What is heat cable and heat tape?

Heat tape and heat cable, for the purpose of ice control, refer to the same product. Heat tape is an informal description of heat cable. It's like calling a White Castle hamburger a slider. Everyone knows a slider is a hamburger (okay, in the loosest sense of the word). Back to the point. Heat tape cables are special wires that are used to control ice accumulations, most commonly referred to as ice dams. We use the terms heat cable and heat tape interchangeably on our website and so do professional designers and installers around the United States.

Heat is generated as electric current passes through the conductive polymer core between the cable's conductors. As the ambient temperature drops, the number of electrical paths through the core increases and more heat is produced. Conversely, as the temperature rises, the core has fewer electrical paths and less heat is produced.

Some heat tape for ice dams is referred to as 'constant wattage' and other heat tape is called 'self-regulating'. Here is the essential difference. Self regulating heat tape cables consume only the energy they require to do their job. If it's really cold and snowy, they demand more electricity. Constant wattage cables operate like a light bulb. They are completely 'on' and 'off'. We often refer to the difference between these cables as 'smart' and 'dumb'.

Which Cable Is Best For You?

Not all heat cable is created equal. Far from it. Some heat cable is essentially designed to be disposable (see Frost King, Easyheat and Wrap On). Other cables are designed to last a decade or beyond. Some of our customers are looking for a cheap, short term solution. Those people can get away with buying cheaper cable, which is often in a 'constant wattage' cable (more on that below). People interested in products with lower operation costs and longer lifespans and encouraged to buy 'self regulating' heat cable.

For professionals and homeowners who are looking for the quickest and easiest installation of heat cable, we recommend the following Plug-In or Pre-Made Heat Cables. Larger and more complex installations usually require bulk heat cable on spools, electrical connection kits and proper sensor and controls where necessary.

So, what is the difference?

Constant wattage heat cable is sold in big box stores like Home Depot and Lowes and on online retailers such as Amazon. They are surprisingly 'affordable', at least on face value. For example, a 100' ice dam heat cable kit from Frost King and EasyHeat will cost around $59-72 if purchased through one of our multi-billion dollar mega competitors. In the photo above you can see a 100' Frost King heat cable (left side). It weighs about 3.1 pounds and will last an average of one to two years. A coil of quality self-regulating heat cable, on the other hand, with tip the scales at over 10 pounds (right side, above photo). Holding the two side by side makes the difference quite obvious. In addition to the plain difference in quality, the other bummer about constant wattage heat cable is that it uses a ton of electricity during operation. The term constant wattage is used because this family of heat cable operates a lot like a light bulb. It is either totally on or off. Self-regulating ice dam heat cable is a totally different animal in that it 'asks' only for the energy it needs to do its' job. We get into the geeky, technical details of how this process works in a different area of our website, but suffice it to say that self-regulating heat cables are smart about how they use electricity.

One could, therefore, look at heat tape cables as falling broadly into two categories; 'smart' or 'dumb'. Not to judge you, constant wattage cable, but you are pretty stupid. You are cheap and stupid. Yes, we have a bias towards self-regulating heat cable. It is safer, more durable, more reliable, easier to install and far cheaper in the long run. Besides those factors the two are pretty similar. They are both black and look similar from 200 yards away.

Although self-regulating ice dam prevention heat tape cables are a far better investment, some situations call for the cheap stuff. For example, if you only need to manage your ice dam issues for a year or two, buy the cheap stuff (i.e., Constant Wattage). Let's face it, sometimes we have really limited budgets. We can't afford to drop hundreds on ice dam heat cable. We need a cheap solution for a short time period. This is a perfect time to buy constant wattage cable. If your goals include needing a solution for more than a couple years that is energy efficient, that can be installed with a low risk of failure, that won't get damaged easily, et cetera, you should buy our self-regulating cable.

Our Manufacturers

As specialists in heat cable for ice dam prevention, we have examined products from every significant manufacturer in the industry. Only a handful of companies in the world make truly high-quality heat cable. After years of hands-on experience, we have chosen to carry four of them. We could buy cheaper cable. We choose not to. Every brand in our store is here because we would install it on our own homes.

Radiant Solutions

Radiant Solutions Company is a Minnesota-based manufacturer specializing in professional-grade ice dam prevention products. Its Heat Tape PRO self-regulating cable is engineered for the harshest winter climates and backed by a 10-year warranty, one of the strongest in the industry. Radiant Solutions products are designed by people who have spent decades working on real roofs in real winters, and it shows in the details: commercial-grade construction, UL-listed components, and accessories designed to work as a complete system.

BriskHeat

BriskHeat is a worldwide leader in flexible surface heating and heat trace, with decades of experience across residential, commercial, and industrial applications. Its SpeedTrace self-regulating cable line covers roof and gutter de-icing as well as pipe freeze protection, available both as preassembled plug-in kits and as bulk cable for custom installations. BriskHeat's engineering pedigree in demanding industrial environments carries directly into the reliability of its residential products.

King Electric

King Electric has manufactured electric heating products in Seattle, Washington since 1958, one of the few remaining U.S. manufacturers in the category. Its SRP self-regulating cable comes preassembled in lengths from 6 to 200 feet for roof, gutter, and pipe applications, along with bulk SR cable and a full line of connection kits and accessories. King's products are built for contractors and homeowners who want straightforward, durable equipment from a company with over 65 years of manufacturing history.

nVent RAYCHEM

RAYCHEM invented self-regulating heating cable technology, and the brand remains the global benchmark. Its parallel-conductor design with a radiation cross-linked conductive polymer core delivers long-term reliability that has been proven over decades in homes, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities worldwide. The FrostGuard and WinterGard lines bring that same engineering to residential roof, gutter, and pipe freeze protection in a simple, ready-to-use format.