I get the need to not rely on a GFCI tripping and taking out necessary things like fridges, freezers, etc. Personally I don't like them being on GFCI receptacles either.....but heat trace, I've seen too many that have failed and caused stray currents. To preface, I'm a commercial electrician and get a ton of calls for heat trace troubleshooting in the fall/winter. A standard GFCI receptacle trips 5-10mA, and they're designed for protecting people. Equipment GFCI units can be set up to 30mA, and I recommend a dedicated controller like this for heat trace....but they can be costly. If you know how to set it up, a ground fault indicator unit could be used as well with a small buzzer in the event it senses an unbalanced current or ground fault.
Unfortunately....I've also seen where people have been shocked and seriously injured from ground fault currents. Choose wisely about removing GFCI protection.....especially on water pipes or anything that could be touched by yourself or family.