Best Heat tape for trough!!!

[Robert2181]

I know its been posted before, but unable to find it.

What is a good commercial heat tape/cable for heating the trough.

 

[2Biz]

I used Raychem Winterguard Wet...7 watts per foot. It keeps my trough a toasty 110°.....

You can find some good buys on Ebay...Here's an example....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RAYCHEM-W51...ATING-TRACE-/171193607689?hash=item27dbef2609

 

[slash007]

Is there a point in using heat tape if the trough isn't air tight? Mine is open in different areas and I'm not sure if I can seal it properly.

 

[2Biz]

Why can't you seal it properly? My trough is 5" or 6" smooth PVC drain pipe (The green stuff) with a 2" wide piece cutout the full length for hose access. All the hoses lay in the bottom of the pipe along with the heat tape. I fill the airspace with insulation. Outside in the truck bay, I use Gorilla Tape to seal up around the hoses where they exit the trough. Its very effective. With a couple of LED lights and electronic heat sensors placed in the trough, I can tell if the heat tape is working properly when its on...

Anything can be achieved! Some things just require more work!

 

[slash007]

I am sure it can be achieved, but it will be very hard. I don't have a real trough. The lines run through the metal joists that run across the top. There are multiple round holes throughout the back of the joist, then the front is covered with a piece of wood to cover the lines. I have been switching to hot water in the extreme cold to heat it, but would rather have a good working heat tape. Maybe I will tackle sealing it before winter time.

 

[2Biz]

Do you have a zone from your floor heat running through the trough?

Another alternative....You have the auxiliary ports on the new water heater that you can tap into. Assuming you have water lines already in the trough... You could put in a very small Taco circulator and have it turn on with a relay and output 2 on the weepmiser....You wouldn't even notice it on your natural gas bill....

 

[Robert2181]

My trough is 12" x12" wood. Lined with 1.5" foam and filled with insulation. I do have a line off my floor heat. But it still can drop down to about 65. When we get down to -28, plus wind chill, sometimes have a small problem. I don't always run my floor heat very high.

The heat cable I think will do the trick.

 

[2Biz]

I have both, heat cable and a loop from the floor heat in the trough. Its nice to have the flexibility to run whichever one you want or both at the same time. There are times the temps dip down and the slab is warm enough to make it all night without heat. Then the heat cable comes in handy. I only weep cold water and never have an issue. Especially since getting rid of the galvanized wands. When I did have a froze bay, the wands were usually the culprit. SS wands are only a few more bucks each....Well worth it!

 

[Earl Weiss]

Another alternative....You have the auxiliary ports on the new water heater that you can tap into. Assuming you have water lines already in the trough... You could put in a very small Taco circulator and have it turn on with a relay and output 2 on the weepmiser....You wouldn't even notice it on your natural gas bill....

I think this is a bad idea. Any pause in the operation during freezing temps will cause lines to freeze and rupture.

 

[2Biz]

Good point Earl...I was thinking some operators heat the trough with a small 5 gallon water heater and a circulator. The only difference is they use glycol! Yea...Using hot water to circulate wouldn't be such a good idea in case of a power outage! Scratch that one!

 

[JMMUSTANG]

I have apprx. 200' run. I notice that the cable is only 50'.
Can they be connected together? If so how?
Thanks

 

[2Biz]

Do a search on Ebay for Raychem Heat Cable. I see up to 300' rolls listed. Plus they have splice and tee kits available.

As with anything electrical, you need to make sure the length cable you're using doesn't overload the 120v receptacle or circuit. From memory, this cable only consumes 7w per foot.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

Is this similar to what you have?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RAYCHEM-H61...0-ft-L-120V-/221541594602?hash=item3394e875ea

 

[soapy]

I have been using the winter guard WET for 20 years in 4 locations to heat my troughs and never had one problem. The WET version has a extra layer around it so it is a bit more than standard cable. When I put mine in they also had a 220 volt version.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

Soapy are you saying this one is different than 2Biz and yours?

 

[2Biz]

It will say WET on it if its rated for wet environment like what we "Might" have. That is a little pricey for 250'. I gave about $100 for 75'.. I have found its a little cheaper by the foot in shorter lengths, plus it has the 3 prong plug already wired in. There's nothing that says you have to plug it in end to end....or have a 200' length all in one run. You can put more outlets in and run shorter lengths...Or in my case, I added an 18' run over my outside truck bay. I just ran an extension cord to it from the outlet that the main cable is plugged into....It only added 126w to the outlet...

 

[2Biz]

Soapy are you saying this one is different than 2Biz and yours?

The one you linked to is for wet environment. Same stuff....

 

[JMMUSTANG]

I thought so. It just looks flatter than yours.
Is there any parts I need to order? Such Heating Cable Gel Filled End Seal Kit, Heating Cable Plug In Cord Set, thermostat, etc.?
By the way I'm looking at buying it from Zoro.com with the 20% discount coupon. That sure makes the decision a little easier.

 

[cantbreak80]

With a couple of LED lights and electronic heat sensors placed in the trough, I can tell if the heat tape is working properly when its on...

Tell more about your electronic heat sensor "system".

I'm looking to add a USB Temperature Probe to my plumbing trough so I can read the temp on my PC desktop. About $50 for one Sensor, plus the USB extension cable.

 

[2Biz]

Its nothing special...The LCD Display is very similar to this one on Ebay....Mine also has Indoor and Outdoor readings...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Digital-Lar...ture-Sensor-/311418948989?hash=item4882040d7d

I have 1 on each side of the ER with the Probes up in the trough spaced about 20' apart. Basically when the Weepmizer kicks the secondary output on at 32°, it energizes a relay that handles the load of the heat tape. There are LED lights inside the ER that are plugged into the "Outlets" up in the attic that let me know the outlets are hot. (They are GFI which is recommended for wet service)... That lets me know the outlet hasn't tripped. The sensors are laying in the trough next to the heat tape. So when I walk into the ER, a quick glance at the weepmiser, led lights, and the Temperature LCD Display let's me know everything is working properly....Here is a picture of the LCD Display....They are about $6-$7 bucks each....I like your approach with having them display on your PC. Now if you can get the output transmitted to your smart phone! Although, my kiss and cheap approach works great! Pick your poison!