Pipe Freeze Pro’s integrated thermostat turns power on and off automatically to the cable to save electricity. The thermostat is the lump located between the power cord and the heat cable. The thermostat triggers the cable to turn on at 37ºF and off at 50ºF, with a sensitivity range of +/- 4ºF. It’s a great feature that makes Pipe Freeze Pro unique among heat cables on the market.
Yes and no. The cable is approved for exposure to wet conditions but you should keep the thermostat dry for proper operation.
No. The thermostat need only be exposed to cold air. It does not hurt to have the thermostat attached to the pipe but it is not necessary. If you choose to attach it to the pipe keep in mind that the thermostat should not be covered with insulation.
No. You want the thermostat to react to the cold environment so it triggers the Pipe Freeze Pro to turn on.
Once it turns on, the self-regulating aspect takes over and directs heat to the area(s) of the cable that are in contact with the cold. The thermostat should be positioned outside of the insulating layer so it can effectively read the temperature of the air.
The terms heat cable, heat tape and heat trace are all used interchangeably to described heated cables used to protect pipes from freezing, preventing roof and gutter ice dams from forming and for safeguarding temperature sensitive components.
Other terms we’ve seen used regarding Heat Tape are:
Like Heat Tape Pro, Pipe Freeze Pro should not be installed on pipes that regularly heat up to over 150ºF as this may cause longterm damage to the heat cable. It therefore depends on how hot you have your water heater set to. On average, water heaters are set to about 140ºF to prevent scalding.
Our cables operate at between 40ºF to 90ºF so they will not melt or damage any surface or material they come into contact with. Except chocolate. Our cables will thoroughly melt chocolate.
See Below
Measuring is not difficult and you can make measurements without going up on your roof or using a ladder if you err on the side of overestimating the distances. Here’s Radiant Solutions Guide to Measuring for Heat Tape, which gives a detailed overview of measuring and some tips and resources, if you think you need it.
Once you have your measurements, you can use our Heat Tape Calculator to help you determine the length of Heat Tape Pro you need, the number of Heat Tape Clips you’ll need, and misc. product considerations.
The amount of heat cable needed for pipe freeze prevention is determined by a couple of simple factors including: Length of pipe, diameter of pipe, distance to power supply and number of valves.
Most of the time, we do not recommend a spiral cable application because it’s simply not necessary. It requires 3x the cable to do the same job.
Therefore, simply use a straight, single run of cable affixed to the bottom of the pipe (think 6 o’clock position) using the provided fiberglass installation tape. Next, add 1 foot of cable for every valve because you will be wrapping the valve with cable. For pipes less than 1″ in diameter, a single cable run is sufficient. For larger pipes, two cable runs are recommended. Keep in mind that plastic pipes are less thermally conductive so you may choose to use two cable runs on larger plastic pipes to be safe. Finally, if your outlet isn’t close to the pipe you are treating, factor in enough heat cable to reach your outlet (Pipe Freeze PRO does come with a 36″ power cord).
Finally, you must install insulation on your pipe and heat cable assembly in order for the system to operate effectively. See instructions for further details.
While the cable itself can be exposed to moisture you should keep the thermostat in a dry location.
