Rethinking heat tape..... be safe not sorry

[rick91351]

Us living in the fifthwheel in Idaho we have come to depend on heat tape on our water hose especially this time of year.  Even early 2013 we pulled out and went snowbirding.  We were in Nevada close to Vegas and Death Valley and ran in  to some of the coldest weather there.  The RV park was almost froze up.  I still had our water hose heat taped and ready to go.     Yes it was.....

Then this fall we knew we are going to be into the cold while we finish the house.  It started bothering me that we might freeze up a hose I decided to go above beyond.  I added insulation forgetting heat tapes come with warnings.  Most I have seen warning of 1/2 inch maximum insulation.  All this was forgotten.

Then I read a news story of a business in Oregon lost improperly installed heat tape.  Then a house than another and another were on news feeds.  It hit me like a ton of bricks.  We were way over insulated.  I ran some cold water it was cold so I discounted the problem......  Then it started to warm up while not hot it was luke warm.....  So today I went in and stripped off all the extra insulation  Especially where it was close to the RV...