Snow melt prep for test 2
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getting ready for test #2
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After the panels cleared and dried, I bridged the gap with some 3" aluminum tape, and bought a 60 foot roll of the 5W/linear foot ice dam heating wire.
I set it on my pool table still coiled up, and plugged it in so I could use the thermal camera to watch the warm up.
On the way to the camera, the phone rang, and I found my self in a conversation about battery charging. About 10 minutes into the conversation, My eyes started burning, and I could not breathe. I looked over at the coil of heater wire, and saw a plume of smoke rising. Put on some gloves, unplugged the now totally melted coil of wire, and threw it into the snowbank out back.
Like most engineering types, I had not read the manual, where it clearly states that plugging it in coiled up was not advised. Well that was a $45 lesson I will not forget soon.
With yet another 3-7" of snow predicted for tomorrow, I could not waste a good test opportunity, so I went back to Lowes, and bought another 60' coil.
I installed the wire by taping it to the panels with aluminum tape, in the pattern shown, and will plug it in when the storm ends, and carefully watch what happens.
I also contacted a local company
Calorique
that makes many types of heaters for snow melting, and they graciously agreed to send me a heating pad that I can apply to the rear of the panels so I could give that a try.Now we just wait for the snow to stop again.
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