1500w Belt Honey heater for drums

01 · THE SIZE

For the standard 200-litre drum

The 1,665 mm of length are calculated to go round a drum of Ø 580 mm, which is the size of the 200-litre steel drum — the one holding 300 kg of honey. The 180 mm of width is the height of the band against the steel.

Measure yours before ordering: the band has to embrace the drum, neither fall short nor leave half a turn spare.

02 · WHY A BAND AND NOT AN ELEMENT

It does not touch the honey

An immersion element goes inside the drum. This one works from the outside, and from that come its two advantages: it is cleaner and more hygienic because there is no contact with the product, and it cannot burn or caramelise the honey at the point of contact.

The heat is spread by a printed heating circuit inside the band, so it warms evenly instead of concentrating on a spot. That is also what extends its working life.

03 · THE TEMPERATURE

Reaching 120 does not mean the honey goes to 120

The thermostat covers 0 to 120 °C, but that is the range of the appliance, not of the honey. For decrystallising you work around 40 °C, patiently: heat raises HMF and carries off the aroma, and that effect depends on temperature and hours together.

The slower it goes, the better the honey comes out. The band lets you set it low and leave it working; haste is what ruins a drum.

04 · THE MATERIAL

Silicone with fibreglass, and why it matters

The vulcanised silicone reinforced with fibreglass takes heat cycles without deforming or crazing, which is what happens to an ordinary band after a couple of seasons.

It has double electrical insulation and CE marking. As with any electrical equipment in a damp workshop: check the cable before each season and never plug it in with the band wet.

05 · BEFORE YOU BUY

It is the band with its thermostat: