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Last heat tape question - I promise I am going to replace my heat tape next week. I am securing the needed supplies and I have a question regarding the insulation that goes around the pipe/heat tape.

I have plastic (pex) water line and will be using Frostex heat cable/tape. Currently there is about 1/2 inch thick or so foam pipe insulation around the water line. I was planning on re-using this but wondered if it would hurt to put a 1/2" think fibergalss pipe insulation then the vapor barrier over the foam insulation? I live in Iowa, and it can get well below 0 for an extended period of time. Would I be ok in adding the extra insulation? THANKS IN ADVANCE!

OK, I found a FAQ in the Frostec instructions. It states that Frostex het tape will not burn out if placed too close, overlapped or over insulated. I think I will wrap 1" of fibergalss insulation then the vapor barrier over that.

Always follow the manufacturers instructions for installing, They do very from one to another. Greg

where did you find this heat-tape? Mine is 4 years old and I'm having alot of little to-do's completed soon and replacing this is one of them. Is this something they sell at Lowes/HomeDepot??

Most home centers & hardware stores sell different types of heat tape. there are a few different brands with different installation instructions. Greg

I have the Frostex brand - it is sold by the foot, can be overlapped, can be overinsulated and is priced at $1.50/foot via the internet (google search) or at my local MH dealer it is $2.29/foot. THe end kit is about $14.

Is there any reason I could not use a rol of fiberglass insulation to insulate the pipe/frostec heat tape? I think it would be easier to take a 16"w x 2" thick x 48" long roll and wrap that around the pipe. What I would do is cut it down to 8" wide wrap that around the pipe. I would then take some plastic vapor barrier and wrap that around the insulation. So what I would end up with is 4" (approx) of insulation with plastic over that. This seems to be easier than buying 3" w x 1/2" thick x 50' of fiberglass pipe insulation. I would have to wrap it 3 times to get 1.5" this way. According to the Frostec instructions, for -20 below protection I need 1.5" of insulation with pex and 3/4" pipe.

Is my thinking correct or am I missing something? THANKS for any advice!

Again, I cannot stress enough - FOLLOW THE MANUFACTURE'S INSTRUCTIONS.
Heat tape related fires are a leading cause of Mobile home fires. Greg

I understand about following the directions. I guess what I was trying to ask/verify is this - the Frostex instructions/brochure states that you can overlap and over insulate this type of heat tape/cable without any problems. Also, it states that you increase the thickness of the insulation in accordance to your pipe type/size and desired protection. I was just wondering if anyone has used this type of heat tape and wanted to verify what I read in their instructions - just wanting to make sure it gets done properly. Thanks again!