The Disadvantages of Roof Heat Tape

Potential for More Ice Dams

• Heat tape affects an area approximately 3 to 4 inches around it on all sides. When you look out at your roof heat tape, you can see the patterns on the roof where the heat tape is installed. The problem is that the melting snow turns to water, runs down your roof and can add to the ice dam in your gutters.

Wire Insulation

• To eliminate the ice from your gutters and roof, heat tape uses a significant amount of power to generate heat along the length of the tape. To allow that heat to melt the ice, the wire insulation around the heat tape is thinner than normal wiring. Over time, after constant exposure to extreme heat and extreme cold, that insulation breaks down and exposes the bare wire, creating a fire hazard.

Ineffective Installation

• One of the mistakes that homeowners make with roof heat tape is that they assume anyone can install it and have the tape be effective, according to the ServiceMagic website. If heat tape is not installed properly by a professional, it may not be placed in areas where it can be effective. Ice will still be allowed to build up and the heat tape is ineffective. To avoid the disadvantage of a poor installation, have your heat tape installed by a professional.

Power Surge

• Heat tape requires a significant amount of power to operate. That power varies depending on the length of tape you use. But if the tape is placed on the same circuit as other high-drawing appliances such as a microwave oven or a coffee maker, the heating tape can trip the breaker or blow a fuse. If you have sensors installed on your heating tape that turns the tape on and off automatically when snow is in your gutters, and the tape is tied in to a busy electrical circuit, then it could cut out the power to your home while you sleep. That power could include the circuit for your furnace blower motor.