Will an indoor/outdoor extension cord work as a pipe wrap to thaw ice in pipes?

Question

Electricity creates heat. Would there be enough heat created by using a indoor/outdoor extension cord wrapped around pipes to begin to thaw ice out inside my pipes? 

Answer 1

Get pipe heater 'cord' from a place that sells mobile homes. They will carry the better brands that are safer. I had a friend who died while working with some cheap 'hardware store' pipe wrap. 

Answer 2

drug store bought heating pads will provide heat,any /all of them have 2hr auto shutoff,pieces of crap so dingbat adults done burn themselves or a kid, place saran wrap around the pip section,then use ace stretch bandage to wrap the pad around the pipe,start with the pad corner  wind it around,,move them around when they shut off

Answer 3

A minuscule amount of heat is generated in wiring by the passage of electricity but not nearly enough to keep pipes form freezing.  Buy heat tape and/or pipe insulation.

Answer 4

No extension cords only get hot if you overload them with too much current .

Answer 5

NO............it will electrify the pipe.  Home improvement stores have a special wrap, which will keep pipes from freezing - so this is the only one you can use.

Answer 6

There is ZERO current through the cord unless something is plugged in and turned on.

The amount of heat required to thaw pipes would MELT the cord.

Answer 7

I haven't had a vacuum in the last 20 years that didn't heat up the cord attached to it. Just saying if you draw enough power through the extension it will heat up - the problem is heating it up TOO much and finding an appliance that would tax the capacity of the extensions cord to the point of heating it. 

Answer 8

Nope. Extension cords don't give off enough heat to melt anything. They'd be downright dangerous if they did. 

You CAN BUY A HEAT TAPE that does exactly what you're asking. That's exactly what they're for, too. Thawing and maintaining frozen pipes. But they aren't extension cords. 

Answer 9

No.  The cord is insulated, so it will not transmit heat.

Answer 10

No, But there are heating cables made exactly for that. used in northern climates to prevent pipes from freezing.