****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I put up a 160 foot run of this cabling last fall after dealing with a series of brutal heavy snow winters in New England which had caused me significant problems with ice dams and frozen gutters. Not knowing how effective they would be - I thought a test on my "nightmare" section of roof over my deck (which hardly ever gets sunshine in winter) would be worth trying. The installation was a breeze (and I am not a particularly handy guy) though I was careful to follow the instructions carefully. Key things to note are:* Measure twice - buy cable length once. They give great instructions on how to measure your roof - it's not just the length, but requires extra cabling for the ups and downs, as well as downspouts and gutters themselves. So take the 10 minutes to measure before buying.* Plan for where you are going to plug it in - Lay it out mentally ahead of time, because after clipping it all into place, wouldn't you feel dumb if you find yourself with the plug on the far side of the house from where you wanted it?* Put the clips in first - I did this, and then looping the cables into them was SUPER easy. Trying to put the clips in at the same time as putting the cable into them is a bit clunky and just inviting bundles of tangled cord.* Avoid an extension cord - They tell you this in the instructions - but if you have to use one, don't use your typical orange extension cord from Home Depot. Get a super heavy 10 gauge one to avoid overheating and minimal resistance.I installed mine on a nice warm fall day, and it went up in about 1.5 hour (which is about 30 minutes longer than it should have taken - I was being very very slow and careful). Our following winter was a doozy - at one point I had easily 3 feet of snow and ice on my roof - everywhere EXCEPT where the melt cable was. At the beginning of each snow fall, I turned it on, and left it on for 24 hours after the snow. It worked like a charm, with my gutters clear, no ice dams, and a happy me. While my electricity bill went up, it wasn't horrible and WELL worth the problem-free experience.I just installed another 160' run on another section of my roof that had problems and am looking forward to an even better winter this year.UPDATE January 2021 - Cables still work like a champ after living thru multiple winters and hot summers.
