Hey, my name's Steve and I'm part of the sales team here at Gregg Distributors.
Today, were going to talk about the heating power of self-regulating cables
and how they can help keep ice dams from creating a mess of your roof.
Lets start by talking about ice dams.
An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof,
which essentially blocks water and prevents it from draining off the roof.
Different roof surface temperatures cause the snow at higher portions of the roof to melt,
while lower temperatures in the lower portions of the roof cause that melted snow to re-freeze,
forming ice dams and icicles.
The dam grows as it is fed by melting snow above it, eventually creating a reservoir
where the water will collect instead of freezing.
Without a way off the roof, you've got water backing up and, potentially, causing leaks in your home.
This can cause damage to the walls, ceilings, insulation, and other areas.
One of the ways you can keep ice dams from forming is by using a de-icing cable,
like this.
These self-regulating heat cables keep ice from forming on unheated roof edges, gutters, and downspouts.
But what does it mean by self-regulating?
A self-regulating heating cable automatically varies its heat output
as the surrounding temperatures change.
The colder it gets the more heat is generated by the conductive core.
When it starts to warm up, the core produces less heat.
This regulation happens at multiple points throughout the cable,
which provides greater energy efficiency and more uniform temperatures.
Something to keep in mind is that these cables are designed for use with non-combustible
tab shingles and metal or plastic downspouts.
They're not designed for slate, ceramic, or wooden shingles
or for metal, rubber, or flat roofs.
Let's start by taking a peek at how these cables look once they're installed.
The cable runs along the roof edge in a triangular, saw-tooth pattern,
with the height of each loop ranging from 18 to 54 inches, depending on your overhang length.
As a rule of thumb, the cable should extend into each heated section of the roof by approximately 6 inches.
The cable loops are supported by these roof clips and should be spaced at two-foot intervals.
The clips slide around the edge of the shingle, and the little hooks hold your cable in place!
Notice how there's no overlap on the cables.
This means no overheating!
The section of cable that extends over your gutter should have a small loop extending
past the edge of the roof.
This is called a drip loop, and will allow the water to drip right into the gutter instead
of collecting on another part of your roof.
The gutter and downspout also need to have heating cable installed, or you'll end up with
ice buildup in places you did not expect!
Also, when you have valleys in your roof, youll need to extend the cable in a loop approximately
six feet in length.
Always make sure that you plug your heat cable into a GFCI (or ground fault circuit interrupter) outlet,
which is designed to protect users against electric shock from an electrical system.
A GFCI outlet will shut itself off after detecting a problem,
and it should look familiar to you, since you'll commonly find these outlets in
washrooms, kitchens, garages, and laundry areas.
If you aren't sure if you've got a GFCI outlet nearby, or if you know the nearest one is
too far from where you'd like your installation point to be,
you can use the 120V GFCI plug-in cord set!
This will allow you to have a GFCI outlet wherever you need one!
And remember, only plug this cable in when you need it,
self-regulating may be in the name, but that doesn't mean it shuts itself off!
And, if you don't want to waste power, or create a potential fire hazard,
make sure to use the cable on an as-needed basis.
Next, to calculate the cable length, start by measuring the roof edge length,
from one side to the other.
If you are applying cable to more than one roof edge, you will need to calculate each section separately.
Then, measure your roof overhang.
The roof overhang is the distance from your roof edge to the face of your outer wall.
Once you have your roof overhang, we can reference this handy chart!
With your roof overhang, youll know your cable loop length and length factor.
The length factor needs to be multiplied by the roof length
and then you've got your total cable length required for the roof edge! Sounds simple.
For example, let's say you have a 24-inch eave overhang
and a roof length of 30 feet on a shingle roof.
A 24-inch eave overhang means you have a loop height of 30 inches and a length factor of 2.7.
Multiply 30 by 2.7 and you get your total cable length of 81 feet.
At this point, you also need to calculate how much cable you will need for the gutter
and downspout.
For the gutter, you need 1 foot of cable for every 1 foot of the gutter.
However, if the gutter is wider than 6 inches, you'll want to use two cable lines,
one on either side of the gutter.
Make sure your gutters are clear of all debris before installing your cable.
For the downspout you'll want 2 feet of cable for every 1 foot of the downspout.
This is because you'll be looping the cable down and back up again.
If your downspout is longer than 20 feet, you'll want to use a downspout hanger to support
the heating cable where it enters and exits the downspout.
Now, youve got some options when you're choosing a cable.
You can get pre-assembled cables, which should NOT be cut,
so be sure you get the right length of cable for the job!
The 120 volt cables range from 6 feet to 100 feet in length and come completed with a standard
15-amp plug, while the 240 volt cables range from 6 feet to 24 feet in length and come
with a 30-inch lead connector.
These cables should not be linked together for a larger space.
And, if you need cord ends, we've got them in stock and ready to deliver.
If you've got a big project ahead of you, it might be better to invest in some bulk cable.
These rolls come in 50 feet or 250 feet in length and are available in 120 or 240 volts.
If you're using bulk cable, you'll need connector kits
or maybe even a splice or tee kit,
depending on the design of your roof.
Now, I know thats a lot of heated information, but if you have any questions, you can call
and talk to one of our knowledgeable staff.
Or, you can visit our website at greggdistributors.ca.
Again, I'm Steve and thank you for watching another episode of Gear up with Gregg's.
And hey, thanks for keeping it Canadian!