How to Apply Heat Tape
Incoming water lines under your mobile home, or crawl space of a standard home, are susceptible to freezing. Applying heat tape to your incoming water lines prevents the pipe from getting cold enough to freeze. Applying heat tape to your pipes requires an electrical outlet to plug the heat tape into. Most mobile homes have an outlet near the incoming line to the home. Standard homes may not have an electrical outlet nearby, requiring you to find the nearest outlet that is not susceptible to the outside weather. When measuring for the size tape necessary, you must take the distance from the outlet to the pipe into consideration. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Go under the house or mobile home to determine what the needs are for your home. Measure the main line bringing water from the ground to the various incoming pipes into your home with a tape measure. The main line is smaller in diameter than the drain line, and usually has a cut-off valve between the ground and sub-floor of the home. Write the measurement down on a piece of paper. Look for an electrical outlet, and measure from the pipe to the outlet. Add the measurement to the pipe measurement. There is usually an outlet close to the main water line.
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Purchase a heat tape that is as long as the combined measurement you took under the home. The tape must wrap around the exposed main water line pipe and plug into the outlet. It is also a good idea to purchase a foam pipe surround to go over the pipe. the pipe surround insulation helps to insulate the pipe and hold the heat tape in place.
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Unroll the heat tape from the package and position the plug end of the tape near the electrical outlet. Do not plug the tape into the outlet, but hang the plug around a protruding nail or insulation hangar near the outlet.
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Start at the bottom of the water line where it comes out of the ground. Wrap the tape around the pipe, fastening the tape with electrical tape around the pipe. Continue wrapping the tape around the length of the pipe in a cork screw fashion. Use the electrical tape to fasten the heat tape to the pipe every six inches.
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Place the pipe surround insulation over the pipe and heat tape. The pipe surround insulation is separated down the middle length and wraps around the pipe like a second skin. Plug the heat tape into the electrical outlet.
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Tips & Warnings
Always refer to the instructions on your product for specifics concerning the brand of heat tape you purchase.
References
- Photo Credit Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
