How to Heat Gutters

Keep gutters warm to prevent damaging ice buildup.

Heating gutters helps prevent ice from forming and blocking water flow through gutters and downspouts. The main function of gutters is to carry water to a downspout and send it away from the foundation of a house. Without properly functioning gutters, water pools around the foundation and seeps into the basement through hydrostatic pressure. Hydrostatic pressure forces water through porous materials such as cinder block or construction blocks and ends up in a basement.

Things You'll Need

• Ground fault interrupt (GFI) outlet
• Heat cables or heat trace wires

Instructions

1. Measure the length of the gutters plus the measurement from an electric outlet to the gutter. Install a GFI outlet in an attic and run the line out through a gable vent or other roof vent. A GFI, ground fault interrupt, turns off when it comes in contact with water, which avoids shorting and the possibility of fire.

2. Lay heat-generating roofing cables or heat-trace wires inside the gutter and downspout.

3. Plug the heat cables into the outlet when outside temperatures are near freezing, usually below 40 degrees. Heat cables keep the gutters warm enough to stop ice from forming.

Tips & Warnings

• Run heat cables before ice forms.

References

• "Reader's Digest Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual;" Family Handyman Magazine Editors; 2005

Resources

• Warmzone: Gutter Melt