Thanks for the information and I am mainly worried about the main heater going out as it is a Siegler heater and looks like it was built in the 1960s. It is run fine but who knows how long it'll last. I was just thinking that if it went out during a holiday or difficult time to find somebody come out for a replacement it would be nice to have a backup system.
Use a modern self-regulating heating cable such as Raychem Winterguard. The old Frost King style heating cables with a thermostat were notorious for burning out if not properly wrapped with continuous, intimate pipe contact. The modern semiconductor based cables self-regulate along their entire length and cannot overheat, they are worth the higher cost.
Thanks for the information and I am mainly worried about the main heater going out as it is a Siegler heater and looks like it was built in the 1960s. It is run fine but who knows how long it'll last. I was just thinking that if it went out during a holiday or difficult time to find somebody come out for a replacement it would be nice to have a backup system.
Use a modern self-regulating heating cable such as Raychem Winterguard. The old Frost King style heating cables with a thermostat were notorious for burning out if not properly wrapped with continuous, intimate pipe contact. The modern semiconductor based cables self-regulate along their entire length and cannot overheat, they are worth the higher cost.
https://www.outdoorradiant.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=72