If you live in the northeast of the USA or anyplace where the winter ice and snow can collect on rooftops damming up rain gutters and making for a dangerous situation anywhere around the perimeter of your home, What can you do? How do you melt the ice in your gutters?
Homeowners can purchase what is called a Roof and Gutter Heating Cable Kit that, when laid out & installed correctly, can keep ice & snow from collecting, damming up rain gutters and downspouts using an energy-efficient temperature self-adjusting thermostat that is involved inside the heating cable.
Most homes have issues and are predisposed to ice damming that will show up in the winter months when temperatures drop. Maybe it’s insulation concerns or the roof’s structure, but you just can’t see it until the ice and snow come. A heating kit could be the solution and an easy fix.
Gutter Heat Cable Installation
If you have a problem with ice collecting on your home’s roof and inside the rain gutter around its perimeter, then there is a way to deal with it. If you live in the northeast or any cold region around the world, ice can be dangerous, especially when the ice is 10 – 12 feet above your head.
Homeowners can purchase what is called a Roof and Gutter Kit. For around $200.00, you can buy a kit that contains 50-100 feet of cable that is installed and laid out in a zig-zag across the bottom of your roof where most of the ice collects and then inside the gutter itself using clips that will hold the cable.
The clips have teeth that grab the cable and slide up underneath the shingles on the roof. Of course, you want to install the heating cable on a sunny day with no snow or ice on the roof. Run the cable down the eves and at the beginning of the downspouts, so there is no draining issue when the ice and snow melt. 
Keep the cable separated from each other so there won’t be any possibility of shorting out the 120-volt line system. Keep the heated cable laid low in the gutters where the ice will collect and clog up the gutters. Make sure that the cable is below the gutter straps and other sharp edges that may cut through the cable, especially if you are pulling it through the gutter when installing.
You may need to see how everything works after a snowstorm to test where it works and where it doesn’t. I needed to do this to adjust the cable in spots that were still damming up before getting it entirely right.
This type of cable can be installed on flat, metal, and rubber roofs and will not light leaves on fire under any circumstance. In addition, heat Tape Pro is self-regulating, meaning it ‘asks’ for more energy as it gets colder outside and less energy when it’s warmer.
The entire length of the heating element is temperature-sensitive, so colder areas demand more power than warmer areas. Hence the term “Self-Regulating.” This is an energy saver that will adjust to colder and warmer temperatures.
Uncoil the cable, plug it in, and then put the pipe heat tape into an ice bucket for a few minutes. You will typically be able to feel a slight warmth on the heating cable in a few minutes. Then, you can turn it off. Available at a good price now on Amazon WARMBRIDGE INC RoofMate Self-Regulating Heating Cable for Roof & Gutter De-Icing, 120V, 7Watts/Ft. (100-Feet)
In the inner part of the irradiated self-regulating heating core, the water line heat tape can automatically adjust its power output to compensate for the temperature changes of the roof and rain gutter. The heating cable’s multi-layer design also makes it more durable, ensuring it will last years!
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JimGalloway Author/Editor
