Does anyone know if heat tape can be use for burried plastic pipes to prevent them from freezing?
Properly burried pipes won’t freeze. Use of heat tape underground is not a good idea. It’s not rated for ground contact, and would be a major pain to fix when necessary (no ‘if’ about it). Plus, it uses valuable power. If you have a depth/freezing incompatibility problem, you can run PEX through PVC or ABS with pipe insulation in-between, and/or cover the run with rigid insulation for more protection. It is best to simply get the pipe below frost level, which varies depending on the climate where you are. It can be anywhere from a few inches up to 6′.
