Installing The Cable; Planning Your Cable Arrangement - EasyHeat ADKS Serie Guia Del Usuario

VI. INSTALLING THE CABLE
WARNING
Failure to handle, arrange and install the cable
according to these instructions may result in ice
dam formation or injury or death from electric
shock or fire.
A. PLANNING YOUR CABLE ARRANGEMENT
Before laying out and attaching the cable to your roof, it is important to
plan how the cable will be arranged.
To prevent ice dams, the cable pattern must be arranged so that it routes
meltwater to flow from "warm areas" of the roof through the "cold areas"
and down to the ground. A "warm area" of your roof is one where snow
and ice on the roof thaws because of heat loss through inadequate roof
venting and/or insufficient ceiling insulation. "Cold areas" of your roof are
areas where ice typically builds up, such as the roof surfaces above over-
hangs and in gutters. (See Appendix A on page 19 for more information on
the warm and cold areas.)
In general, you need to apply the cables in the following areas:
— On roof areas, including:
• along the roofline
• in valleys
• in problem areas, such as skylights and dormers (if needed)
— In nearby gutters and downspouts
WARNING!
To avoid overheating the cable and increasing the risk of fire
or electric shock, do not allow any part of a cable to pass through the inside of
any area of a building, including an attic. For example, do not install the cable
in a downspout that has a section that passes through a building. In addition,
do not install cable where it might be warmed by sources of heat, such as an
exhaust vent or chimney. Keep the cable at least 12 inches from these sources
of heat.
This section will also describe how to treat separate areas with multiple
cables, and how to handle cable shortage or excess.
Choose a starting point. The cable starting point must not be near any
entrance areas, sidewalks, etc. to avoid contact by persons or equipment
(such as yard tools) that can move or damage the cable. You may also
want to avoid having the cable power cord routed in front of windows or
high-visibility areas of your home. For more information on selecting a loca-
tion for an electrical outlet, see Electrical Requirements on pages 6 - 7.
8
If an electrical outlet already exists in an appropriate location near
the eave, then that defines your starting point. Otherwise, select an
appropriate starting point and have an electrical outlet installed.
(See Electrical Requirements on pages 6 - 7)
Plan the pattern for your roof. Methods for arranging the cable
pattern for different parts of the roof are provided on the following pages.
The cable does not have to be installed in all of these sections – only in the
sections that have been susceptible to ice dams in the past (see Determining
What Areas Need Cable on page 5). You may or may not need to install cable
along the roofline or near skylights or dormers. However, always install
cable in valleys that are a part of any problem area on your roof.
Figure 3. Typical pattern along roofline and in gutters/
downspouts
TIP: If you will be working directly on the roof during the installation, you
may want to mark the cable pattern with chalk before attaching the cable.
If working from a ladder, you will probably want to lay out the pattern as
you attach the cable with the clips. Making a drawing of your roof and your
planned pattern on paper may be helpful.
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