PipeFreezePRO comes with one or more 30ft rolls of high-quality fiberglass tape, but you can use any tape with a temperature rating of 150º F and above. Self-adhesive aluminum foil tape can be used but avoid standard tapes, including electrical tape and duct tape because they lose their adhesion when exposed to heat. Remember, it’s imperative to cover the pipe/heat tape assembly with pipe insulation (1/2″ minimum thickness). Think four easy steps: 1) cable on pipe, 2) tape on cable, 3) insulation on pipe/cable and 4) tape on insulation.
Because our heat cable can be overlapped, there is no specific way to wrap valves. A simple loop of cable around the body of the valve will be enough. A couple things to remember. First, try to keep the cable in contact with the valve so the heat transfers effectively from the cable to the valve. Next, do your best to insulate the valve to protect it from the cold. This often means getting a little creative with the same insulation you use for the pipe. You can use a scissors to cut the insulation into one or more shapes and then secure those shapes to the valve with tape (duct tape works well). Speaking of tape, remember to use our fiberglass installation tape to secure the cable to the pipe.
Radiant Solutions products, including Ice Dam Prevention products such as Heat Tape Pro and Pipe freeze Prevention products like Pipe Freeze Pro can be purchase here at this website or at Amazon.com.
Self-Regulating Heat Tape will draw variable Power depending on the ambient temperature. It draws more power when temperatures are cold and less power when temperatures are warmer. However when the self-regulating cable is plugged in, it is always working, even if only slightly drawing power in warm temperatures. Adding the temperature-controlled switch like ThermaCord to plug-in heat tape or a Thermostatic Controller with Sensor to field assembled cable, will cut the supply of power to your Heat tape when it is not needed.
This will save you energy Costs.
We are building a hand guide to identify what kind of roof you have and find the clips that can/should be used with that roof-type.
View the Guide Explaining What Clips You Need Here
We have a guide on How to Measure for Purchasing Heat Tape that will help you. Once you have your measurements, you can find our Heat Tape Calculator here.
Measuring the area of your roof that is affected by ice dams so you know how much heat tape to get is not overly complex, but it does have a few variables. Use our Heat Tape Measuring Guide to understand the process and print a worksheet that you can use to make sure you have all the right numbers.
Once you have all the measurements and considerations you need, use our Heat Tape Calculator to calculate the size of heat tape you should get.
Consider using Heat Tape Pro inside of open drain pipes as that cable is rated for use in wet areas.
Heat Tape Pro is our line of robust, outdoor rated cable. It’s designed specifically for the demands of extreme environments including wet locations such as outdoor pipes, open drain lines and of course roof and gutter de-icing applications. Do not use Pipe Freeze Pro as it is rated for dry locations only.
