Roof edge ice melters

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afjes_2016

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I just had my entire roof replaced. I am having new fascia and soffit installed along with new gutters all around the house. I live in northeast PA so the winter can be horrible up here.

I want to protect my new investment so I am having ice melting/heat lines installed around the entire edge and in the gutters of my roof.

Of course I can do the electrical work connections from the panel to the receptacles where they plug in but what I want to know is if I don't want to just have them on a switch in my house where I turn them on and off manually as the ice demands me to what can I use instead which may do it automatically?

Any kind of device which is made specifically for something like this? I want to figure what I will need before I start running the lines.

Any suggestions?
 
I just had my entire roof replaced. I am having new fascia and soffit installed along with new gutters all around the house. I live in northeast PA so the winter can be horrible up here.

I want to protect my new investment so I am having ice melting/heat lines installed around the entire edge and in the gutters of my roof.

Of course I can do the electrical work connections from the panel to the receptacles where they plug in but what I want to know is if I don't want to just have them on a switch in my house where I turn them on and off manually as the ice demands me to what can I use instead which may do it automatically?

Any kind of device which is made specifically for something like this? I want to figure what I will need before I start running the lines.

Any suggestions?
I think you would need some kind of T-stat coupled to a relay to take the current. I don’t know how well that would work though as ice build up happens under circumstances that temp isn’t the only factor. Heat loss from the house is the problem melting snow and then it freezing when it hits the colder overhang. Then you get an ice dam and the water backs up under the shingles. When it is real cold it doesn’t seem to be a problem like when it is at that temp where ice can form from water.

We added a metal roof over our old roof spaced away 1.5” and we did away with any gutters a few years ago. I had no idea how this would work with a cold layer between the metal and the attic. With the smooth surface and the snow staying mostly off the roof and the cold layer we have been pretty happy and I really don’t miss gutters. :coffee:
 
Thanks Bud for your reply.

I kind of figured there may not be any specific device but you can ask and see what happens.

I guess I might as well just run two circuits upstairs to my living area and install two single pole switches to turn them on and off manually. Or if I want to go for the extra bucks I can install WiFi switches instead. This way I don't have to get up off my butt to turn them on or off.

I figured after investing so much money on the new roof installing these heat lines was well worth it for the price. I am also putting up new gutters so I don't want them coming crashing down if they get loaded with ice like the last ones did. The heat lines are only costing me 4% of the cost of the new roof and new gutters so it is well worth the protection it will provide.
 
I think you addressing the problem not the cause. Attic heat loss would be the reason why the snow is melting and creating ice damns.
 
Yes kok328. Unfortunately the attic has no insulation yet. That's my next step.
 
kok328 you are probably correct. However I want the heat tape anyway.
At this point at least this year insulating the attic is a huge job. I use it for storage and the floor boards are nailed down to the floor joists which covers the entire floor surface of the attic. Code requires appox R42-47 in this area now. So that would mean I have to give up the entire attic from storage. Being physically disabled etc and the way things would have to be carried down from the attic the job would be too much at this point. Of course the space between the floor boards and the floor joist cavity is not deep enough for the proper R rating.
 
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