Heat cables are kind of a mixed bag in my experience. I put them up a couple winters ago after a nasty ice dam wrecked my gutters, and honestly, they did help keep the worst of the ice away. But yeah, the electric bill definitely took a hit—nothing crazy, but noticeable. I live in Minnesota, so we get those long stretches of subzero, and the cables were running a lot.
One thing I’d say is they’re more of a band-aid than a real fix. If your attic’s not insulated or vented right, you’ll still get ice dams, just maybe not as bad. I ended up adding more insulation last year and that made a bigger difference than the cables ever did. Still, if you’re desperate and can’t do the attic work right away, heat cables aren’t the worst option. Just make sure you get the heavy-duty ones and check them every season—mine got chewed up by squirrels once, which was a whole other headache...
Heat cables definitely have their place, but I’ve seen a lot of folks treat them like a cure-all, which just isn’t the case. In my buildings, we only use them as a last resort when insulation or ventilation upgrades aren’t possible right away. They’ll help a bit, but you’ll still get ice dams if the attic’s leaking heat. Also, maintenance is a pain—between critters and weather, they don’t last forever. I’d always push for better attic insulation first if you can swing it. Heat cables are more of a patch than a fix.
Heat cables are kind of a necessary evil in some spots, but I’m with you—if you can actually fix the insulation and air leaks, that’s the real win. I’ve had tenants unplug them by accident or squirrels chew right through, and suddenly you’re back to square one. They’re not cheap to run either. I get why folks use them, but it always feels like slapping a band-aid on a bigger problem. If you’ve got the option to beef up insulation or fix ventilation, that’s money better spent long-term in my book.
They’re not cheap to run either. I get why folks use them, but it always feels like slapping a band-aid on a bigger problem.
Curious if anyone’s actually seen a big drop in ice dams after upgrading insulation or sealing up attic leaks? I’ve got a couple older buildings where we keep patching, but I’m not sure how much difference it’d make unless we go all-in. Anyone ever regret ditching heat cables completely?
- Upgraded attic insulation 2 years ago (midwest, 1960s ranch).
- Heat cables off since then. Ice dams are way less of a problem—just the odd small patch near gutters.
- Paid for itself after two winters, honestly.
- Only regret: should’ve sealed attic leaks at the same time… missed a couple and had to go back.
- Still, not magic—if your roof’s got weird angles or valleys, you’ll probably still get some ice.
- Heat cables are like painkillers—helpful, but fixing the root issue (heat loss) is cheaper in the long run for me.
