HEAT CABLES FOR ROOFS HOW TO
HEAT CABLES FOR ROOFS INSTALL

Sometimes people run heat cables through their gutters to prevent them from freezing over. If this is the case with your home – go for it! Just be mindful to get heat cables with a sensor or be sure to only turn on the cable when you absolutely need it. There may be a rare situation where a small portion of your roof needs a heat cable.

HEAT CABLES FOR ROOFS HOW TO

The article: Ice Dams – How to Prevent Them explains more how to do this. The longest lasting, most cost effective, energy efficient solution is to prevent heat escape from your living spaces. Really, the issue isn’t that the gables and outer edges of the roof are too cold, the problem is that the central portion of the roof is too hot. The result: large amounts of ice and snow melt from the majority of the roof, but then get caught and refrozen at the outer edges: AKA an Ice Dam. However, the central portion of the roof gets plenty of heat from the living space. Typically the bottom edge of the roof and the gables extend past the living space and get little heat from your living space.

This causes the ice and snow to melt unevenly on the roof. The cause of ice dams is too much heat rising from your living space to your roofs surface. If the cable feels very affordable, it is probably because it’s cheap.” A Longer Lasting Solution For Ice Dams Self-regulating cable is far cheaper over the long run when lifespans and energy consumption are factored in. Ultimately, being cheap is the only short-term advantage constant-wattage cable has over self-regulating cable. “A 100-foot constant-wattage cable will cost you around $75 whereas a self-regulating cable of the same length will be closer to $350. He continues to give a cost comparison of the constant wattage cables vs self-regulating cable:

This explains why 60% of the heat tape installations we do in the Minneapolis area involve tearing out constant-wattage and replacing it with self-regulating cable, even on systems less than a year old.”

HEAT CABLES FOR ROOFS INSTALL

Based on my many years of experience in ice dam prevention and residential construction, my opinion on constant-wattage cable is clear: It is better to not install anything than to use these products on your home. Kuhl says “ Sadly, constant-wattage heat cable is the most widely used roof deicing cable in the country, accounting for roughly 90% of all residential installations and nearly 100% of all complaints. In this article, Steve Kuhl who has 30 years experience with ice dam prevention and currently works with Radiant Solution Company was invited as a guest blogger for the Star Tribune. The Star Tribune in Minneapolis has an excellent discussion of what type of heat cables to purchase and the cost comparison. For example, in the following This Old House video it shows heat cables that have a temperature and moisture sensor so they turn on/off for you when you need them. It may cost a little more, but investing in high-quality self-regulating heat cable is worth it. How to Keep the Cost of Heat Cables Reasonable Using heat cables to remedy ice dams for the long run is not an energy efficient solution. This is especially true if your home needs several cables. For some Kansas City winters this cost might be minimal…but in others well…your electricity bill can sky rocket quickly. In order for them to work, they should be turned on an hour or two before wintery weather hits and remain on anytime ice and snow are on the roof. Heat cables have one big draw back – expense. This is extremely helpful because without a channel, the water will begin to back up and will leak into your home. Heat tape melts ice and snow as they fall along the roof line preventing ice dams and allow water to drain properly into clean gutters. However, most of the time heat cable should be viewed as a band-aid or short term solution. Heat cables can certainly help a home that struggles with ice dams. Heat cables are an electric heating cord typically installed along the edge of a roofline and through the gutter. The primary purpose of heat cables/heat tape is to prevent ice dams and create the opportunity to drain melting snow away from the home. Heat Cables: Should I Put Them On My Home? January 11, 2021

Heat cables for roofs