The winter months can be troublesome for the roof, pipes and valves of your home or commercial property. On the roof of your home, for instance, snow and ice collect around the eaves, creating ice dams, which prevent water from properly draining. This buildup of ice can damage your roof, gutters and siding, and the improperly draining water causes interior mildew and condensation.
Luckily, there’s an easy-to-install fix: de-icing heating cables. De-icing heating cables deliver heat to the eaves of your home or commercial property, or around pipes and valves, which prevents the buildup of ice and snow. They are commonly used to prevent ice dams and pipes from freezing.
With spring right around the corner, it’s the perfect time for homeowners in snowy climates to consider installing heating cables or heating tape. Here we explain how de-icing cables work and provide a few tips that can help you decide the type of cables you need:
How De-Icing Heating Cables Work
De-icing heating cables are an electronic heating device that can quickly be installed on the roof of your home or commercial property, or around pipes and valves. They look like long extension cords, but when plugged in, they provide a steady amount of heat to a location to prevent ice from collecting in a particular area.
On roofs, heating cables are placed near the eaves, where ice is most likely to collect during the winter months. They are affixed in a zigzag position near the eave to improve water drainage and to provide an even amount of heat along the roof’s edge. De-icing heating cables are affixed to the roof quickly, using shingle clips.
Similarly, de-icing cables can be used to supply heat to pipes and valves to prevent freezing during winter months. With these applications, the heating cables can be attached using adhesive or pipe clips, and they can be attached to the exterior of the pipe. In some cases, the heating cables are designed to run inside the pipe.
De-Icing Heating Cables: A Few Things to Consider Before Installation
Whether you’re planning to install heating cables on the roof of your home or commercial property, or around pipes, valves or stop taps, you need to make sure you’re purchasing the materials that fit the task.
- Length: Making sure you have enough cable to cover the roof of your property can save you time in the long run. Often, this is calculated by the length of the roofline, with an added spacing multiplier. Additionally, if you have gutters or long valleys in the roof, you’ll need additional cable.
- Color: Many de-icing cables are sold in various colors. If you want something that naturally blends with the color of your roof, a black or dark grey cable may work best. Although color is not always important, as de-icing cables can be discreetly affixed to your roof.
- Type of Material: De-icing cables are made with a variety of materials, and some are designed to last longer. For instance, the basic PVC heating cables provide durability and can last for several seasons. The more-rigid Teflon heating cables are designed to provide even more durability.
Deelat.com provides a variety of de-icing heating cables for commercial and home installation. You can choose from our broad selection of heating cables, based on length and material.
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