Check Heat Tapes, Cables For Possible Fire Hazards

WASHINGTON---Homeowners and mobile home residents who use electric heat tapes or pipe heating cables to protect exposed water lines from freezing over the winter should inspect the tapes or cables for possible fire hazards before winter arrives.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), some 3,300 residential fires involving heat tapes or cables occur each year.

Pipe heating tapes and cables are installed in crawl spaces and in the sub-structure of mobile homes, beach houses, mountain cabins, cottages and other dwellings where exposed water and drain pipes could freeze during the winter. In many cases, heat tapes are plugged in year-round and are activated by a thermostat when the outdoor temperature approaches freezing.

CPSC said heat tapes and cables should be inspected in the fall for fire hazards. If the plastic covering of the tape is damaged or cracked, the tape should be replaced. If you find bare wires or charring marks, a new heat tape or cable must be installed.

If you are purchasing heat tapes or cables, CPSC offers the following safety tips:

Buy the proper tape for the proper pipe. Know the diameter and length of the pipe to be protected, then buy the heat tape recommended for that size by the manufacturer.

• Follow the manufacturer's instructions for installing the tape or cable. Tape should not be lapped over itself around the pipe, unless specifically permitted in the manufacturer's instructions.
  
  
• Heat tapes or cables should be wrapped directly over the pipe to be protected, never on top of thermal insulation covering a pipe.
  
  

Don't cover heat tape with insulating materials unless so advised by the manufacturer; if you insulate the tape, it must be a non-flammable insulating material such as fibrous glass.

• Never use more insulation than recommended by the manufacturer. Over-insulation can cause a fire.