Was wondering, I live in a trailer, so some of my plastic water pipes are exposed to the outside air under trailer, when i put my heat tape on the pipe, is it ok to use anything tight over the heat tape, must i use insulation over the heat tape, is duct tape ok to use over the heat tape??
On 22 Sep 2006 20:09:56 -0700, "Dee" wrote Re Insulation:
Yes, it's ok to put duct tape over the heat tape. I you live in an area where the temp is below freezing from more than 24 hours, I would also wrap some insulation around the pipes and heat tape.
But check the duct tape often, it can easily peel away when exposed to moisture.
There are some specialized tapes used in the insulation business that are rated for water exposure and still hold fast. These are used to seal sufaces of isocyanate foam panels with radiant barrier installed on the foam. The tape completes the air/vapor seal onthe foam panels.
HVAC contractors use a different tape on air ducts as well, one that will hold fast for YEARS in an unconditioned attic. Garden variety Duct tape sold at Walmart, ACE Hardware, HomeDepot and Lowes will NOT do this.
Read this for some help
I have plenty of experience with heat tape in northern Minnesota. Where are you located? How cold does it get there? Where I live the record low is 50 below zero farenheight. We usually have cold snaps where it will not get above zero for weeks. It would be unusual when it gets above freezing.
When using heat tape you use the black electrical tape to hold it in place. You wrap it about every 12 inches just to secure it. If you want to go crazy you can even wrap the entire run. it won't hurt anything and will bring the tape in continuous contact with the pipe which doesn't hurt any.
It is necessary to insulate the tape to acheive any benefit. You buy the fiberglass that comes in a long narrrow strip. It is only a few inches wide and it is wrapped around the pipe in a sprial. You overlap each spriral by at least half the width of the glass. Depending on your climate, you can wrap a tighter spriral for more insulation. You can also wrap the pipe multipe times with the sprial going in the opposite direction. they say not to stretch the glass but to keep it a bit loose. I like to warp the first course tight and the other courses looser.
Don't overlook plastic strips which come in the same package as the glass strips. You use these to create a vapor barrier around the glass. Wrap it in a spiral but in the opposite direction that your final course of glass is wrapped. Then you can wrap it again in the opposite direction if desired.
For most people that will be enough. If you live where it gets really cold like where I live then there are other things you can do as well mostly involving insulating underneath the trailer and around the perimeter.
Lawrence
What he said.
Hi, I'd skirt the trailer with insulation first. And couple light bulbs burning may do the job instead of heat tape. I live in Alberta.
Last Fall I spoke with the folks at Frost King, which makes some tape-style pipe warmers. They said their products should never be surrounded by ordinary insulation, tape, etc. There is a fire hazard.
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