Heat trace

[BirksToyBox]

Anyone familiar with heat trace? I am thinking bout running 90 feet inside a 4 inch schedule 40 pvc, that's only under the ground bout a foot on average in southern wi. Thanks Which brand and type have you used and results?

 

[ycgoat]

I am not an expert but have done a few industrial heat trace jobs. I don't think you are allowed to bury heat trace. You can use it with PVC, as long as you don't melt the pipe. Normally the heat trace is wrapped around the pipe under insulation, and It usually has distance limitations, so wrapping 90' seems like a lot of heat trace for a DIY home project. (also probably multiple electrical circuits)

 

[BirksToyBox]

There's some online stores that sell heat trace for underground pipes. Heat-Line and Heating elements plus to name a few. $600 and $900. Also thinking about 1/2 inch pex then run hot water couple times a winter to melt any frozen rain water...then blow it out.

 

[TurnipTruck]

I am familiar with industrial heat trace.
In your case, I would use aluminum tape to fasten 120v 3watt/foot (or less) to the bottom outside of the pipe, buried in good draining gravel and topped with foam board.
The tracing will need waterproof ends and a gfci and a timer or temperature switch would be a good idea.
The concept is to thaw a flow path on the bottom of the pipe so the flowing water will finish thawing any ice build up and flush the pipe.
Anything (like trace or pex) in the pipe will increase the chance of clogging.
Warm pvc won’t survive under a driveway that shallow.

 

[engineer2]

What does the 4" PVC do?
I have 40 feet of underground 4" PVC for a downspout and my sump pump. It has never frozen, but then the sump pump doesn't run much during snow season.

 

[BirksToyBox]

What does the 4" PVC do?
I have 40 feet of underground 4" PVC for a downspout and my sump pump. It has never frozen, but then the sump pump doesn't run much during snow season.

rain catch basin drain line

 

[58Yeoman]

There's some online stores that sell heat trace for underground pipes. Heat-Line and Heating elements plus to name a few. $600 and $900. Also thinking about 1/2 inch pex then run hot water couple times a winter to melt any frozen rain water...then blow it out.

If your pex line isn't blown out after every use, the water in it will freeze, and you won't be able to run hot water through it.

 

[Stuart in MN]

https://www.nvent.com/en-us/raychem/solutions/residential/applications/pipe-freeze-protection has a good product that's designed to go inside pipes.