I've seen pipe sleeves combined with heat tape a few times, and honestly, it can work pretty well if done right. The redundancy isn't necessarily a bad thing—especially in areas with brutal winters—but it does add another layer of complexity if something goes wrong. Had a customer once whose heat tape failed mid-winter, and troubleshooting was a bit of a pain with the sleeve in place. Still, beats chipping away at spray foam any day...
"Had a customer once whose heat tape failed mid-winter, and troubleshooting was a bit of a pain with the sleeve in place."
Yeah, been there myself. Heat tape's great until it isn't—had mine quit during a nasty cold snap last year. Ended up scrambling to thaw pipes with a hairdryer at 2am... not fun. Curious if anyone's tried those newer self-regulating tapes? They're pricier upfront, but if they save me another midnight emergency, might be worth the extra bucks.
I've looked into those self-regulating tapes too, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. Heard good things about them being safer since they don't overheat as easily—big plus for me since I'm always paranoid about fire hazards. Still, I wonder how reliable they really are long-term... anyone had one installed for more than a couple winters? I'd hate to spend extra cash just to find myself back out there at midnight again.
"Heard good things about them being safer since they don't overheat as easily—big plus for me since I'm always paranoid about fire hazards."
I've had self-regulating tapes on a couple rental properties for about four winters now, and honestly, they've been pretty solid. No midnight emergencies yet (knock on wood). They're pricier upfront, but the peace of mind alone was worth it for me. I'd say go for it if you're tired of worrying about overheating or late-night fixes...
I've been using self-regulating tapes for a couple years now, and they're definitely worth it. Plus, they're more energy-efficient, so it's a nice bonus if you're trying to keep things eco-friendly. Haven't had overheating issues either, which is great peace of mind...
