Frequently
Asked Questions

How does the heat assault insect eradication system work?
?There are two continuous loops in the HEAT ASSAULT Insect Eradication System. These are the heater loop and field loop.
  • In the heating loop the Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF) which is an environmentally benign water-propylene glycol solution is heated to 210F. The HTF is drawn from a 400 litre reservoir and pumped through dual coil heaters and back to the reservoir. The coil heaters are rugged coils of pipe with oil fired burners that are designed for mobile applications. The burners heat the HTF in the coils before it is returned to the reservoir. Up to 500,000 Btu/H of heat is generated in the system that draws either bio-diesel or diesel from the integral 250 litre fuel tank.
  • In the field loop remote heat exchangers are placed in the areas that require insect eradication. Specially engineered rugged hoses are used to connect the remote heat exchangers to the Heat Assault. The HTF is drawn from the reservoir and pumped through hoses into remote heat exchangers and back to the unit for reheating. Only the heat is left behind in the target area. The heat exchangers are radiators with fans. A wireless temperature sensing and data logging system allows the operator to remotely track the temperatures of different locations in the target area. The goal is to rapidly raise the temperature to 120-140F. Once this is accomplished insects and their larvae, pupae and eggs are killed. We have focused initially on bed bugs, but the system also works on virtually any other insect.
How large of an area can you treat with the Heat Assault 500X?
Generally speaking you can treat up to 5,000 square feet of normal residential living space with the Heat Assault 500X.
Will the bedbugs get away through the walls while treating a room?
Experience has shown that if the hot air is directed towards the walls and the temperature is raised quickly enough bedbugs will not escape and in fact will remain in the target area. The bed bug heat treatment equipment is more effective than the use of insecticides which often repel insects.
How do I prepare a room for insect eradication?
The process uses warm air to kill the insects. The room and all its contents will be warmed to over 125°F (the kill zone) and as high as 145°F. As a result anything that can be damaged by this heat should be removed. We have a check list which includes: candles, chocolates, pets, plants, medicines, and stringed musical instruments. Everything else should be situated so that the heat can penetrate as quickly as possible. Drawers should be opened, doors to closets opened, furniture moved away from walls, cushions lifted off of couches, mattresses angled up off of box springs, and clothes hung up or spread out so that they are no more than three inches deep.
Can Heat Assault run at night, or is it too noisy?
People are always surprised at how quiet the system runs. It is designed for operation in residential settings.
What types of insects will die from these temperatures?
Most insects die at 122°F but may have to be exposed to that temperature for 30 minutes. If they are warmed to 140°F most die immediately. We can provide you with information on specific insects. We have placed particular focus on extermination of bed bugs with heat.
How does Heat Assault compare in length of treatment time and cost compared to other insect extermination methods?
Generally operating costs are a fraction of those of conventional insecticide applications. Because the system kills eggs, it should eliminate costly return treatments. The system requires no special licensing or training; and because it is generally much faster, the associated costs are significantly reduced.
Why can't you just turn the heat up in the building or plug in some electric heaters?
The Heat Assault 500X generates from 460,000-500,000 BTU/hour of heat energy. You would require more than eighty (80) electric heaters with 1500 watt capacity, and each of those would require its own 15 amp circuit. A typical home has 200 amp service and an apartment has much less than that. This means that you could only plug in thirteen heaters which will not get the temperatures up into the kill zone fast enough if at all. The Heat Assault 500X is more than twenty times more powerful than a typical furnace for a house.
Is there any smell?
No, in fact customers have noticed that the smell from smoke or cooking odors has been eliminated from belongings after a heat treatment.
I have allergies, will this process affect them?
No because the process uses no insecticides or chemicals. The treatment may reduce your allergic reactions because it will also kill mold spores.
Will the heat damage my belongings?
There are some belongings that should be removed to avoid being damaged from the treatment. They include prescription drugs, plants, pets, musical instruments, candles, and chocolates. Most of your belongings will be fine as the temperatures are no hotter than a summer day in Phoenix.
How much electricity does Heat Assault use?
The Heat Assault 500X comes with its own generator that provides enough power to operate the electronics on board the system as well as the remote heat exchangers. For convenience the remote heat exchangers can be plugged into a normal wall plug in the target area. Up to 4 may be plugged into a normal household circuit as they only draw 2.3 amps each.
Is there any risk that my belongings will get burned?
No, the heat is produced in the Heat Assault 500X which is situated outside of the target area. The Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF) is pumped to the Heat Exchangers which are located in the target area where your belongings are. Only the heat is left behind.
Is Heat Assault safe?
As safe as the furnace in your basement! The Heat Assault equipment uses environmentally benign propylene glycol that is heated remotely in HA500X. There are three levels of control to ensure that the system does not overheat. All of the hoses are self sealing to eliminate the chance of leakage. The air isn't raised above 145°F in the target area, which is no different than a hot day in some tropical climates. 
Many insects are becoming resistant to insecticides, can this happen with Heat Assault as well?
No, because the system uses heat which damages the insect's exoskeleton and causes them to dehydrate. There is no way for them to become resistant to heat.
Why should I find a pest control company that uses the Heat Assault system and not one of the other heat treatment machines on the market?

There are two older technologies available.

  • The first set up uses air from outside, heats it up with propane fired heaters then blows the superheated air it into the building through 12" flexible ducts. This is a very inefficient system because all of the air that is comes from outside has to be heated. As air is pushed into the building an equal amount has to leave the building. Obviously there is a huge amount of heat loss when this happens. The Heat Assault System recycles the air inside the target zone so much less energy is required. This older technology also requires significant technical training and knowledge to ensure an effective eradication and that safety is maintained. Because there is so much set up time required and technical knowledge and training of operators it is a much more expensive system to operate.
  • The second machine uses a 40 kilowatt generator on a trailer. It runs heavy, high voltage electric cables into a building which are then connected to three electric heaters. While the system is relatively efficient in that it recycles the air in the target area it produces less than half of the heat energy into the eradication zone than the HA500X. Many people also have a fear of high voltage cables. Furthermore it is important to note that the cost of this machine is about the same as the Heat Assault 500X for less than half the heat output!