Heated Gutters in Greenville, SC
Using Heat Tape To Create A Heated Gutter
A heated gutter system consists of gutters fitted with self-regulating heat tape that is threaded through the gutters and downspouts beneath a gutter guard. This heat tape gently warms the gutter during winter, helping to prevent issues that can arise from the accumulation of snow and ice. If you live in the Greenville, SC, area, please call (252)-565-7595 to learn more about our heated gutters!
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Why Heated Gutters?
If you own a home in a colder climate, dealing with snow and ice on your roof often brings the persistent worry of ice dams causing leaks. Water damage from these leaks can quickly become a major headache and lead to costly repairs.
Harsh winters only increase the risk, as ice damming can significantly damage your property. Large icicles that form along the roof’s edge, especially above walkways and driveways, pose a safety hazard during the winter, and the weight of accumulated snow and ice can put so much strain on your gutters that they may crack, pull away from the house, or even fall entirely.
To help prevent these problems and give yourself greater peace of mind, installing heat tape on your gutters is a highly effective solution. This specially designed cable generates enough warmth to melt snow and ice, reducing the risk of ice dams, while remaining safe for your home’s structure.
What About Heated Tape on the Roof?
Unlike traditional roof heat cables placed on top of the roof and run along the edge, we install heated gutter cables, also known as heat, inside the gutters, just beneath a gutter guard system, and inside the downspouts. This setup, which combines heated gutters with heated gutter guards, helps to prevent many of the common issues associated with using standard roof heat tape or heat cable.
When considering whether installing heat tape is worthwhile, it’s important to note that its effectiveness depends entirely on proper installation. Many companies use a zigzag or triangle pattern for heat cables on the first three feet of the roof, then continue the cable inside the gutter and downspout. While this approach can melt snow and ice on the roof itself, it does not stop ice dams from forming in or on the gutters since ice can still accumulate and block water flow.
Over time, this method has been shown to cause more damage to the roof than having no cable at all, and it may even void your roof’s warranty.
Heat Tape works better inside a Gutter System
We use Weather-Ready heat tape, which is installed exclusively inside the gutters and downspouts. Keeping the installation away from the shingles protects the tape, and only the gutters are heated. This approach is both practical and visually appealing. When a gutter guard is in place, it helps trap the heat the tape produces, ensuring the entire gutter system stays warm. As snow on the roof melts, it encounters a heated gutter guard and gutter, which prevents ice and snow from accumulating in your gutters. As a result, your gutters handle only water, not ice. Turning on the heat cable just before snowfall begins is essential for the best performance. Heated cables are necessary in regions with harsh winters and heavy snowfall, as they help prevent ice dams and keep water from entering your home.
Snow Guards
Snow guards, which should not be mistaken for gutter guards, serve a different but equally important purpose for roofs in regions with heavy snowfall. They are specifically designed to hold snow and ice in place on the roof, preventing sudden avalanches that could otherwise slide off and potentially damage landscaping or pose a danger to pedestrians below.
Ice Dams
Ice dams typically form when a roof has uneven or insufficient insulation or other factors cause temperature fluctuations that allow snow to melt. As the melted snow runs down the roof, it refreezes upon reaching the colder eaves, leading to ice buildup at the roof’s edge or in the gutters. This accumulation traps more ice and water above it, which can back up under the shingles and seep into your attic, ceilings, and interior walls. Such water intrusion often results in costly repairs and may even require mold remediation if not addressed promptly.
What Causes Ice Damming?
There are a variety of reasons behind this problem. The most common reasons for ice damming are:
Ice damming tends to develop more quickly when a roof has a lower pitch. Many homeowners notice ice damming near bathroom vents and chimneys, which is often caused by temperature fluctuations in those areas. Traditional roof heat cables are typically installed on top of the roof, exposing them and sometimes allowing ice to form above the heat tape. This can shift the problem higher up the roof, beyond the protection of the drip edge and ice/water shield. As the heat tape melts snow, the resulting water can flow down toward the gutter, where it may refreeze because gutters are usually colder than the roof, surrounded by cold air. In contrast, a heated gutter system uses gutter heat tape to warm the entire gutter, effectively preventing this issue. Without such a system, ice often accumulates in the gutters first, which leads many people to wonder if the gutters themselves are responsible for causing ice dams.
Why Gutter Guards are an important part of a Heated Gutter System?
Gutter guards are intended to prevent leaves and debris from blocking your gutters but offer additional benefits. They reinforce the gutter structure, shield the heat cable, and keep snow out, which helps it melt more quickly. When installed inside the gutter, heat tape warms the entire system, allowing snow to melt as it lands and reducing the risk of ice accumulation that could cause water to enter your home or create large, hazardous icicles along your roofline. If the heat cable is left exposed to the weather, it can become damaged, and debris is more likely to get caught on it.
Are Heated Gutters Safe? What about potential fire hazards?
The Nuheat Weather-Ready heat tape installed by The Brothers that just do Gutters features a UV-resistant polyolefin outer jacket, a tinned copper braided layer, and a fire-resistant conductive core. Nuheat Industries mandates that each heating cable circuit must include ground-fault protection equipment to minimize the risk of fire resulting from continuous electrical arcing due to improper installation or cable damage. In certain situations, a licensed electrician is required to make the final connection. Placing heat cables directly on the roof’s surface poses a potential fire hazard, underscoring the importance of following all installation guidelines and safety requirements.
How much electricity does it use?
Your actual electrical usage will depend on the cable run length and the unique features of the Nuheat Weather-Ready heat tape. This heat tape is designed to self-regulate its power output based on changes in ambient conditions. When the temperature drops and there is ice or snowfall, the power output increases to provide more heat. As the water and ice temperature rises, the heat tape automatically reduces its wattage and emits less heat. For further information, refer to our page on the cost of heated gutter systems.
Heated Gutter Demonstration
We put together a video demonstration of how a heated gutter system works. We placed piles of snow on top of the gutters so that viewers can see them melt through a time-lapse video.
To achieve the best results, you should turn on your heat cable before the snowstorm begins. This allows the heated gutter to melt snowflakes as soon as they land. If you wait until ice or snow has already accumulated, the cable will still melt it, but the process will require more time and energy.
Note: For this simulation, we started with a mound of snow already on the gutter; during an actual snowstorm the flakes will melt as they land on the heated gutter. Be sure to visit our many blogs on this topic.
Installing Heat Tape – Using Heat Tape To Create A Heated Gutter
When installing heat tape, several important factors should be taken into account. Spacing is a key consideration, which varies based on the roof’s pitch and the soffit’s length. The heated cable is typically placed inside gutters and downspouts, and the most effective approach involves installing the heat cable beneath a gutter guard. We highly recommend using a gutter guard, as it protects the cable and helps retain heat, improving the system’s overall efficiency and reducing the risk of problems like ice dams.
To supply power to the heat tape, you can use a premade length of heat tape or a GFCI plug-in cord set, which can connect directly to an existing outdoor outlet and avoid the need for hardwiring. However, if you do not have an outdoor outlet or your specific situation makes these solutions unworkable, it may be best to consult an electrician to complete the electrical hookup.
Table of Contents
Why Heated Gutters?
What about Heat Tape on the Roof?
Heat Tape works better inside a Gutter System
Snow Guards
Ice Dams
What Causes Ice Damming?
Why Gutter Guards are an important part of a Heated Gutter System?
Are Heated Gutters Safe? What about potential fire hazards?
How much electricity does it use?
Heated Gutter Demonstration
Installing Heat Tape
Talk to us about Heated Gutters Today!
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