Heat tape on water pipes

[catdon]

This is our first winter on the lake and we've decided to keep the house open. We should be up at least one weekend at month, if not more. Just curious as to the most efficient use of the heat tape on our water pipes. We want to install a timer over Thanksgiving - what's the minimum we should consider running it every day? We've already learned so much on the forum - thanks in advance!

[AC2717]

One thing to note, some insurance companies do not like the use of heat tape because if not done properly can cause fires or not work. Sometimes they exclude coverage when heat type is in use. I would confirm with your insurance agent
again just a heads up

[Kamper]

The only time I ever used it was at a friend's condo. I installed it fairly low in the system and it thawed the line after about an hour even though the block was probably about 10-20 feet away buried in the structure. This pipe was close to a north wall that was probably inadequately insulated. They froze up once or twice a year before I put in the tape unless someone rememberred to open the tap on bad days.

Even though it's a nuisance, you may want to consider draining the pipes and water-heater if you are going to be away for long periods during the winter. Otherwise, I'd be cautious and set an hour every 4-12 hours.

Good luck!

[ishoot308]

Your heat tape should be thermostatically controlled and not controlled by a timer. When the pipes get to a certain low temperature, the heat tape turns on. I would only recommend using heat tape that has a thermostat.

Here's some good info. http://www.mygreathome.com/fix-it_guide/heat_tape.htm

Good Luck!!

Dan

[DickR]

Ditto on the thermostatically controlled heat tape, but consider also installing a FreezeAlarm or similar device. The FreezeAlarm is available through the NH Electric Coop (http://www.nhec.com/products_freezealarms.php). Having it gives a lot of peace of mind, knowing that it will call you if there is a problem with temperature dropping too low inside the house, and that you can call into it at any time to query current temperature and alarm setpoints. You might even choose to drop the heat tapes if you have the alarm installed, unless of course there are some cold spots perhaps subject to freezing while the rest of the house is ok.

Does the house have a full basement, or at least an enclosed and insulated crawl space? House configuration is all important in deciding what protection to have.

The subject of protection/monitoring for infrequently used vacation homes has come up often on this site. A quick search will call them up.

[Belmont Resident]

I had mine eaten by mice when we first bought our place in Maine.
Old timer told me to wrap it in bubble wrap when I installed the new one.
We’ve owned the place for 10 years and never had any further problems.