All though many types of heat cable can look the same, heat cable brands differ when it comes to product specifications. Different types of heat cable can be used for specific applications and lifespans can vary widely depending on the manufacturer.

Let’s take a look at some of the main differences that you need to pay attention to make sure you get the best solution for your home.

Constant Wattage Vs. Self Regulating Heat Cable

One of the most significant differences between heat cable is whether it is constant wattage or self-regulating. Constant wattage heat cable runs at 100% while it is turned on. That means that constant wattage heat cable is constantly drawing electricity.

Self-regulating heat cable only turns on when outdoor temperatures drop to below 40 degrees F. While self-regulating heat cable usually draws twice as much power when it is on when compared to constant wattage heat cable, it uses less electricity over the season.

Self-regulating heat cable can turn on and off as needed which means your cable isn’t always drawing electricity.

Every year we install tens of thousands of feet of heat cable in Park City. We have inspected and replaced many failing systems in our 19 years in business and have learned what heat cable brands are reliable.

Suggested Brands

• Raychem (rebranded as Nvent)

Why?

Raychem offers a ten-year product warranty that they stand behind. Additionally, Raychem’s heat cable is a commercial-grade solutions which makes it more durable in our harsh winter conditions.

Brands To Avoid

• Easy Heat

• Frost King

• Wrap On

Why?

The main attraction to these brands is that they are cheap and are available at big box stores like Home Depot and that is the only positive about them.

We consistently replace these systems after only two or three years of operation due to cable failures. These brands only carry two-year product warranties and for a good reason; the product doesn’t last.

While it may seem like a cheap solution, you will end up paying more when you have to have your heat cable system replace in a couple of years.

Lifespan & Warranty

One of the main differences between constant wattage heat cable and self-regulating heat cable is manufacturing quality.

Most consumer-grade heat tape that you can buy at stores like Home Depot is constructed to be replaced every couple of years.

The coating and protective layers have shown to not last the test of time and our harsh Utah winters.

Most self-regulating heat cable is made for commercial applications. Because of this, the protective coatings and layers are much thicker and more durable.

The improved construction of self-regulating heat cable makes the cable more durable than constant wattage heat cable.

The durability is also reflected in the increased product warranties offered on premium self-regulating heat cable like Raychem.

Raychem offers a 10-year product warranty on their cable vs. most constant wattage cables 1 to 3-year product warranties.

Reduced Operating Costs

One of the great things about self-regulating heat cable is its ability to reduce the amount of power it is drawing as the temperature warms up. Self-regulating cable is made up by two wires that have a conductive layer separating them.

This conductive layer changes with the temperature; the colder it is, the more conductive and more power it will draw, and the warmer it is, the less conductive it becomes.

This layer runs the length of the entire cable and can operate differently throughout the cable. Meaning that one area could be drawing more power than another if it were covered by ice.

The ability of self-regulating heat cable to vary the power that it draws makes it operational costs lower than constant wattage heat cable.

As the name implies, constant wattage heat cable draws a consistent amount of power when it is turned on. That means that while many constant wattage cable brands draw less power at any given time; when you add the total time that your cable will be running during the winter constant wattage heat cable ends up consuming more electricity.