Whats the most energy-efficient ice-melting device that I can put on my eaves to prevent ice dams?
You’re wise to address the problem of ice dams, not only because they can damage your roof but also because they’re a sign that the heat in your house (which you pay for) is escaping into your attic. The energy-saving solution isn’t to pay to buy and operate a device to melt ice dams while continuing to pay more for heating than necessary. The answer is to prevent ice dams. I’ll explain: Ice dams form when heat escapes into your attic, warms the underside of your roof and melts snow, which trickles down to the cold edge/eave, where it freezes. The solution is to keep the heat in your house. That’s done by a thorough job of sealing anyplace where air can escape to the attic and then making sure that you’ve got at least 12 inches of well-installed insulation on the attic floor. Likely places for air leaks include attic hatches, pull-down attic stairs, the attic floor above pocket doors, gaps around chimneys, plumbing and wiring and more. The most accurate and comprehensive way to seal ai
