The best heating cables for plumbing
The heating cable will prevent freezing of the water supply and save you from expensive replacement of communications if they fail due to icing. There are many models of different manufacturers on sale, but how do they differ? Let’s talk about the best heating cables for plumbing in 2022

In winter, owners of private houses, cottages and summer cottages are faced with the fact that water supply and sewage systems freeze. The main trouble lies in the fact that you can be left without water supply for a long time. Not only because the water has frozen: the pipe can burst under the pressure of the expanded ice. This can be prevented by laying pipes below the freezing level of the soil, and maintaining constant heating in the house. But if it is no longer possible to change the location of existing communications or it is impossible to lay a pipe below the freezing depth, it remains to buy a heating cable.

Ideally, lay the heating cable immediately when installing home plumbing, or at least do an “upgrade” of the system in advance of the onset of cold weather. But even if it happens that the pipes are frozen, you can urgently warm them up with a cable. You can mount the cable around the pipe, or you can put it inside the communications. Please note that Not all cables are suitable for indoor installation – read the manufacturer’s label carefully. 

Heating cables are resistive и self-regulating. First you need an additional thermostat. Inside they have one or two cores (single-core are cheap, but both ends need to be connected to a current source, so for ease of installation, two-core ones are often chosen). When the thermostat supplies voltage, the conductors heat up. Resistive cables are heated along the entire length equally. 

Self-regulating cables heat up more in areas where the temperature is lower. In such a cable, a matrix of graphite and polymer is hidden under the braid. It has a high temperature coefficient of resistance. The warmer the environment, the less power the cable cores emit. When it gets cold, the matrix, on the contrary, reduces the resistance, and the power increases. Technically, they do not need a thermostat, however, if you want to extend the life of the cable and save electricity, then it is better to purchase a thermostat.

Editor’s Choice

“Teplolux” SHTL / SHTL-LT / SHTL-HT

SHTL, SHTL-LT and SHTL-HT are a family of general purpose resistive cables. They are supplied as cut cables and prefabricated cable sections. All variants are two-core, with enhanced mechanical strength. The braid protects not only from mechanical damage, but also from ultraviolet radiation. This means that such a cable can also be used in open areas.

There is a huge range of cable cross-sections to choose from, which are designed for different power density: both for pipes of small diameter and for wide ones.

Modification SHTL protected by a sheath made of thermoplastic elastomer, the ground braid is made of copper wire. Version SHTL-LT reinforced with an aluminum protective screen. This is an additional safety for both the person and the cable itself. In this modification, the grounding is made with a copper core. At SHTL-HT the shell is made of PTFE. This polymer is very durable, is not afraid of acids and alkalis, and has excellent insulation. HT has Teflon insulation and tinned copper braid. 

The scope of the range is wide: external and internal heating of the water supply, the cables are suitable for sidewalks, stairs, as well as for installation directly into the ground. For example, gardeners often purchase these cables for heating greenhouses.

All cables are made in Our Country according to international standards. The production is completely localized, therefore it does not depend on foreign suppliers of raw materials. 

Features

Viewresistive
appointmentinstallation outside the pipe
Specific power5, 10, 20, 25, 30, 40 W/m

Advantages and disadvantages

Wide scope. International certificates of quality and safety. All dust and moisture protection according to the IP67 standard – complete isolation from dust, it is permissible to immerse in water for a short time, that is, it will withstand any downpour
A thermostat is required for the resistive cable. It is impossible to lay pipes inside: if you wanted to perform such an installation, then look at the Teplolux line of self-regulating cables
Editor’s Choice
Thermal suite SHTL
Heating cable series
Reinforced two-core cables of increased strength are ideal for heating any water pipes, even in severe frosts. All models of the series are produced in Our Country according to international quality standards.
Find out the costAll benefits

Top 7 Best Plumbing Heating Cables According to KP

1. Varmel Freeze Guard

There are four main products in the Freeze Guard range that are suitable for heating water pipes. Mostly, they are sold with a connection kit, that is, a socket plug is already connected to the cable. Ready-made cable assemblies are supplied in lengths from 2 to 20 meters in 2 meter increments. That is, 2, 4, 6, 8, etc. And from dealers you can buy only a cable – as many meters as you need, without a mounting kit and a connection device.

From each other, the models differ in scope. The braid of some is made of safe “food” material. That is, this can be laid inside the pipe and not be afraid of toxic emissions. Others are only suitable for laying outside. There is a version specifically for sewers.

Features

Viewself-regulating
appointmentinstallation outside and inside the pipe
Specific power16, 30, 32, 48, 50, 60 W/m

Advantages and disadvantages

Elastic, which greatly facilitates installation. There are ready-made kits for use
Expands greatly when heated. In the cold, the braid loses its elasticity, which can make installation more difficult.
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2. “Tapliner” KSN / KSP

On sale are two lines of cables with their models. The first is called KSN and is designed to protect pipes in winter. The KSN Profi model is distinguished by the presence of shielding (an additional layer on top of the insulation, which serves as additional protection for the cores). 

The second line is KSP. It is designed to insulate drinking water pipes. It is subdivided into KSP models (without prefixes), Praktik and Profi. “Practician” – without a sealed entry (needed for hermetic installation of a cable inside a pipe, it is also called a sleeve or gland), “Profi” – insulated with a fluoropolymer, it is more durable, it has a three-year warranty, against one year for other products. And just a PCB – with a sealed input, but with a more budget-friendly braid than that of Profi. All cables are sold by dealers in the length required by the customer – from 1 to 50 m.

Features

Viewself-regulating
appointmentinstallation outside and inside the pipe
Specific power10, 15, 16 W/m

Advantages and disadvantages

Clear labeling of the rulers on the packaging. Warm up quickly
Rigid braid at the end of the cable, it is difficult to pass 90-degree pipe bends with it. There are complaints that the manufacturer does not include a clutch in some kits.
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3. Raychem FroStop / FrostGuard

US cable supplier. A very wide range, which can be confusing. You should know that most of its products are intended for industrial facilities. The FroStop line (Green and Black – for pipes up to 50 and up to 100 mm, respectively) are best suited for heating home plumbing. Cables with markings will be cheaper: R-ETL-A, FS-A-2X, FS-B-2X, HWAT-M. 

They differ from each other in the permissible bending radius – how much the cable can be bent during installation without damaging it. They also have different specific power. The manufacturer indicates which cable will be best for a particular pipe material: carbon steel, stainless steel, painted and unpainted metal, plastic. 

Please note that all of these cables are sold without a connection kit. That is, you will have to buy at least an outlet and a power cable. If you need a finished product, then see the FrostGuard model.

Features

Viewself-regulating
appointmentinstallation outside and inside the pipe
Specific power9, 10, 20, 26 W/m

Advantages and disadvantages

The finished Frostguard kit is praised for the long and soft wire of the main plug. Extended warranty for cables – up to 10 years for some models
The cost compared to competitors is about two to three times higher. Only “Frostguard” can be laid inside the pipe, since its shell is made of a suitable “food” fluoropolymer
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4. Nunicho

A company that buys cables in South Korea, gives them a marketable appearance and sells them in the Federation. The approach of the company can only be applauded, because they are almost the only ones on the market who have made understandable designations for cables and write the field of application on the packaging. 

There are only two types of plumbing cables on the market. SRL (for the outer part of the pipe) and micro10-2CR with a PTFE sheath (for the inner part). 

On sale cable assemblies from 3 to 30 meters. Sealed entry for installation inside the pipe is already included. However, before buying, specify what diameter the part is – ½ or ¾, as the manufacturer completes the kits with different oil seals. 

Features

Viewself-regulating
appointmentinstallation outside and inside the pipe
Specific power10, 16, 24, 30 W/m

Advantages and disadvantages

Very fast heating – helps out during winter incidents, when the pipes suddenly freeze in the house. Clear installation instructions
Thin cable insulation. Judging by the reviews, the manufacturer often confuses the contents of the box by inserting a cable of the wrong length
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5. IQWATT CLIMAT IQ PIPE / IQ PIPE

Canadian cables, two types are sold in Our Country. First CLIMAT IQ PIPE. It is self-adjusting, suitable for outdoor or indoor installation. Power for outdoor installation 10 W / m, when laying inside the pipe – 20 W / m. 

The second model IQ PIPE is a resistive cable, suitable for outdoor installation only, power 15 W/m. Cable assemblies are sold in ready-made lengths, with a socket included. 

Fittings for laying inside must be purchased separately. You can find a self-regulating cable cut to the length you need from dealers. It will require a power cord and a set of heat shrinks.

Features

Viewself-regulating and resistive
appointmentinstallation outside and inside the pipe
Specific power10, 15, 20 W/m

Advantages and disadvantages

Long power section (cable with socket) – 2 meters. The IQ PIPE model has a built-in thermostat, and CLIMAT IQ maintains a constant pipe temperature of +5 degrees Celsius
Very rigid, which complicates installation. Because of the thermostat, its performance cannot be checked in weather above +5 degrees: in this case, there is a life hack – put the thermostat in ice for a while
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6. Grand Meyer LTC-16 SRL16-2

For pipe heating, one model is LTC-16 SRL16-2. It is not shielded, that is, this heating cable should not interact with other cables and electrical appliances. Otherwise, interference is possible, the cable will not work well. However, the likelihood that your plumbing system is covered with other wires is low, so this is not such a clear minus. Also, special attention should be paid to the thermal insulation of the cable and pipe in order to minimize the likelihood of contact with moisture from the outside. 

The cable is sold in assemblies of different lengths up to 100 meters. The first start is recommended at a temperature not lower than +10 degrees Celsius. That is, it is not safe to throw it in severe frost, when the pipes are already frozen.

Features

Viewself-adjusting
appointmentinstallation outside the pipe
Specific power16 W/m

Advantages and disadvantages

A budgetary and effective solution for those who, in advance, when laying a water supply system, decided to equip it with a cable. Flexible, so it is convenient to mount
There is no model range, only one product is suitable for heating water pipes. Power of 16 W / m is enough for pipes with a diameter of up to 32 mm
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7. REXANT SRLx-2CR / MSR-PB / HTM2-CT

If you like to do everything yourself, assemble kits for your tasks and want to save money, you need the SRLx-2CR cable. In place of x – the cable power is indicated 16 or 30 W / m. If you want a ready-made assembly already with a socket for connection and a protective braid at the end, then MSR-PB or HTM2-CT. They are both self-regulating. But the first is for outdoor installation, and the second is for indoor. On sale assemblies from 2 to 25 meters long.

Features

Viewself-adjusting
appointmentinstallation outside the pipe or in the pipe
Specific power15, 16, 30 W/m

Advantages and disadvantages

Long mains cable 1,5 meters. Can be mounted in the cold down to -40 degrees Celsius
The braid instantly remembers the shape of the bend, so if you installed it incorrectly or later decide to transfer it to another pipe, it will be difficult to mount it. Small bending radius up to 40 mm
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How to choose a heating cable for plumbing

A small memo from KP will help you decide on the best cable for your tasks.

Ready set or cut

There are kits ready for installation: a plug is already connected to them, which is plugged into an outlet. There are reels (bays) per footage – that is, only the cable of the required length, which is laid and connected as the buyer needs. 

Remember that cables are still sectional и zonal. It is impossible to cut off the excess from the sectional one (otherwise the resistance of the wire will change, which means there is a risk of fire), and the zonal one has marks on which it can be cut. 

When buying a kit for a cut, do not forget to buy heat shrinks. As a rule, each manufacturer sells them, but in general they are universal, you can take another company.

Choose the power according to the diameter of the pipe

It is recommended to adhere to the following values:

Pipe diameterPower
32 mm16 W/m
from 32 to 50 mm20 W/m
from 50 mm24 W/m
from 6030 W/m

At the same time, for pipes made of plastics and polymers, it is impossible to take a power higher than 24 W / m, since the heating may be excessive.

Thermostat

Resistive and self-regulating cables should ideally be connected through thermostats or through two-pole switches. In the long term, this will reduce electricity bills, since in warm weather it will be possible to turn off the heating. Self-regulating cables are never completely disconnected. Although the owner, of course, can constantly run around and pull it out of the socket. But this is troublesome, plus no one has canceled the human factor, so you can forget it. 

The thermostatic regulator helps out here, because when the set temperature is reached, it turns off the electricity supply. It is guaranteed that the power part of the cable can be turned off in the warm season, when the earth has warmed up and frosts are no longer expected. 

Cable sheath

The cable sheath is selected based on the purpose: for external or internal laying. Polyolefin is laid only outside and in places where sunlight does not reach. The fact is that this shell is sensitive to ultraviolet (UV). Therefore, if you need to lay them in an area where the sun shines most of the day, look for the UV (UV) protection mark.  

Fluoropolymer cables can be run into the pipe. They are almost twice as expensive. If this pipe is with drinking water, then make sure that the packaging or product certificate contains a note that the cable is acceptable for use in “drinking” water pipes.

Minimum bending radius

An important parameter. Imagine that the cable has to go through the corner of the plumbing system. For example, this corner is 90 degrees. Not every cable has enough elasticity for such a bend. If you just can’t do it, that’s half the trouble. What if the cable sheath breaks? Therefore, when choosing a cable, study the bending radius parameter and correlate it with your communications.

Popular questions and answers

The master for the repair and maintenance of engineering systems answers the questions of readers of the KP Artur Taranyan.

Do I need to additionally insulate the heating cable?

The heating cable must be insulated for two reasons: reduce heat loss, and hence the consumption of electricity, and protect the cable. At industrial facilities, a special “shell” of polyurethane foam is used. To insulate pipes in a private house, it is cheaper and more convenient to use polyethylene foam for pipes. The recommended thickness is at least 20 mm. 

Ideally, a layer of waterproofing should be fixed on top. What I do not recommend is the use of roll insulation and laminate underlays for thermal insulation. Sometimes they are taken to save money. It is not safe, they are inconvenient to mount and they are not practical.

Can the heating cable damage the pipe?

Perhaps this is especially common with resistive cables, which, in order to save money, were installed without a thermostat. Excessive heat is worst tolerated by PVC pipes, which are now widely used in laying home plumbing and sewers.

Do you need a thermostat for a heating cable?

The thermostat must be bought when heating pipes with a resistive cable. It is unsafe to start the system without it. It is also recommended to install a thermostat when laying a self-regulating cable. 

This type of cable during heating significantly reduces electricity consumption, but it is still always energized, which means that the electric meter will “wind” without stopping. In addition, non-stop operation negatively affects the durability of the cable. 

Although you can always just unplug the power plug from the outlet and the cable will disconnect. But if you are not at home, the thermostat will do everything by itself.

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