Control and monitoring systems play an essential role in heat tracing applications which range from freeze protecting water lines to maintaining critical process temperatures. While mechanical thermostats have been used successfully for many heat tracing applications, a more complete control and monitoring solution is necessary for most industrial heat tracing applications. Advancements in technology have made modern control and monitoring units both cost effective and reliable. Thermon electronic control and monitoring systems ensure accurate temperature measurements, conserve energy and extend system life.A versatile electric heat tracing control and monitoring network is key to reducing operating cost in plants. Research has shown that the following features are a prerequisite within many industrial heat tracing applications:Monitor electric heat trace circuit operating and ground/earth leakage currentsSelectable control method (On/Off, On/Off With Soft Start, Proportional, Ambient Proportional) on a per circuit basisProgrammable alarm set points, with alarm acknowledgment and reset capabilityProgrammable trip set-points for each circuitTemperature sensor status indicationCommunication to host computer via RS485 serial communication.“Push to Test” ground/earth leakage test feature on a per circuit basisGround/earth leakage interruption capability