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people found this helpful, as of 2023
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out of 571,544,897 reviews
★★★★★
works great
I have had one of these de-icing cables on the front of my house for a few years and it worked great so I decided to add a few more around the house. I have never had a problem with ice dams but this seems like a pretty cheap precaution especially up here in NH.
They provide you with plenty of clips to attached to the shingles and the process is very easy and is a DIY project if you don't mind being on a ladder. It only took me about 30 min. to install the cable.
Just make sure you buy the correct length cable, the way to figure that is through some pre-planning. Take a look at the area you are planning to install the cable and take some measurements. You should have approx 2 foot loops about 16" apart, so if you have a 30 length of roof you want to cover your already at 60 ft., you also need to figure in extra cable for a double run in the gutter (if you have one) so if you add the 30 ft. gutter x 2 that's another 60 ft.
Then add the downspout, let's just say that another 15 ft. x 2 (need a double run for best results) that's another 30ft. So in total you would need a 150 ft. cable for a 30ft. length of roof with a gutter and a downspout.
November 2009 · Patio Lawn and Garden · verified purchase