Securing heat tape

[MarlynOC]

Watching utubes videos of installation of heat tape on pipes calls for using plastic electric tape to wrap it to the pipes. For part of my piping this is possible but there is a length of pex piping that is firmly attached with brackets to the main beam under the house. There is probably enough space between the brackets to thread a plastic wire tie against the beam but not room to get the electric tape through. Is it OK to use the wire ties for those lengths?

 

[L5wolvesf]

I use zip ties at about 9 inch spacing. Then put insulation around the pipe and zip tie at the alternating spaces.

 

[matt_i]

The black-colored zip ties are generally for outdoor use and I regard them as higher quality,over the natural/white-colored versions of same. The natural seems to get brittle over time whereas the UV-stabilized versions stay mostly flexible.

 

[toolmiser]

I used to work at a place that used a lot of heat tapes on trailer homes. The electrician would always put on two heat tapes instead of one. He said they never quit when it's warm, and very easy to plug in the second one.