Heating cables can be finicky, I'll give you that, but I wouldn't dismiss them entirely. I've seen them save pipes in situations where insulation alone just wasn't cutting it—especially in those weird corners or crawl spaces where drafts seem to defy logic. The key is definitely proper installation and pairing them with insulation rather than relying on one or the other.
Funny story: Last winter, a buddy of mine thought he'd insulated his pipes perfectly. He bragged about it all fall, only to call me at 3 AM during a cold snap because his pipes froze solid. Turned out he'd missed a small section behind the dryer vent—talk about a humbling experience. After thawing everything out, we added heating cables to that tricky spot, and he hasn't had an issue since.
So yeah, insulation is king, but heating cables can be a worthy sidekick if you use them right.
Had a similar experience a couple winters back—thought I'd nailed the insulation job, but nope. Woke up around midnight to that dreaded dripping sound... turns out a tiny gap near the basement window let in just enough cold air to freeze things solid. After thawing and patching it up, I added heating cables as backup. Haven't had an issue since, knock on wood. Definitely agree they're handy for those sneaky spots insulation alone can't quite handle.
Heating cables are definitely a lifesaver for those tricky spots, but I'm curious—did you check if the pipe was directly touching the foundation wall? Sometimes even a small gap between the pipe and wall can make a huge difference. Had a similar issue once, thought insulation was enough, but turns out the pipe was pressed right against cold concrete. A bit of spacing plus the heating cable solved it for me. Wonder if anyone else noticed something similar...
Hadn't thought about spacing before, honestly... always assumed insulation alone would do the trick. Did you use anything specific to create that gap, or just whatever was handy? Trying to avoid another late-night plumbing adventure myself, haha.
Insulation alone isn't always enough—learned that the hard way myself. Last winter, I had a similar late-night fiasco, and afterward, I used some leftover wooden slats from another project to create spacing. It wasn't anything fancy, just thin strips placed strategically to keep airflow around the pipes. Curious though, has anyone tried those plastic pipe spacers from the hardware store? Wondering if they'd work better or if they're just another gimmick...
