****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I've used this before and needed a little more. It is constructed well and completely waterproof.For the money, I was really happy with this product and the result. The pictures I'm adding were the first snow fall and rather old. I probably could take more dramatic pics right now. But regardless. I decided to run the cables back and forth 3 times and down the downspout. One run on top of the bracket with zip ties, two runs on the bottom of the gutter separated by spacers that are provided. Those are oversized six inch gutters. Pretty dramatic result. N side, full of snow. S side with cables clear. Today, if I took more pics the N side is 6 inches of ice. The south side is almost 100% clear. Normally due to the extra sunlight, the S side would be frozen and dripping water over the course of the day, and freezing on my stoop and walkway. But with the cables, not a drop. Problem solved.I've been using Easy Heat roof de-icing cables for 20+ years. These cables work perfectly to prevent ice dams. The first set I installed lasted over 18 years (!'m told by an electrician who professionally installs Easy Heat cables that they usually last about 10 years depending upon how much summer sunlight they're directly exposed to). I've just installed new sets after having my roof re-shingled. Due to the rough winter last year, I've also added cables over areas of the roof not previously covered with the cables in order to prevent any ice dam formation in those locations in the future. The installation instructions are extensive and very clear (you can download them from the web and review them beforehand). The instructions provide guidance on how to measure areas of your roof where you want to install Easy Heat cables so you can order cable sets of the correct length. Installation is straightforward. Easy Heat uses a clip that slips onto the edge of shingles in order to hold the cable in place. Other cable systems sometimes use clips that are nailed to the roof which was certainly nothing I wanted to do. Easy Heat clips are easy to slip onto the edge of the shingle without damaging it. I recommend Easy Heat cables for home use.After one season of use I have to say that this works as described. Installation went well and despite an extremely cold and snowy winter I did not get any buildup of ice where this was used. Knocking it down one star because the clips which hold the cable in place dislodged twice and I had to climb the ladder and reattach. I've got a relatively new 30 year architechural shingle and the initial bite seemed great but didn't hold at every point in the long term. Maybe putting them on in December doesn't give time for the shingles to adhere best? Not sure, but I'll be straightening it all out once it warms up because this still saved me a lot of headaches.Oh, and you get an abundance of clips with your initial order, which would be great if you can remember where you put the extras. I can't. Guess I'll buy a bag to be sure I've got good ones in place next winter.We've had serious problems with ice dams in one section of our roof despite trying several methods to stop them. This year the de-icing cable has solved the problem with flying colors. We have not had temps below zero much yet but ice dams form mainly when the snow is melting and that's when this works the best.Installation was pretty easy. I had no problems with the clips and the main challenge was working out a scheme to run the cable along the roof edge and into the gutter, but even that was pretty straightforward.That brings me to the one thing I wish would be made more clear - when you install the cable it is in a triangle shaped pattern along the roof, and you may also run it up any valleys in the roof and down the gutter. For me I ended up using about 3 feet of cable per one foot of the actual roof run, so buy longer than you think you will need.Addendum: We've had this thing five seasons now and it continues to work great. It's unusual to have a purchase that works this well for this long, but we have not had a bit if a problem with ice dams since we bought it, even with the severe winter we just went through.The cable came with Amazon's usual speed of light delivery. The instruction booklet told me exactly how to install the cable to the shingles using the clips provided. Don't worry, you will likely have far more clips than you need for your installation. My only concern is that I am still a little unsure about the best time to turn it on and turn it off. You don't want to be melting snow when subfreezing temperatures will immediately turn the resulting water into ice. I guess it's a matter of experimentation, although the instructions do give some guidelines. In any case, I am not having the huge problem of ice dams and resulting icecycles dripping water onto my front porch and creating the ice skating rink that I had last year. The de-icing cable does the job nicely. A suggestion: I don't have a dedicated switch inside the house to turn the cable on and off. It's just plugged into the outdoor 120VAC receptacle on the front porch. However, I did buy a switch that plugs directly into the 120VAC outlet, into which I can plug the de-icing cable. Flipping the switch is easier than plugging and unplugging the cable each time I want to use the de-icing system.The wire comes with plenty of mounting pieces that compress into roof shingles and with connectors. I installed most of my wiring in gutters and downspouts. There is about 15 feet on the roof. I live on Long Island where north-facing roofs are vulnerable to snow melt from the upper roof that re-forms into ice on the lower roof where it is not warmed by the sun. The gutters freeze up as well. I had a big problem with ice dams forming and directing water into the house. This wire eliminated that problem. I have to plug it in when needed. I do not want the current draw when ice is not building up. I could remove that issue by wiring it into a thermostat. I leave it in the gutter in the warmer weather, instead of removing it entirely and re-installing in the winter. I have used it for three seasons now and it has eliminated the problem! Very happy with the purchase.
