Mechanical snap disc cutoff
A 205F auto-reset high-temperature snap disc physically interrupts heater power outside the controller.
American-made heated stripping equipment
WL4 Heated Strip Tank
A 7-gauge stainless heated stripping system built around redundant high-temperature protection, hardwired fault detection, vapor-resistant controls, and faster sludge service.
180F Normal operating temperature
2000W Total heater power
7 GA 304 stainless tank wall
NEMA 4X Stainless control enclosures
Built for chemical stripping shops
The WL4 is engineered around what fails in the field.
The manual reads like a product designed from shop experience: protect operators from heat and chemistry, keep electronics alive in corrosive vapor, make electrical faults visible, and remove sludge without turning maintenance into a half-day hot chemical job.
Separate control and heater circuits
The control system can remain available for status and programming while heater power is isolated for service.
Redundant wall-mounted temperature probes
Dual 100K NTC thermistors read through the 7-gauge stainless wall and give the controller fallback visibility.
Dual drains for real sludge service
A 1-inch maintenance drain and 2-inch sludge drain separate liquid removal from accumulated coating residue removal.
Post-production passivation
ForgeGuard passivation starts the tank with a stronger stainless surface.
After fabrication, each tank goes through a full-volume citric acid passivation process built to protect the interior stainless surface before it ever sees caustic, NMP, MEA, KOH, or other aggressive stripping chemistry.
This is not a quick rinse or a partial treatment. The tank is filled to 95 percent capacity with a 4 percent citric acid solution and heated to 200F, creating a prolonged full-immersion soak across the welds, corners, seams, and interior wall surfaces.
95% Full-tank heated soak
4% Citric acid solution
200F Heated treatment temperature
Passivation removes free iron from stainless steel and encourages a protective chromium oxide layer,
especially around welds and crevices where chemical attack often starts.
Redundant safety
Multiple independent layers stand between normal heat and runaway heat.
The WL4 operates at 180F and uses controller logic, hardwired protection, and vapor management together. Heated solvent-based strippers can release vapors and condensate, so safety has to include both temperature control and a clear path for vapor and steam to leave the tank.
Controller high-limit alarm
The Genesis Wizard WHMC controller manages PID control, scheduling, and high-temperature alarm behavior.
Hardwired SSR failure detection
Relay logic detects heater current when heat is not being called and flashes the red fault indicator.
3-inch lid vent
The center lid vent gives heated solvent vapors, steam, and condensate a controlled exhaust path, helping keep fumes away from operators and reducing condensate buildup around the lid opening.
Drip guard condensate return
Condensate goes back into the tank, not onto the shop floor.
When the WL4 runs with the lid closed, heated solvent-based strippers can build condensate on the underside of the lid. The stainless drip guard flap sits below the lid edge and redirects that liquid back into the tank, reducing operator exposure, chemical waste, and cleanup around the work area.
Operator diagnostics
Five states. No guesswork.
The LED logic translates heater current and heat-call status into a simple field-readable system, including degraded heater operation and dangerous stuck-SSR behavior.
Green: full load heating
Heat is called and both heaters are drawing full current.
Yellow: degraded heating
Heat is called, but current indicates only one heater is operating.
Red solid: open fault
Heat is called, but no heater current is detected.
Off: standby
No heat call and no heater current. The tank is at setpoint.
Red flashing: disconnect power
No heat call, but heater current is present. The SSR may be stuck closed.
Industrial construction
Stainless where it matters, sealed where vapors attack.
The WL4 uses NEMA 4X stainless enclosures, liquid-tight fittings, vapor-tight flexible metal conduit, high-temperature ceramic terminals, and insulation selected for chemical environments.
Secondary snap-disc enclosure
The side panel provides service access to the snap-disc enclosure mounted beneath it. Inside, high-temperature heater leads transition through ceramic terminal blocks, with a 205F auto-reset high-temperature cutoff in a NEMA 4X stainless enclosure.
Redundant probe enclosure
Dual-metal probes provide industry-best operational temperature redundancy: nickel-coated copper sits directly against the tank, while aluminum is galvanically separated from the stainless wall.
Maintenance and sludge drains
The 1-inch liquid drain and 2-inch sludge drain make monthly service faster and safer.
Technical snapshot
Sized and powered for shop-scale coating removal.
Electrical240VAC single phase
Supply circuit20A minimum dedicated
HeatersTwo 1000W strips
Tank interior30 x 40 x 32 in approx.
Operating target180F
Max solution temp200F
Ventilation3 in vent, 100 CFM min.
Cold start10 to 12 hour heat-up
Need the full installation, operation, and maintenance reference?
Open the WL4 Heated Strip Tank user manual for safety information, setup requirements, operation, troubleshooting, wiring, and maintenance records.
See the difference
Side-by-side with the competition.
The WL4 is designed for how chemical stripping actually works: heated chemistry, sludge, vapor, electrical faults, and operators who need fast, visible answers.
Feature
WL4 Strip Tank
Typical Competitors
Overtemperature Cutoff
Mechanical snap disc (205F), hardwired and controller-independent
None or basic
SSR Failure Detection
Hardwired independent relay circuit
None
Temperature Alarms
Over-temp, under-temp, and thermistor fault alarms
Basic or none
Sludge Removal
Dual-valve pump system
Manual siphon and shovel
Maintenance Time
About 1 hour
4+ hours
LED Diagnostics
5-state system
Basic
Tank Material
7-gauge 304 stainless steel
Varies, often lighter gauge
Wetted Fittings
316 stainless steel, marine grade
Standard stainless steel
Country of Origin
USA, St. Louis, MO
Canada or import
Vapor Venting
3-inch 90-degree center lid vent, standard
Varies or aftermarket
Passivation
ForgeGuard passivation, 200F full-tank soak
Standard or none
Marked rows are critical safety differentiators.
Quote the right tank
Tell us what you strip and how your shop runs.
A better tank quote starts with chemistry, coating type, throughput, ventilation, and maintenance expectations.
- St. Louis built
- Industrial water and solvent-based stripping applications
- Designed for heated alternatives as shops move away from methylene chloride