Easy Heat RS-2 Automatic Roof De-Icing Cable Control

I have used eight RS2 units for two years. After lots of trial and error and some modification, they do the job. I live in an area which receives an average of 11 to 12 feet of snow each winter. Compared to using heat tape with out the RS2 controllers, they significantly reduce my electric bill while improving the prevention of ice dams. I did have to splice about 25 feet of wire on the four of them to move the water sensor from the rake of the roof, where my outlets are located, to the valleys, where the most water comes down. I also had to lace lots of heat tape at the bottom of the valleys to keep big domes of ice from overwhelming the tape.

So the RS2 units work, BUT... one failed and was replaced under warranty. Now two more have failed after two years of service. There goes some of the savings in electric bills to replace those two and a lot of labor in winter conditions to remove and reinstall two units. Bummer!

PART 2: With a little disassembly and...Read more

We had several unusually heavy snowfalls in Western Pennsylvania this past winter ('09 to '10) and my home had quite a bit of interior water damage due to ice dams forming on our roof. We had old heat cables in place but some failed and the others did not provide adequate heat or were not in the proper places (we have sky lights that were not properly protected). I researched new heat cables on the internet, at Lowes and Home Depot, and at some local electrical supply stores. The Easy Heat products seemed to be very cost effective, but what really helped to sell me was the fact that their installation manuals for all of their products were on line and seemed to be very thorough yet easy to use. I decided to use their manuals for planning my project regardless of what product I was going with.

I ultimately decided to go with the Easy Heat cables, but was unsure how I wanted to control them. We travel quite a bit during the winter, and I wanted a controller that would...Read more

A neighbor who had cables helped me put this up, so it did not take too much effort, but you might want to be prepared for some trial and error to get the placement right. It is worth the effort!
We are into winter and I have my cables on the problem spot on my roof. They seem to do just enough to prevent ice buildup with the automatic sensor so they are not on all the time, just when the conditions are right.
Thanks to Amazon for having this at an affordable price!