Install Instructions

Part 2. Tile and Mortar
Removal
To install a jumper splice (please see
Step 1.2), skip to Step 4.1.
Part 3. Installing a
Direct Splice
Step 2.1. If not done so already, care-
fully remove the tile/stone/marble
floor covering over the damaged cable
area. Removal of the grout around the
affected tile(s) must be done with a
blunt instrument such as a hand-held
grout-removal tool. DO NOT USE A
KNIFE! Gently break out the tile with a
small hammer, removing the fragments
as the tile is broken up. See wattsradi-
ant.com for additional instructions and
tips regarding tile removal.
Step 2.2. Remove enough mortar and
tile to expose about 4” to 5” of free
wire on both sides of the damaged
portion. Part of the wire may be vis-
ible so that the mortar can be removed
carefully around the damaged wire
using the hammer and/or chisel. Mesh
can be cut with scissors in order to free
the wire.
Step 3.1. Cut out the damaged wire
location, creating two ends or leads. If
the cable being repaired is not the
jacketed heating cable, skip to Step
3.6.
Step 3.3. Gently bend the cable at the
score to break through the jacket all
the way around the cable, then pull off
the slug
Step 3.4. With either type of jacket, if it
doesn’t easily pull off you may need to
use your heat gun to gently warm the
slug, which should soften and loosen it
for you. Use the heat gun (set to about
500°F) and move the gun back and
forth under the jacket slug for about
3 or 4 seconds, or until it can be easily
removed.
Step 3.5. Use a glove or other protec-
tive cloth to pull off the loosened jacket
slug. Do not touch the hot jacket slug
with bare fingers. The slug will be very
hot and will burn!
Some of our products have an “XLPE”
jacket that is a somewhat hard mate-
rial that can be lightly “scored” with a
scoring tool or sharp blade. Use the
scoring tool to carefully score the jacket
about 2.5” from the end of each lead.
Do this by placing the cable lead into
the V-notch of the tool and rotating the
tool only one or two revolutions around
the cable. Do not place any additional
pressure on the tool head to cut deeper.
Let the tool apply its own spring-loaded
pressure.
Step 3.2. For a heating cable with an
outer jacket: Strip off approximately
2.5 inches of the outer jacket. DO NOT
USE standard wire strippers! The out
of round character of the cable makes
it very difficult to strip with a common
wire stripper tool, using one could dam-
age the cable. There are two types of
jacket compounds, “XLPE” and “TPU”
(TPU see Step 3.3.b).
Step 3.6. Loosen the braid by pushing
back on the braid about 1/2” and cause
the ends of the heating wires to be
exposed.
Step 3.7. Bend the cable back onto
itself.
Step 3.8. Use the small screwdriver,
paper clip, fingernail, or similar blunt
instrument to pry between the braid
and make an opening through which
to pull the heating wires. Pull each wire
through the braid.
Step 3.9. Pull the braid straight out to
make it into a pigtail.
Step 3.10. Use the thermal wire
strippers to carefully strip off exactly
1/2” of the insulation from the heating
wires. Count the little heating elements
to make sure none were cut off and
thereby cause a hot spot or possible
failure. A fiber strand may also be found
among the heating elements. There is
no need to separate or remove this fiber
strand.
Step 3.11. Use the digital multi-meter
and TDR at this repair location before
proceeding. Check for any additional
damage locations in the heating cable
by “looking” in both directions. For
assistance in using these instruments,
consult the instructions that came with
them or contact Watts Radiant.
Step 3.12. Slide the solder tube over
one of the heating wires.
Step 3.3.b. If the jacket is the softer
“TPU” material, you’ll find it is easier to
use thermal wire strippers or the tip of
a soldering pencil to melt a narrow ring
around the outer jacket of the cable,
then pull the slug off. The TPU jacket has
a lower melt point than the insulation
on the heating elements, but you must
still be very careful to avoid overheating
the heating elements during this step.
2 Heating Cable Repair Kit Guidelines