How To Use Gutter Heaters

If leaves and other dry debris build up on top of the heat tape for gutters the eavestrough heating cable can also be a fire hazard for your home.

How to use gutter heaters.

If heated gutters aren t the solution then what is. Wrap heat tape around key areas in your gutters to guarantee it stays in one place but do not wrap the tape over itself. Ice dams will form above and below the melted areas. The gutter heat tape or cable is run in special patterns across roofs in gutters and along downspouts where ice usually forms collects and eventually creates what are known as ice dams.

This can cause an electrical hazard. Additionally all heat cables should be waterproof. How to prevent ice dams. Cable is available in both 120 and 240 voltages.

Run tape inside the gutter place the electrical plug close to the breaker box then work backward through your gutters until your entire system is covered. Secure the roof cable with brackets affixed to each shingle where the roof cable bends. How to choose a heated gutter system. Gutter heaters will only be able to create a small melted tunnel around an immediate area.

Installing gutter heat tape is meant for the prevention of the ice dams not for getting rid of them once already formed. The cable should form a loop that extends partway into the gutter. It is best to avoid heated gutter guards to avoid these issues. An inexpensive heat cable that doesn t offer water protection is not safe to use.

Heat trace cable is safe for metal plastic or wooden downspouts and gutters and it will not overheat even if overlapped. Take one end of the cable and begin at the corner of your roof. Run the cable back down to the gutter at an angle and form it into a loop. Gutter heaters mean you can flick a switch and forget about the snow fall.

Which system do you chose. Some heat cables may not be safe to use with certain materials so you need to know the materials used in your roof gutters and downspouts. The least expensive way to go is a very simple system where a heat cable is applied to your gutters and then is run down the downspouts of your home preferably near an outlet. Additionally they may even exacerbate your ice dam issues with the constant melting and refreezing of snow in your gutters.

The self regulating cable delivers heat when you need it and shuts off when you don t adjusting to ambient temperatures for maximum energy efficiency. Run zigzags to create 15 wide triangles running the cable from the overhang to the warm area of your roof.