Contents
- Why does ice appear on gutters and gutters
- Ways to clean gutters and gutters from ice
- How to calculate the power, length and pitch of a heating cable for a drain or gutter?
- How to choose a temperature sensor and how many do you need?
- Step-by-step scheme for installing an anti-icing system
- The main mistakes in the installation of heating gutters and gutters
- Sources of
The heroes of the popular television series “Game of Thrones” are often reminded that winter is coming. It’s no secret to anyone, but the first snowfall always comes as a surprise. And it can turn into a real natural disaster. The editors of Healthy Food Near Me, together with expert Maxim Sokolov, prepared several recommendations for heating gutters and gutters – the most effective way to deal with their icing.
Why does ice appear on gutters and gutters
If it is frosty at night and warmer in the morning, then the snow accumulated on the roof melts, and water flows down the drainpipes. And at night it is cold again – and the water, which has not had time to drain, freezes first with a thin, and then with a thick crust of ice. It is very difficult to clean the gutter and pipes from it, the ice completely clogs the free space, the water flows over the edge, forming icicles. This process begins even at an average daily positive air temperature, and if the building is well heated or has poor thermal insulation, then ice builds up even at around-the-clock sub-zero temperatures.
Why is icing up gutters and gutters dangerous?
Icicles hanging from the roof are extremely dangerous. Even a small piece of ice, falling from a height of two or three floors (this is quite a common number of storeys for a modern private house), can seriously injure a person. And the huge icicles that form on the facades of tall buildings more than once killed random passers-by and smashed parked vehicles to smithereens.
Under the weight of the ice, the roofing is damaged, breaking down, icicles carry along gutters, pipes, pieces of roofing iron, slate and tiles. Snow and rain penetrate the attic, and water floods the room. And it all seemed to start with a little ice…
Ways to clean gutters and gutters from ice
Preventive work to prevent frost must be carried out in the fall, cleaning the drains from leaves and dirt accumulated there. They retain water, accelerating the formation of frost.
Mechanical method
Accumulated snow and ice can be removed manually. The mechanical method consists in cleaning the roof and gutters with a special wooden or plastic shovel. It will not damage roofing or gutters. Tall buildings require the use of aerial platforms or climbing teams. Involving random unskilled people in such work is extremely dangerous due to the high probability of accidents.
When using the anti-icing system, the mechanical method refers to its manual activation or deactivation. Saving on the thermostat turns into unnecessary energy costs and the inefficiency of the system as a whole.
Advantages and disadvantages
Icing of the roof and gutters is an extremely dangerous phenomenon. To prevent this natural process, a wide range of heating cables is produced. This is a special heating device.
Heating with heating cable
There are two types of heating cables:
- Resistive cable includes one or two cores of a special alloy with increased resistance. The single-core cable must be laid along the contour of the roof and connected at both ends to the control device. A two-core cable does not require a return to the starting point, both of its cores are connected to the regulator on one side, and on the opposite side they are simply shorted and isolated.
- Self-regulating cable consists of two copper wires separated by a semiconductor material that changes resistance depending on the ambient temperature. Along with the resistance, the heat transfer also changes.
What function does it perform?
Heating cables effectively prevent the formation of frost on the roof, in gutters and drain pipes. Heat transfer can be controlled manually or by means of an automatic thermostat.
What are the options to choose it?
The choice of heating cable depends on the specific conditions of its subsequent operation. On roofs with a simple roof, it is more appropriate to use a self-regulating cable. Roofs and gutters of complex configuration require the creation of a network of resistive heating cables and a mandatory control device with the most efficient algorithm. An important role is played by the cost of the heating cable. Self-regulating are much more expensive, but also more economical.
Anti-icing system
Most of the difficulties in the fight against frost are eliminated by the installation of an anti-icing system. It is built on the basis of heating cables laid along drains, gutters and lowered into downpipes. The heat generated prevents the water from freezing, and it flows freely through the drainage system. Perhaps manual, that is, mechanical, control of the system, but the maximum effect is achieved when using an automatic thermostat.
The device switches the heating on and off when certain values of ambient temperature and humidity are reached.
Pros and cons of warm cables and anti-icing systems
How to calculate the power, length and pitch of a heating cable for a drain or gutter?
The heating cable is laid in places where snow accumulates and ice forms. These are roof overhangs, slope edges, gutters and pipes. Snow guards must first be installed. Having determined the places for laying the cable, you can approximately calculate its length, based on the following values:
A cable is required in a gutter or pipe with a diameter of 0,1-0,15 m power 30-50 W per meter. One string of cable is laid in such a pipe, if the diameter is larger, then two threads with a distance of at least 50 mm between them.
The roof needs power up to 300 W/m2. On the roof, the cable is laid with a “snake” in steps up to 0,25 m. In particularly cold climates, two or even three lines of independent cables are used.
How to choose a temperature sensor and how many do you need?
The choice of sensors is determined by the choice of the anti-icing system itself. Most of them have sensors in the kit or their type is indicated in the documentation. Energy savings increase if not one, but at least two temperature sensors and two control and regulation zones are used. For example, for the southern and northern sides of the roof, where climatic conditions differ sharply. A high-quality thermostat is able to track the readings of four or more sensors, plus humidity sensors.
Step-by-step scheme for installing an anti-icing system
The installation of the anti-icing system must be carried out in dry, warm weather, observing the safety regulations for working at height and following the rules for operating electrical equipment. These recommendations are for reference only, in order to achieve the maximum result, it is necessary to involve professionals both in the design and selection of equipment, as well as in its installation. However, the whole process can be divided into the following steps:
- Clear roof and gutters of leaves and debris. They absorb water like a sponge, freeze and form ice plugs;
- Mark the places for laying heating and power cables and installing temperature sensors according to the project. Mark the installation points of fasteners;
- Fix the heating cables on the edge of the roof, where frost most often forms, and the power cables on the side of the gutter. Clip-on fasteners must be heat-resistant and not exposed to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Attachment points are treated with sealant;
- Connect the heating and power cables to the terminals of the sealed junction box. The place of its installation is selected in advance and is protected from precipitation;
- Install one or more temperature and humidity sensors. They must be installed in a place where there is always or almost always a shadow, their cables are brought out to the control panel installed in the room;
- Mount the automatic switch, RCD, thermostats in a metal cabinet with a mains voltage supply are mounted. Installation is carried out in strict accordance with the “Rules for the technical operation of electrical installations of consumers1“;
- Form the electrical structure of the anti-icing system: connect heating cables, sensors, adjust the thermostat
- Perform a test run.
The main mistakes in the installation of heating gutters and gutters
Despite the seeming simplicity of anti-icing systems, mistakes are made during their installation that do not allow achieving positive results and even dangerous to the lives of users:
- Incorrect design without taking into account the features of the roof, spillway zones, wind roses. As a result, ice continues to form;
- During installation, cheap materials are used, intended only for a warm floor, but not for a roof. For example, plastic clamps, which, under the influence of solar ultraviolet, are destroyed after a few months;
- Lowering the heating cable into the downpipe without additional fastening to the steel cable. This leads to a cable break;
- Use of power cables suitable for indoor use only. Insulation breakdown threatens with a short circuit and even a fire.
The conclusion suggests itself: it is advisable to entrust the development and installation of an anti-icing system to professionals.
Popular questions and answers
Answers to popular questions from readers Maxim Sokolov, expert of the online hypermarket “VseInstrumenty.ru”
The only way to ensure that it turns on at the right temperature is to have a sensor. Install it on the shady (northern) side of the house so that the rays of the sun do not overheat it and there are no false positives. It is also worth making sure that the installation site is far enough away from window and door openings – the heat coming from them from the house should not fall on the temperature sensor.
It will not be superfluous to supplement the control system with a humidity sensor. It is installed in the gutter and detects the presence of water in it. Allows you to turn on the system only when there is a risk of ice formation, while consuming a minimum amount of electricity.
The presence of these sensors makes the system efficient. She will “understand” what the weather is like outside and whether heating is needed. This is what automatic work without user intervention is all about.
It is not recommended to use the system without sensors, in the so-called manual mode. After all, it should work for prevention, and not to eliminate the consequences. If the heating does not turn on in time, and then you turn it on manually, then melting the ice formed in the gutter will be quite problematic. Moreover, this can lead to damage to the drain due to the formation of a large block of ice. Automatic mode allows you to react immediately, without waiting for negative consequences.
It should be noted that heating only gutters and gutters is applicable with a properly arranged roof, when the snow itself falls off it and partially lingers in the form of water in the gutter.
The automatic way of turning on allows the system to work at night, and even in your absence. As soon as the precipitation sensor reacts to the first snowflakes, the cable starts heating. Snow falls into an already heated chute and immediately melts. It does not accumulate there and does not turn into ice.
Sources of
- https://base.garant.ru/12129664/