Tech Tips: Heat Tape or Heat Cable? [Draft]

Heat tape and heat cable; two products with similar functions. So, what makes them stand out from each other?

What is heat tape?

Heat tape is a device that is designed to prevent pipe freezing and the amount of energy that could be lost in homes during times of severe winter weather. Winter weather becomes an issue for home water systems and pipes because of the dangerous high risk of freezing. Heat tape prevents damage to fresh water pipes.

Depending on the application type, heat tape is available in several different varieties. For larger surface areas, heat tape may be a more favorable option and less work. Additionally, heat tape is typically preferred for applications where small cylindrical sections require high power densities, which usually indicate high temperatures.

While heat tape is a trustworthy method for pipe tracing, there is also a similar product, called, Heat Cable. Let’s break down exactly what heat cable is, and how it can best be used.

So, let’s ask the inevitable question, “What is heat cable?”

Heat cable is a wiring cable that produces, well… heat; it is also commonly referred to heating trace cable. This cable can be used in a wide range of applications for the home. And, although heat cables are not as flexible as heat tape, cable can be used for the same applications as heat tape, and is often times more commonly used in roof and gutter deicing applications.

Both devices can serve the same purpose, but each one is recommended, depending on the use for application. For piping, heat tape can be more efficient because of the flexibility that tape has, and for roof and gutter deicing, heat cables are considered to be more efficient. Heating cables are heavy duty and will be more secure than heating tape.

Ice and snow accumulating on your roof or inside your gutters can cause costly damage to your home or your client’s home, and that’s why finding the right solution for pipe tracing and roof and gutter deicing is an essential.

Our own heat cable product has been used in both pipe tracing and roof and gutter deicing applications, successfully and efficiently. Heat cable on a roof can provide a reliable solution for damming that occurs in gutters, downspouts, overhangs, valleys, and bottleneck areas between roof features, such as dormers or adjacent rooflines.

Installing our heavy duty heating cable on your roof and gutters or for pipe tracing will give you peace of mind in knowing that your home or your client’s home will be secure and unharmed by even the harshest winter storms and cold temperature changes and fluctuations.