Radiant Solutions Heat Tape Products
Buying Guide
Heat Tape for Gutters & Downspouts
Special Scenarios
Every heat tape installation has its own unique aspects and needs. When it comes to gutters and downspouts,
Open Downspouts
How to install Heat Tape PRO in commercial downspouts
Feed your Heat Tape Pro™ behind the downspout crossbars, being careful not to damage the cable by dragging across sharp edges or points. (Graphic: Cable installed in open downspout). Secure heat cable to the back wall of the downspout using DDK-719 Heat Cable Clips, glued in place using SB-190 Adhesive. Space the clips roughly 3-4 feet apart. Apply adhesive to the back of the clip, press the clip into position and allow the adhesive to cure for at least a few hours before securing the heat cable into the cradles of the clips (Photo). Keep in mind that colder temperatures may extend the adhesive cure time. DDK-719 Heat Cable Clips come in both single and double cradle options. You can also use our Cable Separator Clips (RSC-555) between the DDK clip locations to keep the cables organized (Photo).
Drains & Pipes
How to Navigate Drains & Pipes When Installing Heat Tape
Subterranean drain pipes are often used near the bottom of downspouts to channel water away from structures. Because they are seldom installed below the frost line, ice build-up is a common problem. Heat Tape Pro™ can be used with great success to control ice problems in buried drains and pipes but keep the following considerations in mind.
Cable Selection
Select a length of Heat Tape Pro™ that allows you to keep both the power splice and the GlowCap™ outside the pipe. The power splice is the small hard plastic body located between the power cord and the heating cable.
One Cable or Two
Predicting the dynamics of system performance, for any particular buried pipe is difficult given all of the variables, including the slope of the pipe, the pipe diameter, the local climate, the water flow volume, and how deeply the pipe is buried relative to the frost line. That said, we have found that in most situations a single line of Heat Tape Pro™ will keep water flowing through pipes 3 inches in diameter or smaller. Larger diameter pipes may require two lines of heat tape.
GlowCap Installation
Open-Ended Pipes
Heat Cable Protection
Gutter Guards, Filters & Shrouds
How to install Heat Tape PRO When there is Gutter Debris Protection
Heat Tape Pro™ can be used with a wide variety of gutter guard systems but each requires a specific installation strategy. There are many gutter guard systems available throughout North America and the exact nature of how they each interact with heat cable is a topic too broad to be covered here. Instead, we’re going to give you some pointers on how our professional installers have integrated our heat cable into some of the more common systems used. For the purpose of this discussion, we will use the generic term “gutter guards” to refer to a wide variety of products that are meant to minimize or eliminate debris buildup in gutters. These systems generally fall into three buckets, including: Filters, Screens and Shrouds (Photo), each being represented by a number of manufactured systems (see system list below).