Heater In Attic To Melt Snow

Snow starts to melt in certain areas of the roof which are warmer than others due to heat loss from the attic.

Heater in attic to melt snow.

In cold climates that leads to ice dams. Keep it close to the temperature outside so little or no heat is transferred to the roof where it can melt the snow. The key to a successful snow melting system is in how it s embedded. Make your attic the same temperature as the outdoors if you have one.

Over that third unit from the left there s little heat getting into the attic as evidenced by the unmelted snow. Over the other units enough heat escapes into the attics to melt most of the snow. Once this thick ice forms it prevents melting snow from running off the roof. Heat cables are a much cheaper solution than fixing the source of the problem by sealing air leaks in the attic installing adequate insulation and creating proper ventilation.

As the snow melts water runs down the roof and when it gets to the edge eaves of the roof which are cold it once again freezes. And the extra heat is not just a summer concern come winter hot attic air can melt snow on the roof during the day only to refreeze when temperatures drop overnight creating ice dams that lead. Just mocking your attempts to melt it. Hire a professional to insulate the floor of the attic and install air ventilation.

This can be done by making sure there s proper insulation and air ventilation in the attic to keep it the right temperature. Attic door ceiling lights. The difference between this photo and the first is that the garage is unheated so there s just not much. The same is true of the spacing of the heating cable.

If it s too shallow or exposed it could overheat and fail. Advantages of installing heat cables. Last week s polar vortex forced you to blast the heat in the house but without proper insulation that heat could have been trapped in your attic potentially leaving you with a roof ice dam. Make sure your heating element is 2 3 from the final surface.

If it s too deep it won t be able to effectively melt snow or ice. The snow is a great insulator so it would do its best to hold the heat inside of your attic space. You ll need adequate insulation in the attic and effective sealing of all gaps between the heated portions of your home and the attic i e. If heat cables are correctly and professionally installed they can be very useful in minimizing water buildup behind ice dams.

And the electric bills from the heaters would likely give you a heart attack so then there would be medical bills. It is specifically designed to help prevent the ice dam issue.