The heat wire comes as a system, with 1 1/4" black tubing, heat wire, thermostat control, thermostat sensor which gets taped to the outside of the black tube, and instructions. Made by an Ontario company named Tenorex, if I remember correct.
Surprisingly, the ditch you dig between the house and the water is recommended to be just four inches below surface, and just wide enough for the tube, or about 1 1/2" wide. For crossing a rocky embankment, the tube goes inside aa 2" pvc pipe, under the rocks, to create a wind break against heat loss. So, it enters the lake at a point under the water, and below the ice. My unit draws 3 amps/888watts/220volts for a 125' length. The heat wire makes a loop, going out and back, but is contained within a thick insulation so it basically looks like a single wire. It accesses the inside of the black tubing through a tee with a rubber seal bushing.
Installed it myself in 1992 and so far, no problems and no callbacks.
The control box has a little red light which clicks on when the adjustable thermostat, set at 34 or 35, calls for heat.
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... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake!
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