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.
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.
Yes. Pipe Freeze Pro can be used on any commonly available pipe material including PEX, PVC, ABS, galvanized steel, copper and cast iron. This cable operates at somewhere between 40ºF and 90ºF so it will not melt anything.
Radiant Solutions Self-Regulating Heat Tape changes its heat output based on the temperatures of its surrounding environment. At any given point, depending on the temperatures outside, the cable could be a range of temperatures. However, its peak temperature is not very hot –typically between 60º-85º when operating in a cool environment. Another way to think about it is that as long as the cable is above freezing it will do its job, which is to create and maintain melted pathways through snow and ice.
This gives our Heat Tape a great advantage over the heat tape you can buy in ‘Big Box’ retailers, because it creates enough warmth to effectively do its job, but won’t do damage to surfaces that it touches. Additionally, our heat cable can be overlapped without concern. Heat Tape that is not self-regulating (i.e., ‘constant wattage’) can not do this (they have explicit warnings in the directions not to do this for risk of fire).
We have even witnessed a coil of crappy big box heat tape starting a fire because it got plugged in when it was still coiled. (Yikes!)
The short answer is NO. Self-regulating heat cable does not turn itself on and off automatically. To do that you need to put the cable on a switched circuit or outlet or on a controller. Of course, you can also be old-school about it and simply plug and unplug as needed.
“Self-Regulating” refers to the fact that these cables are temperature sensitive. Due to their construction, these cables sense changes in temperature along their entire length, demanding more power as temps fall and less when they rise.
PipeFreeeze Pro™, Pipe Freeze Protection Solution has a built in thermostatic switch, meaning it will turn on and off on it’s own.
Heat Tape Pro™, does not contain a built-in thermostatic controller. We recommend adding the ThermaCord™ Thermostatic controller to turn your Heat Tape PRO to turn the cable on and off with changes in temperature.
Radiant solutions has developed several accessories and installation components that work well for flat and low-pitch roofs. Installing heat tape on a flat roof often requires more unique considerations than standard serpentine patterns used on pitched roofs.
Check out our Case Studies for examples of Heat Tape installations, including information on flat roofs.
Also refer to the Heat Tape Pro Product Manual for information on flat roof installations of heat tape.
Every Length of Heat Tape Pro has a cord length of 10-feet that is not included in the listed/state length. Meaning: A 100-foot Heat Tape pro will have a 100 feet of heated cable + a 10-foot unheated power cord.
Every Length of Pipe Freeze Pro has a cord length of 3-feet (36″) that is not included in the listed/state length. Meaning: A 30-foot Heat Tape pro will have a 30 feet of heated cable + a 3-foot unheated power cord.
Heat Tape Pro has the most comprehensive installation system that works on almost any kind of roof type.
For information about installing Heat Tape Pro on a Natural Slate Roof, Click here.
For information about installing Heat Tape Pro on a Synthetic late Roof, Click here.
