Hughes EXP-AH-5GS/45G Trace Tape Heated Safety Shower with Eye Wash

The Hughes EXP-AH-5GS/45G is a floor mounted shower and eye/face wash with trace tape heating and polyurethane insulation, built for sites where the water in the pipework could freeze.

Frost protection for a plumbed shower

The heating and insulation keep the pipework from freezing so that workers exposed to hazardous substances can use the shower without a malfunction caused by ice. The datasheet gives 76 litres per minute from the shower and 12 litres per minute from the aerated eye wash, an ambient range of -25 to 35 C and a heating load of 42 watts on a 240 V single phase supply.

The electrical equipment is listed for ATEX Zone 1 and 2, gas groups IIA and IIB, temperature class T3, with IIC available. The unit has a polyethylene outer casing over the foam insulation, a pull handle for the shower and a lidded ASA eye wash, and the product page states that it is DVGW certified.

Technical specifications

Cold climates, hazardous areas and power supply

Trace tape stops freezing but does not warm the water that is already inside the supply. A buried main or heated line should deliver tepid water, within the 15 to 37 C that the EN15154 summary asks for. Where the feed is long and cold, the thermostatic mixing valve listed as an option can help, and the freeze protection valve is a further option.

Because the unit carries an electrical heater, the installation needs a certified supply and isolation, particularly in a hazardous area. The datasheet’s 42 W load is small, but the trace tape controller and circuit must be arranged by the site electrical designer. For a Gulf site that is mainly hot, the self-draining or jacketed models are the closer fit; this one is the cold-climate member of the family.

Options and what to confirm before ordering

Listed options are a foot panel or treadle, shower sign, shower and eye wash sign, lighting, audible and visual alarm, thermostatic mixing, freeze protection and pressure reducing valves, a shower rose, a modesty curtain and a deluge tester kit. Confirm the lowest ambient temperature, the zone and gas group, the supply voltage and the water inlet connection, which is male BSP on this model rather than female.

Key features of the EXP-AH-5GS/45G

• Combined drench shower and eye/face wash on one floor-mounted stand, so a single water connection serves both.
• Stainless steel pipework and a full-bore stay-open ball valve: once activated, the flow continues without the user holding the handle.
• Trace tape heating under polyurethane foam insulation, protected by an impact-resistant polyethylene casing.
• Electrical equipment suited to ATEX Zone 1 and 2 hazardous areas.
• Lidded eye wash that keeps dust and debris off the nozzles until the lid is pulled down.

Installation guidance

• Locate the unit so it can be reached quickly from the hazard, on the same level and with an unobstructed route; EN 15154 and ANSI Z358.1 give guidance on travel time and access.
• Fix the base to a level concrete plinth able to carry the unit and the forces from pulling the handle.
• Connect the 1 1/4 in male BSP inlet with an isolation valve and, where the supply is dirty, a strainer upstream.
• Check that the supply pressure at the unit lies within 2 to 6 bar g with all other users running; add the pressure reducing valve option if the main is higher.
• Arrange the 240 V heating circuit with suitable isolation and protection through the site electrical contractor, using equipment rated for the area classification.
• Provide drainage for the discharged water, keeping in mind that contaminated flush water may need collection.

Inspection and maintenance

Activate the shower and eye wash weekly to flush the line and confirm flow; the deluge tester kit option makes this easier by directing the water into a container. Check the eye wash lid, the nozzles and the pull handle for free movement. Before each cold season, verify that the trace heating is energised and that the insulation and outer casing are undamaged, since a cracked casing lets moisture into the foam. Record the checks so the unit’s readiness can be shown during audits.

Is it the right choice for a GCC site?

Most coastal and desert sites in Oman do not see freezing temperatures, but some interior and mountain locations, such as high plateaus and elevated pumping or telecom stations, can drop close to or below zero in winter nights. For those sites, and for companies standardising equipment across projects in colder countries, the heated model is relevant. For lowland sites where heat is the main problem, compare it with the self-draining, jacketed and temperature-controlled models in the table above, which deal with hot water in exposed pipework.

RFQ checklist

• Model EXP-AH-5GS/45G and quantity.
• Minimum and maximum ambient temperatures at the location.
• Hazardous area zone, gas group and temperature class.
• Water supply pressure and pipe size.
• Required options, such as signs, alarm, lighting or a mixing valve.

Documents and quotation

Two Hughes documents are linked from this page: the English datasheet for EXP-AH-5GS/45G and the installation, operation and maintenance guide for its family, both unaltered. Seven Star LLC is an independent supplier in Muscat and prepares quotations for EXP-AH-5GS/45G and related Hughes models once the request states the minimum and maximum ambient temperature, the zone and gas group where relevant, and the supply route. More site safety equipment is listed under Safety and PPE.