Or in unheated rooms, you need to reheat. Otherwise, there is a possibility of its freezing, and in cold period the object runs the risk of being left without water supply. This problem is successfully solved by installing a heating cable for pipes.
It is laid in a special method inside the pipeline or wrapped around the circumference. Manufacturers offer products of various lengths (from two to twenty meters).
This makes it possible to heat the ground section of the system, or part of it in the area of soil freezing.
Considering how a heating cable for pipes works, it should be noted that everything is quite simple.
The heating element heats up under the influence of a passing electric current, and works by converting this energy into heat. Characteristic of this line of products lies in the fact that they do not transfer energy, but only accept it. The transformation is carried out without the use of fuel and oxidizing agent.
Such a system works with a specific heat release, measured in W / m. It is a measure of the power released per unit length of the device during operation.
The heating cable for water supply pipes is arranged as follows.
Various types of heating systems can be purchased for water supply pipes. In hardware stores, their choice is very wide. The price is calculated based on the number of cores inside.
The most simple construction for the cheapest products. But, they have a significant drawback - this is the lack of protection from electromagnetic radiation. But 2 and 3-core heating structures have additional core that conducts current.
Depending on the heat release scheme, it happens: a self-regulating and resistive cable, designed to heat the line. In turn, resistive are subdivided into:
The first heating mechanism produces heat by passing electricity through the heating veins. It can be composed of one or two veins. Also, such a heater is equipped with several conductors that have a spiral or linear shape.
Video: installing a heating cable inside a water pipe
IMPORTANT! It is impossible to cut any heating element to the required length.
Self-regulating option for heating mains, with design features reminiscent of resistive ones. The only difference is the lack of insulation coating. And in different zones of the heating sections, the heat release is different.
This is due to the resistance of the polymer, which increases as the temperature rises, while reducing heat generation. This is the self-regulation effect, which prevents overheating and burnout of the structure.
The technology of laying the cable in pipes must be maintained down to the smallest details. A well-carried out installation allows you to create a line that will work uninterruptedly for a long period at any ambient temperature.
This technology looks like this:
This gasket runs along the pipe
And this is a gasket made in a spiral.
Upon completion of the work on the insulation of the water supply, markings are made and information on the presence of heating of the network is indicated.
This significantly reduces heat loss. When pulling a heat cable, it is advised to use the values of the minimum insulation thickness.
The heating cable for the storm water pipe inside the pipe protects the drainage network in winter period from destruction. Properly organized heating drainage system makes it possible to protect people's lives from ice falling from the roof and allows you to save money on annual roof repairs.
To warm up the stormwater inside, use various systems, but at the heart of each of them is the use of a special heating cable. The stormwater drain is equipped with both resistive and self-regulating heating devices.
More preferable is called a self-regulating type of devices that respond to changes in ambient temperature and change the degree of their heating.
Both types of cables can provide effective heating of the roof and stormwater in the middle, and each has its own advantages. For example, resistor devices are an order of magnitude lower, but self-regulating types consume electricity more economically.
The specific indoor heating pipe for pipes is selected in accordance with the intended use of the specific network. For example, for household tasks in country house a short internal heating element can be used.
Video: all about heating a pipeline with a cable route
The power of this heating device is within 60 W / m. You should not exceed these figures. Experts say that an increase in these indicators is unnecessary financial expenses, since the indicated values are quite enough to melt the icy system in an economical way.
The most common is the self-regulating heating type. Its power is determined by two parameters, which must be indicated when marking, these are:
It is not difficult to buy an internal heating cable. This can be done at any hardware store. If you have any doubts when buying, then it is better to resort to the help of specialists. Masters will help you purchase an internal heating device, and, if necessary, quickly carry out its installation.
Heating cable for pipes is the most effective solution for completing any heating network. This use allows you to get a really effective result and economical heating. The heat cable can successfully solve this problem, which today can be bought with the necessary technical characteristics.
The heating cable has found wide application in other industries:
Extensive use of heating devices has become possible due to their low cost and quick installation work.
Heating cables for pipes have been introduced recently, but the effectiveness of this solution has made it very popular with consumers.
Video: pipeline heating installation
In the conditions of our country, the problem of preventing freezing of pipes of a water supply or sewerage system is relevant as in no other. Climatic conditions under which the depth of soil freezing for most regions, except for the southern ones, reaches 2 or more meters, urgently requires the pipes to be protected from freezing with a heating cable.
Indeed, in such a situation, it is not just a cessation of water supply or utilization. Wastewater, but also the need for the production of large-scale renovation works with the replacement of network sections.
The solution to this problem is additional heating of the pipeline, for which a heating cable for plastic pipes is used.
The use of plastic pipes is more and more popular, given the factor that such products rarely deteriorate when freezing, since the material of manufacture is plastic in itself. But the heating cable for defrosting plastic pipes is used more and more actively, since it allows one to avoid large-scale repair work and continue the operation of the pipeline.
The heating element in such systems is a wire made of an alloy such as nichrome, covered with a heat-resistant sheath. Drainage wires are located directly in contact with them, the purpose of which is to uniformly distribute heat over the cable cross-section, which is facilitated by the high thermal conductivity of the material.
These items are made from copper wires... From the first two components, heat is transferred to the shell made of an aluminum alloy with high thermal conductivity and is evenly distributed over the surface of the conductor. In addition, the aluminum interlayer gives the heating cable extra strength.
The finish coating of the conductor is heat-resistant fluorine-containing plastic... This design of the cable route for heating plastic pipelines ensures its durability and functional qualities.
In addition to the listed components, a signal core with a sensor that responds to a decrease in the temperature of the heating cable and gives a signal to turn on the relay of the heating control circuit is often introduced into the design of the product.
It is advisable to use such a heating structure for plastic pipes for summer cottages and country houses where a person is present periodically.
According to the principle of operation, cables for heating are produced in two modifications:
The first, after switching on, work constantly, heating the water in the line to a temperature of + 5 to + 13 degrees, which depends on the pipe section and the power of the heating cable. Resistive cords can be single-core or two-core, the difference between them is only in the connection diagram.
The principle of operation of a self-regulating cable is based on the property of most conductors to change their resistance when the temperature changes. environment... So, when the conductor cools, its resistance increases, and, consequently, the degree of heating.
The principle of operation of a self-regulating conductor is much more complicated, and the material of the main element is rather expensive. As a result, the price of such a cable for heating plastic highways is from 300 rubles per linear meter and this is only the lower limit.
But when using it, an almost constant temperature of water supply or sewage systems is guaranteed, and the plastic pipe will not undergo deformation and destruction.
When installing a heating cable, thermostats are often used to turn on / off the heating system when the temperature of the water in the communication changes. These devices are not cheap, but must be used with residential buildings with periodic visits. In addition to the integrity of the system, the devices contribute to significant energy savings.
The main requirement for such a connection to a source is the placement of a branch below the depth of soil freezing. This factor depends on the climatic conditions of the area.
For the Moscow region, it is about 1.8 meters, in Chelyabinsk region- 1.9. Imagine a situation when the inlet section should be 10 - 15 meters long with a trench depth of more than 2 meters (up to 30 cm will be a drainage layer device). Moreover, its width should ensure the comfortable work of the excavator. It's time to order an excavator here!
When using heating cable routes, it is enough to dig a ditch deep up to 50 cm and order width 30 ... A drainage device is also needed. Laying the plastic pipe with a heating cable must be done freely, not stretching.
With such a placement of the pipe, its deformations are inevitable due to ground movements, but in the case of using plastic products, they are not dangerous due to the plasticity of the material.
The cable for heating plastic pipes can be placed on it in various ways:
This mount provides the greatest contact surface of the object and the heating element. Fastening is done with metallized tape in the transverse and longitudinal directions;
With this arrangement of the heat dissipator, one or two threads are laid on different sides of the pipe. Fastening is done in the same way;
Cable installation in plastic pipes It is produced using a tee of a special design with a crimping element to seal the conductor outlet. Depending on the cross-section of the cable, which occupies a part of the cross-section of the water supply system, the supply pipe is selected of a larger size.
To prevent heat loss into the environment, the heated pipes are in all cases equipped with an additional heat-insulating layer of split insulators, winding. To protect it, use various materials from roofing material to metal foil.
Installation of a cable in plastic pipes with an internal arrangement is not applicable. Such drains often contain chemically active substances that can cause significant damage to the mains in a short time.
A feature of the arrangement of drainage systems is the need for their arrangement with a slope of at least 5 degrees towards the sewer main. If the site has its own water treatment or water collector, they need to be insulated and heated with separate devices.
Heating cables are often used for defrosting drainpipes to prevent their destruction. In this case, more powerful heat spreaders are used at the rate of 30 - 50 W per meter.
The cable for defrosting plastic pipes of drainage systems should also have the same power.
Consider the typical errors in the design of heating systems:
The installation of the cable on plastic pipes is so simple that it can be done by hand on the basis of only the instructions for performing these works and does not require additional skills.
A cable for defrosting plastic products is installed, as a rule, for preventive purposes in order to avoid the formation of ice plugs in places of increased risk, in particular, at the outlet of the drain system from the house.
It is not a fact that it will be used constantly, but in any climate it can occur extreme conditions exploitation. In this case additional opportunity heating / defrosting pipes will not be superfluous.
The costs incurred for the heating cable for plastic pipelines and its installation will significantly reduce the cost of implementation construction works and will reliably protect the consumer from climatic vicissitudes.
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Owners of their own houses with an individual water supply system in winter are faced with the problem of freezing pipeline sections. This situation slows down the flow of water, and can lead to breakage of the pipe or the entire heating system. To avoid such problems, you can install a cable to heat the water pipe.
Example of freezing a pipeline
For a long time, special wires have been used to heat the sewerage and water supply system. The heating cable is a conventional wire with an electrical resistance adjustment that is used to control the heating of the cable.
It is used in open pipe sections to avoid the formation of an ice plug. When the air temperature drops below minus 5 degrees Celsius, the wire must be connected.
Note! If you turn on the wire after the freezing of any section of the water supply, then you will need certain time until the ice turns into water, while the pressure of the liquid in the system will be very weak.
Such systems include not only the cable itself, which regulates the water temperature, but also the following elements:
Note! A heated water pipe has many advantages and is inexpensive.
Heating wires are classified according to the heat dissipation scheme into self-regulating and resistive systems. Each of them has its own characteristics.
The principle of operation of such a cable is to heat an insulated metal core, and it is important to monitor the temperature in order to prevent combustion of the heating element.By the type of construction, such a cable comes with one or two cores. The first option is rarely used, since it requires closing the circuit. When heating pipes, such a system is sometimes not possible at all.
The disadvantages of the system include the following:
For more economical operation, the second option is used.
This self-regulating heating cable system for water supply is completely different in principle of operation from the first option.The two conductors (metal) are separated by a special semiconductor matrix that acts as a heating source. This ensures high current conductivity at low temperatures. Moreover, when the temperature rises, the consumption of electricity decreases markedly.
Note! The self-regulation process takes place at separate points along the entire length of the heating.
These features allow you to achieve the most high temperatures in more vulnerable areas. There is such a system of cables for heating water pipes its advantages:
There is also a negative side - the high cost of the cable itself. Even for simple varieties, the price is about 300 rubles per meter, and the most "advanced" models are estimated at over 1000 rubles.
Any system can be installed inside or outside the pipe. Each technology has its own characteristics that should be taken into account during installation. So, for an external structure, it is better to choose models with a flattened section, since a large surface of the cable will contact the pipe, which will increase heat transfer. The power limit is wide, you can pick up from 10 to 60 watts per meter.
Professionals have a rather complex system for calculating the required power of a wiring system for heating water pipes. In a domestic environment, you can use more in a simple way where you should rely on several indicators:
You can find in different stores the most different cost for such a heating system, everything will depend on the material of manufacture and the manufacturer's company, as well as on the power. For example, for a heating cable for a water supply system installed outside the pipe, the price can start from 300 rubles and more per one running meter.
Installation variations will depend on the insulation method (internal or external). Let's consider several ways.
Usually, this type of installation is used when the pipes are already in operation and plugs are formed in frosts. Moreover, if you expect to mount a cable for heating a water pipe in a container with drinking water, then it is worth purchasing a special one, which has an admission.
To enter the cable inside, a gland is required, which is not required for external installation.
To install the system inside the pipe, it is necessary to accurately calculate the length of the pipeline section that needs to be heated. The place of installation is indicated by a warning sign.
Note! All actions during internal installation must be carried out very carefully to prevent damage to the cable. In this case, it is better to close the thread on the fittings with the factory flight one, like other sharp objects.
The most commonly used method is to install the cable on the outside of the pipe.
If you carry out quality work on the installation of the heating cable, then it will provide you with long-term trouble-free operation of the entire water supply system. To do this, you must follow the stages of work:
The first installation option is to carry several parallel threads along the pipe, the number of which depends on the required power.The second is a spiral arrangement. This option will require high costs, therefore it is used for small areas plumbing.
Freezing of the water supply system in winter time... The water in the pipes freezes for various reasons - improper installation of the water supply system, too low temperatures in winter, or simply the inability to lay the water supply system below the freezing level. To solve the problem, it is recommended to heat the water pipes with a cable, which even a novice electrician will be able to do. Next, we will tell you how to install a heating cable for a water supply system with your own hands, providing instructions, illustrative photos and video examples, as well as laying schemes.
To begin with, let's consider how pipes are heated with electricity. The heating principle is built similarly to the system - or it is laid in the right place, connected to the network, as a result of which the area is heated. There are two ways to mount the heating conductor for the water supply - fixing from the inside or from the outside. Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages, which we will discuss below.
As for the heating cable, the resistive cable is used more often, because costs an order of magnitude cheaper. An important nuance- a two-core conductor is used to heat the water pipes. This is due to the fact that a single-core one needs to be looped, and this is very problematic in the context of installing cable heating for a water supply system. Alternative option- laying of a self-regulating conductor, which heats pipes more economically and can work without a thermostat. The disadvantage of using a self-regulating model is considered to be a higher cost (approximately 2 times).
First, we will consider how to install a heating cable for a water supply system with internal and externally, after which we will talk about the nuances of connection and additional thermal insulation of the system.
At the stage of laying the water supply circuit, it is considered more preferable to mount the heating cable along the pipe. This can be done in two ways - along the pipeline or around. Consider the mounting instructions for each of the methods.
The easiest way is to install the heating cable in one line along the circuit. In this case, a prerequisite should be the fastening of the conductor under the pipe, which makes it possible to protect the heating element from mechanical damage above. In addition, the water begins to freeze from below, therefore, the lower location of the flexible heater will allow you to quickly eliminate the freezing of the water supply system.
If you decide to lay several cable lines along the pipe, you need to do this as shown in the diagrams below:
As for fixing the heating cable to the water pipes, it is best to use aluminum tape, which securely fixes the conductor and increases its heat transfer. Instead of scotch tape, you can also use adhesive tape for fastening, which is wrapped around the pipeline according to the following scheme: 
Pay particular attention to the installation of the water heating cable through the corners. To keep the bend not too big, it is recommended to place the conductor along the outer radius of the pipe, as shown in the picture below:
In regions with very low temperatures it is recommended to completely wrap the heating element around the piping. In this case, the heating efficiency will be an order of magnitude higher, because the pitch of the turn is about 5 cm (you can increase it if you want). The length of the conductor when wound with a spiral should be approximately 1.7 times the length of the water pipe. Laying the cable in a spiral in hard-to-reach places can be done as follows:
In this case, the heating cable is first wrapped with an allowance, after which the loops are wrapped in the opposite direction. As a result of the actions, it turns out less than with step-by-step winding of a water supply system.
More flexible heaters need to be attached to components such as metal supports, taps, valves and flanges, because there is a greater heat dissipation here. You can clearly see the installation diagrams below:
How to hold a flexible heater with your own hands
Special attention should be paid to the installation of the thermal sensor. In order for the heating of the water supply system to work properly and the cable does not overheat, it is recommended to place the sensor at the coldest point, as far as possible from cable line... It is recommended to pre-glue the place of installation of the temperature sensor with a strip of aluminum tape. Examples of correct sensor placement are provided below:
It is recommended to install the heating cable in the pipe if it is not possible to carry out heating from the outside. Most often, this method is chosen if the water supply system is already installed underground, in concrete structures and other inaccessible places. Flaw internal installation flexible heater is as follows:
In the same time positive aspects low energy consumption of the heating system (direct contact of the heater with water), as well as less labor-intensive repairs (it is enough just to pull the cable out of the tee, there is no need to break the ground, etc.).
So, the installation of the conductor inside the pipe is carried out according to the following step-by-step instructions:
How do you see, indoor installation heating cable into the water supply system is not a big deal. Now let's talk about the final stages of installation: connecting to the network and thermal insulation of pipes.
Since you are just studying how to make electrical heating of water pipes, at the stage of fastening we did not talk about one very important nuance, which we will dwell on now - the insulation of the end of the conductor. For this, a heat-shrinkable tube is used, which reliably protects the conductors from moisture ingress. Also, to connect a flexible heater, you need to connect the heating part with the so-called "cold" one. We recommend that you visually watch all the stages of connection on the video:
Mounting the handpiece and joining the two sections
How to properly cut a self-regulating conductor
For economical and safe work heating the water supply system, we also recommend connecting two devices: and a thermostat. The first device will protect the heating system from, and the second will allow you to regulate the heating temperature through a temperature sensor. An important nuance - when connecting the sensor to the thermostat, it must be borne in mind that most models work properly only if the length of the water supply does not exceed 50 meters (it is better to check this already in the store).
And the last thing to do is insulate the pipes for better heat retention. As a heater, you can use special cylinders cut from one side. They can be made from mineral wool, expanded polyurethane or even expanded polystyrene. Choose a suitable option for the price and wrap the pipes with it. In addition to saving heat, the thermal insulation layer additionally protects the conductor from mechanical damage (for outdoor installation). The thickness of the insulation must be at least 20 mm for half-inch pipes, 30 mm for inch pipes, 50 mm for two-inch pipes and 65 mm for other sizes.
That's all the instructions for installing and connecting heating water pipes. As you can see, the technology is quite laborious, however, it is quite possible to do the installation of a heating cable for a water supply system with your own hands. If you have any difficulties, ask questions in our
In a country house, the problem of freezing water pipes is a fairly common problem. This may be due to severe Russian frosts or improper laying of engineering networks. This unpleasant task can be solved with the help of forced heating of water supply networks. Even a novice home craftsman can install a cable for heating a water pipe.
The heating system will help avoid a water emergency
The principle of such heating is quite simple and similar to the operation of underfloor heating. Suitable for plumbing self-regulating heating cable or resistive. It is laid in the right place and connected to the mains.
Installation of the heating device is carried out in two ways:
A resistive heating wire for water pipes costs less than a self-regulating one, so it is used more often.
Important! A two-core wire is used to heat engineering networks. It does not need to be looped like a single core.
Self-regulating conductor is good in that it significantly saves energy and does not require the installation of a thermostatic device. Its only drawback is that the cost is twice as high as compared to the resistive analogue.
Related article:
What are the advantages of such a cable? Is its price justified? And how to mount it correctly? Read in a special publication of our portal.
In what situations is the installation of a heating conductor required:
Note! The laying of a water supply system below the soil freezing line does not exclude the likelihood of an emergency. Water can partially turn into ice and tightly clog the network.
Heating the water supply pipe avoids freezing and allows you to maintain the required temperature throughout the winter period
The cost of resistive wiring starts at three hundred rubles. A self-regulating conductor will cost about seven hundred to one thousand rubles.
The system for heating engineering networks has several components:
Note! The cable for heating the water pipe can heat up to a temperature of one hundred and twenty degrees, but it is worth remembering that such heating can adversely affect plastic materials.
It has two heating conductors, clothed in a heat insulator and a screening sheath. It works like a regular heating element. The main requirement for this device is not to divide it into parts, in this case, too many adapters will be required, which will significantly complicate the installation.
The resistive conductor evenly heats the entire water supply network. If any part of it has ceased to function, you will have to change the entire system. But the main thing in this system is its low price. It is easy to install the heating cable for the water supply outside the pipe with your own hands, saving on the invitation of specialists.
This device has a semiconductor matrix that allows you to adjust the temperature of the system to the external conditions. The matrix is placed between the cores of the wire. This system allows you to conserve energy while maintaining optimal results. This system can be divided into parts without fear.
This type of heating is considered the easiest to install. The only important condition is that the electrical cable must pass under the network. This position will protect the wire from accidental mechanical damage. In addition, the water in the pipeline begins to be seized by the ice from below, so this type of heating will prevent an emergency. There are several schemes for outdoor cable routing:
To fix the wire, you can use construction metal tape, it will firmly attach the cable to the pipe, and increase its heat transfer. Securing the cable with ordinary tape is possible, but short-lived. When laying the conductor, special attention must be paid to the angular momentum. To prevent the vein from breaking, it is placed on the outside of the pipeline.
In the northern regions, where severe frosts are observed for a long time, experts recommend winding the heating cable around the water supply in a spiral manner. The consumption of the core will be almost twice as much, but the efficiency of such a device will also increase by an order of magnitude. The step of one turn is from five centimeters or more.
Advice! For winding the wire in hard to reach place first, many turns are wound, and then they are straightened in the reverse order.
To prevent overheating of the system, a temperature sensor must be installed on the resistive cable. It is recommended to install it in the coldest place, far from the heating vein. The installation site is wrapped with metal tape.
Laying a heating wire inside a water supply system is a less time consuming process. A choice is made in his favor only when engineering networks have been installed for a long time and are inaccessible for arranging external heating.
Cons in a similar method:
How to install a heater inside the pipeline:
To insulate the end of the cable, heat shrinkage is used, which protects the wire from moisture penetration. How to properly connect the heating of the water supply system is shown in detail in the video below.
Helpful information! Most heating systems work only with a cable length of up to fifty meters.
To increase the efficiency of the system, it is necessary to cover the water supply with heat-insulating material.
The thickness of the insulation must be at least two centimeters. The larger the pipe diameter, the thicker you need to choose a heat insulator.
Heating cable plumbing system will help to avoid freezing and bursting of pipes in severe frosts.
It is not difficult to mount such a heater, but you should take into account the recommendations of specialists for calculating the required power of the heater.
How to choose the right self-regulating heating cable for the water supply system so that the pipes do not freeze even in winter? 
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