What is Tuff Cable?

Tuff Cable is a resistance heating wire that is very durable, 10 gauge coated copper cable that is chemical resistant and comes with footage marks on the wire.  The Tuff Cable has been engineered to work as a low-voltage system.

In what types of surfaces can your systems be installed?

The Tuff Cable heating element is the perfect choice for snow melting in driveways, sidewalks and stairs.  The Tuff Cable systems can be installed in new pour concrete, under tile or pavers in sand bed, and can be retrofitted into existing concrete or asphalt.

Are your snow melting systems manually or automatically activated?

Tuff Cable systems can be activated with an aerial mounted moisture and temperature sensor, temperature sensor, pavement-mounted snow sensor, or 12 hour timer.  The aerial and pavement mounted sensor will automatically turn on when the temperature is below 38 degrees and there is moisture on the sensor.

The power requirements vary from system to system.  Generally Tuff Cable heating systems require a 120 volt supply, single pole, 20 amp breaker for areas 40 sq. ft. or less. For areas 40 sq. ft. to 125 sq. ft. requires 240 volt supply, double pole, 20 amp breaker, and areas125 sq. ft. to 280 sq. ft. requires 240 volt supply, double pole, 30 amp breaker.

 

What are the operational costs of your snow melting systems?

The average operational cost for a snow melting system is approximately $0.18 per 100 square feet per hour.  This figure is based on a system producing 21.6 watts/sq. ft. or 73.7 BTU’s/sq. ft. with a kwh rate of $0.08 per hour (the national average kwh is $0.08/hour).  If you know the square feet of the area you wish to heat and your kwh rate, you can calculate the operational costs with this formula: heatable sq. ft. times watts/sq. ft., divided by 1000, times your kwh rate.

 

Who installs your systems?

All of our systems come with complete installation manuals and a DVD and can be installed by any electrician, contractor, or experienced “do-it-yourselfer.”  An electrician is needed to supply the necessary power and to Control Box location.

How long is the warranty?

Tuff Cable comes with an industry leading, 25-year manufacturer’s warranty. 
Tuff Cable is ETL Listed and conforms to UL Standard 1693.

Tuff Cable was first used over 28 years ago.  Since 1979 the Tuff Cable systems have been sold worldwide and are still in operation.