath shall give mechanical and/or corrosion protection dependent on the type of heating
cable.
The minimum mean value of the sheath thickness shall be stated by the manufacturer and
measured in accordance with IEC 60811-202, and meet the minimum requirements specified in
8.3.5.
7.7 Moisture resistance
Heating cables shall comply with the requirements as stated in 8.2.2.

NOTE This requirement is regarded at least comparable with class IPX7 as defined in IEC 60529 [5].
8 Testing
8.1 Type tests – General requirements
All described routine and sample tests shall be included in the type test, except for the spark
test specified in 8.3.1.
For heating cables intended to be supplied in bulk, a sample of suitable length, for example a
5 m sample, shall be used for testing, if not otherwise specified.
For heating cable sets which are factory assembled, including cold lead, connection splice and
end termination, the complete heating cable set shall be used for testing. Alternatively, a 5 m
sample of heating cable may be tested. The various parts (components) such as cold lead,
connection splice and end termination may be assembled on a dummy length of heating cable
and tested separately.
For heating cables intended to be field assembled, the cold lead, connection splice and end
terminations to be used and specified by the manufacturer shall be assembled, according to
the manufacturer’s instructions, with the heating cable to form a heating cable set. The complete
heating cable set shall be tested. Alternatively, a 5 m sample of heating cable may be tested.
The various parts such as cold lead, connection splice and end termination may be assembled
on a 5 m dummy length of heating cable and tested separately, if not otherwise specified.
All sample components used shall be typical examples from what is supplied to the market or
intended to be supplied to the market.
Tests shall be conducted at a room temperature between (23 ± 5) °C, unless otherwise
specified.
Unless otherwise specified, the test voltage shall be alternating current at a frequency between
49 Hz and 61 Hz of approximately sinusoidal waveform.
For a parallel resistive heating cable, the power output in watts per metre shall be checked
according to the test in 8.2.3.
For a parallel resistive heating cable, the start-up current shall be checked according to the test
in 8.2.4.
Separate samples may be used for each test unless otherwise specified. These shall be
prepared in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.
8.2 Type tests – Detailed test requirements
8.2.1 Electrical resistance of heating conductors and screen
The resistance of the conductor(s) and screen, if any, shall be measured by any suitable means
on samples at least 1,0 m long. Two measurements shall be taken for each individual conductor,
the first at ambient temperature and the second at a temperature of (100 ± 2) °C. The
measurement at ambient temperature, corrected to (20 ± 1) °C, shall determine whether or not
the resistance value specified by the manufacturer has been achieved, both for the conductors
and the screen.
The measurement at the higher temperature shall be compared with that at ambient temperature
to confirm that each individual conductor does not have a negative temperature coefficient of
resistance.
– 16 – IEC 60800:2021 © IEC 2021
8.2.2 Water immersion and temperature cycling test
8.2.2.1 General remark
A (5 ± 0,1) m sample shall be subjected to a cycle ageing test and shall be immersed for a total
of 56 h in tap water at a temperature of (20 ± 5) °C for 8 h, (80 ± 5) °C for 16 h, (20 ± 5) °C for
8 h, (80 ± 5) °C for 16 h and (20 ± 5) °C for 8 h, i.e. 8 h + 16 h + 8 h + 16 h + 8 h. The sample
shall be transferred to preheated water containers between each sub-cycle. The temperature
in the water containers shall be controlled, for example by placing them in preheated cabinets
in accordance with IEC 60811-401.
Heating cable sets, including factory assembled cold lead, splice and end seal shall be
subjected to this test after being assembled to a suitable heating cable.
Splices and end seals intended for heating cables for field assembly shall be subjected to this
test after being assembled to a suitable heating cable and with cold leads.
All heating cable types and heating cable sets shall be tested, except if they are clearly
identified as not to be used in wet or humid conditions.
The sample may be transferred from the ageing water immersion unit to another water
immersion unit for the dielectric testing described in 8.2.2.2 and the electrical insulation
resistance test described in 8.2.2.3. The water temperature of both shall be (20 ± 5) °C.
After the cycle ageing the heating cable sheath shall be subjected to a mechanical test in
accordance with IEC 60811-501.
There shall be no variation greater than ±25 % from the original, unaged value for the tensile
strength and no variation greater than ±25 % from the original, unaged value for the elongation
at break.
8.2.2.2 Dielectric test
A 5 m sample shall be submerged in tap water with uncovered ends of the sample protruding
sufficiently to avoid flashover. The metallic or other equivalent electrically conductive screen
and/or metal sheath shall be removed from the ends of the sample in order to prevent
breakdown at these points.
Heating cables which have not been factory assembled and which are supplied with special
connections shall be tested with these connections submerged in water.
For a twin- and multi-conductor series resistive heating cable where the conductors are
electrically insulated from each other, the voltage shall be applied between the conductors and
between the conductors connected together and the metallic or equivalent conducting material,
sheath, armour or screen, and water if no armour or screen is part of the heating cable
construction.
For single conductor series heating cables with a metallic, or equivalent conducting material,
sheath, armour or screen, the voltage shall be applied between the conductor and the sheath,
armour or screen.
For single conductor series heating cables without a metalli
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