# Heat Trace installed in drain line



## Kunolop (Feb 9, 2013)

I have installed heat trace in roof drain lines before and have a customer which we wired their building request heat trace be installed the entire drain line because it’s freezing up all winter. The line is 4” PVC and is 150’ long (mostly underground) until it hits the catch basin-man hole. In looking on the web nothing really states that this can be installed like this, anybody else come across this? 


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

Sewer gas is explosive. Needs to be traced on the outside.


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## Kunolop (Feb 9, 2013)

99cents said:


> Sewer gas is explosive. Needs to be traced on the outside.




No, rain water only. Is not connected at all to the sewage system.


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## canbug (Dec 31, 2015)

I know they build a kit that can be installed in the drain. I think it was at a farm supply house.

https://www.heatersplus.com/ilh.html

Tim.


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

Kunolop said:


> I have installed heat trace in roof drain lines before and have a customer which we wired their building request heat trace be installed the entire drain line because it’s freezing up all winter. The line is 4” PVC and is 150’ long (mostly underground) until it hits the catch basin-man hole. In looking on the web nothing really states that this can be installed like this, anybody else come across this?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Run the heat trace outside of the PVC pipe.,

second thing .,

How deep this pvc drain pipe is in and pitched correct ?


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Raychem. Any other brand and you're already screwing up.


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## Kunolop (Feb 9, 2013)

frenchelectrican said:


> Run the heat trace outside of the PVC pipe.,
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Pipe is 5’ under a lumber yard asphalt slab, is 4” and draining properly when it’s not frozen. Raychem rep says to go ahead and use GM-2X line? Guess I will


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

99cents said:


> Sewer gas is explosive. Needs to be traced on the outside.


In the US roof drains don't typically go into sewer lines, they go into storm drains.


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## cl2sparky (Jan 3, 2017)

Kunolop said:


> Pipe is 5’ under a lumber yard asphalt slab, is 4” and draining properly when it’s not frozen. Raychem rep says to go ahead and use GM-2X line? Guess I will
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


If the drain is 5' under ground, what is your frost line?

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## Kunolop (Feb 9, 2013)

cl2sparky said:


> If the drain is 5' under ground, what is your frost line?
> 
> Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk




Normally 3-4’ here under regular conditions, but in a high traffic area it can get to 8’!


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## cl2sparky (Jan 3, 2017)

Kunolop said:


> Normally 3-4’ here under regular conditions, but in a high traffic area it can get to 8’!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Wow!!

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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

MDShunk said:


> Raychem. Any other brand and you're already screwing up.


Pffft. Raychem, Thermon, EasyHeat, Nelson, same chit.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

Put self reg inside the pipe but go to a manufacturer's website to check out maximum run length and circuit breaker size. 240V cable most likely.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

Phone EasyHeat in Elmira. Good guys.


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

MechanicalDVR said:


> In the US roof drains don't typically go into sewer lines, they go into storm drains.


We have storm sewers and we have sanitary sewers.


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## paulengr (Oct 8, 2017)

Sewage plants call it I&I. Rain can easily overload and overflow a wastewater plant. Older systems in the US ran them together. Newer systems separate them.

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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

MikeFL said:


> We have storm sewers and we have sanitary sewers.


Exactly, this isn't some third world country.


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

It took a while to digest why we call the **** sewer a "sanitary" sewer. It creates sanitary conditions in the buildings which they are connected to.

And storm sewer doesn't sound as clean as it is, because of the word sewer. But that's what we call it in the code books.

Our city has a marina. They call it the City Yacht Basin. To me a basin is something my mother handed me when I was sick so I could vomit in it. I'd much rather see the city marina called the "City Marina". But I'm not on city council.


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