There is also the savings to maintenance of the solder pots as the majority
of solder pot life is used up in the heating up of the solder pot.  the
starting up phase stresses the heaters and the solder pot tank.

Solder pot controls systems need to have either, proper watt density/solder
mass ratio or redundant non-thermocouple backup, to insure the safety of an
unattended pot.  Simply fusing the pot to match wattage is a not insurance
against the pot running away.

The most important thing about the fire safety of solder pots and electrical
machines in general is MAINTENANCE, MAINTENANCE, MAINTENANCE.  The
electrically caused fires that I have been involved with all had 1 thing in
common.  The pots were allowed to become filthy with flux solids, paper and
scrape parts.  When this pyramid of filth had piled up to the lip of the
solder pot, all it took was a spark from a heater going down and POOF...
solder pot fire.

We at RPS have been making solder pots for 12 years,   our standard
reccomnedation is to leave the pots on all the time except long holidays (4
days or more).

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