Best pipe heat cables according to redditors

I wrapped mine with "heat tape", it's just a cable that you plug into an outlet and it sips current to warm up to 50 degrees Fahrenheit whenever the temp dips below that. Something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/HEATIT-30-feet-Heating-Built-Thermostat/dp/B01GZJJAQO/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=heat+cable&qid=1572186438&sr=8-4

I also used the cardboard box that it shipped in to put over the barrel. So barrel -> heat cable -> box. A better approach would be to build a wooden box of sorts, indoors or on a side yard.

My town dips below zero some nights, most winter days are above freezing for the daytime high. So maybe more insulation if you're in a colder place.

Heat tape (or heating cable, whatever) on the pipes. I use this all winter and my pipes have never froze except one time when I forgot to turn it on.
Link

After reading a lot of reviews where people had issues with the hoses, and going through about 2 hoses a year on average myself, I opted to just get the heatstrip and build my own (and it seems that a lot of other RVers do as well).

I bought one of [these] (https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Heat-AHB-019-Weather-Heating/dp/B0000DGAJS?th=1), attached it to the hose with some duct tape, and then wrapped the entire thing in pipe insulation. Be sure to get insulation that's a bit larger than the diameter of the hose, to leave room for the heat strip.

If you have access to the water main coming in, you can put a heater on it. Something like this would work https://www.amazon.com/HEATIT-6-feet-Regulating-Pre-assembled-Heating/dp/B0732YXBM9/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Water+Pipe+Heater&qid=1573522401&sr=8-3

If you know he isn't home, you could also turn off the water at the main. This would minimize any damage if the pipe does burst. This should be your last resort though.

Obviously it is a little late now, but with these backflow preventers, you will want to "winterize" them in the fall/winter. Each model is different, but with mine, I remove all the internals and drain what water I can in there. After that, I use heat tape (http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Heat-AHB-019-Weather-Heating/dp/B00002N6MB/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1397143706&sr=8-2&keywords=heat+tape) and wrap the pipes with it. The manufacturer suggests blowing all the water out of the lines with an air compressor, but I have never done it. I keep it covered with an trash can (it's in the side yard not visible to anyone who isn't going over to that side for a reason), but you can also use one of those fake rocks (http://www.amazon.com/Orbit-Watermaster-53016-Granite-Sprinkler/dp/B0013I2MSG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397143834&sr=8-1&keywords=fake+rock).

Anyways, for your current issue, I would google the model # and look for repair kits. For my model, you can buy that plastic cap and the internals. Replacing it was a breeze, but it may be different for your model.

I know many lawn / sprinkler service companies would love to have the privilege to come winterize your system and then prepare it in the spring, but it isn't an awful task at all.

Good luck..

Grab some insulation and warp that around the whole thing if it gets really cold. Make sure your heat tape is self regulating type when insulating however to prevent it from overheating.

Nah... go with this. Product built for this purpose. Cheaper and self regulates. Doesn't have to be outdoor rated.

Antifreeze in non potable lines/pipes. If you are docked and have AC electric service use heat tape. http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Heat-AHB-019-Weather-Heating/dp/B00002N6MB Also an incandescent light bulb of a decent wattage in the compartments where the lines are will most likely work. Heating a water tank is pretty easy. Remember you need to keep it a few degrees above freezing and it doesn't need to be hot. I've thought about using a few scraps of heat mat that is used under tile floors and throwing it on a tank.

A search on Amazon turned up one result

This should do the job for you easily.

You could wrap your pipes (or lag your pipes), or string some heat tape around them for when it's really cold out.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BPG5XA?psc=1

Are they heat or just water? Is it the whole underside of the house?

I think with the unheated nature and the concrete you should be careful with the moisture issue. But like busstopvip says foam board might be best. You can cut and tape it easily. I don't know how you'd put fiberglass up on concrete unless you put some beams up which would be maybe a bit more work then is necessary.

Or maybe switch them to PEX?

Frost King HC3A Automatic Electric Heat Cable Kits, 3ft x 120V x 7 Watts/ft, 3 Feet Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000IKSQ8U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Np9SCb67308CA

Pipe heater

I spent some time in a mobile home where the plumbing is not well insulated. The pipes, especially the outdoor faucets, are susceptible to freezing unless additional measures are taken. We would cover the outdoor faucets with a foam cover for insulation, and use heat tape. The latter plugs into an electric outlet and has a thermostat to know when it needs to turn on to heat the pipe and keep it from freezing.

Those two items would provide decent protection at a reasonable price, but it wouldn't cost a ton to have a plumber replace the outside faucet with a length of pipe going into the basement where the shutoff valve would be more easily accessible. This is your permanent solution...

Since your gutters are probably full of ice, you won't be able to use traditional roof/gutter heat tape, but you might be able to fix this to the bottom of the gutter, and down the outside of the downspout

Frost King HC30A Heating Cables 30 Feet Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00427COLA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_taa_ixUCCb8S9K2TX

Look around, you can find all different lengths

I made a bad microsoft paint diagram of my situation. I need to make a laundry room in my garage. Door with a swing leads to the back yard, the door with poorly drawn stairs to the house. Ive been researching ideas and came up with this. Would it be easier to pipe all the gas and water up to the ceiling with insulation and pipe heating cable to the storage room then just something like this

https://www.amazon.com/Lasko-5624-Profile-Silent-Heater/dp/B002Q4EYEQ/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1520041893&sr=8-14&keywords=electric+baseboard+heater

https://www.amazon.com/Heat-24-feet-Heating-Cable-Thermostat/dp/B01GZJJ96A/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1521139049&sr=1-1&keywords=pipe+heat+cord&dpID=41zjwIbQ3LL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

in the storage room set to 37 or is there a better solution Anyone can think of?

There is a gas line already on this wall, but no gas goes on with the valve so ill have to figure that out, and the kitchen is on the other side so i can tap into hot water and drill through the wall.

Thanks for any help.

Is there a way you could use a cable pipe heater like this? You can also use a livestock trough heater to maintain an open area of water so the fish can breathe. Placing the heater near the intake for the waterfalls might be enough to keep them going. (Just get a pipe heater soon before they’re sold out.)

Ooh ooh ooh I know this one!?!? Pick me pick me.

I assume you’re in a colder climate that gets snow, they are for sliding under asphalt shingles to do “minimal damage” and hold down heat trace or electric de-icing wire to fight ice damming.

HEATIT Roof De-Icing Heating Cable Spacer and Clips Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MYNF7WZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_tfcFDbAXG3T8T

Bi-fold or accordion doors would work fine. At low temperatures all you need to do is keep the slightly warmer air from floating away. You cannot punch a hole through the wall for warm air without putting in a fire damper, the wall between the house and garage is supposed to be fire rated. I'd suggest a little electric heater like this one. It's lowest set point is 39 degrees and in a confined space like that little closet it would hardly run at all. Just locate it near one of the sides of the washer and it will never freeze. You could also do heat trace on your water pipe and wrap a couple coils underneith the washer and secure it to the bottom.

Dont forget to vent the dryer to the outside as well.

I had a heated basement in my rig when I camped in cold weather, but still added sewer tape https://smile.amazon.com/HEATIT-40-feet-Heating-Built-Thermostat/dp/B06XG17SZC/ref=sr_1_1 to keep the water feed warm, and added a work light https://smile.amazon.com/Simple-Deluxe-Aluminum-Reflector-Included/dp/B01E9IY6US/ref=sr_1_8 on an extension cord to the grey/black water tank cabinet and that worked to keep things from freezing up.

Here it is. I got the 24 ft version.

When I was in Colorado last winter (where we had a storm that brought some days with a HIGH of 15, and a low of -25) I used:

Fresh water line

Heat tape

Self-adhesive water pipe insulation

40* Auto-on electric doodad with three outlets.

• Plug the Heat Tape into the outlet inside the wet bay - run an extension to the wet bay if you don't already have power there.
  
• Put the heat tape inside the foam insulation with the fresh water hose with the heat tape away from the split as much as possible. Optionally, you can wrap the hose and tape with aluminum foil as a heat conductor. Seal with the split with duct tape. I found the factory stick on the insulation to be not enough to reliably hold.
  
• Wrap the excess heat tape around the pedestal to keep it from freezing.
  
• Cover with a bucket, weigh with a brick.
  
  Water Bay
  
  Inexpensive Hanging Trouble Light
  
  Generous supply of lightbulbs.
  
  
• Put a 75-100 watt bulb in the light.
  
• Plug the light into the thermocouple outlet.
  
• Turn the light on and hang it someplace.
  
• Check it periodically to make sure the bulb still works. I went through 4 bulbs in a month.
  
  Tanks
  This is harder. They do make heated tank pads, but unless you're invested long-term in your current RV, AND in staying in colder climates? Enh.
  The best inexpensive solution I've seen is one that you can take advantage of right now, if you can find them in the store still - probably on clearance.
  
  See if you can find a couple long strings of incandescent C7 or C9-style christmas lights. Plug 'em in on a timer or another thermocouple outlet and arrange them on the ground underneath where your tanks are. Once you put up the foam board, the heat from the lights should keep the underbelly above freezing...

Would it be silly to hook up a 100 watt solar panel to some heat tape?

The idea is to make the panel that I'd only use in the summer pay in the winter by pre-heating the water going into my hot water heater a couple degrees, as a way to cheaply and easily make the solar panel work for me when I'm not otherwise using it.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07331JKPR/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1

I'm assuming it's pretty much just a resistor so it shouldn't mind ac/dc or voltage that much. I wonder about the thermostat though, and I'd rather have it cut closer to 120F, although I doubt it'd get there, I'd also not want to burn the place down or have a steam explosion. On that one it's on at 37, which is about what my water comes in at, and off at 50 which I wouldn't think I'd ever get.

Does a solar panel care if the load is just a big resistor?

If the tape is 7.5 watts a foot on 120volt ac, how much would I want for a 100 watt panel? Would I want the controller if I have it anyway?

The margins are pretty thin. Assuming in winter the 100 watt panel give 50 watts 8 hours a day offsetting .4kwh per day, or about a nickel, which means the $24 heat tape is paid back in 480 days assuming the panel is free because for it's other purpose.