Gutter heating system

Abstract

A gutter heating system for preventing the formation of ice or melting ice in and adjacent a gutter system includes a recirculation fluid transportation circuit a portion of which is disposed adjacent a portion of the gutter system, a heat source for heating an antifreeze fluid and a pump in fluid communication with the circuit for moving the heated fluid there through. Typically, segments of the recirculation circuit are disposed within or adjacent at least a gutter and a downspout and may include segments which are mounted on facia boards on which the gutter is mounted and facia boards which extend along drip edges not having a gutter. The circuit may include single-tube segments and heat ribbons having a plurality of tubes. The system is configured to automatically activate and deactivate based on outdoor temperature.

1 . A heating system for use with a gutter system of a building, the heating system comprising: 
 a recirculation fluid transportation circuit a portion of which is adapted to be disposed adjacent a portion of the gutter system;    a heat source adapted to heat the fluid; and    a pump in fluid communication with the circuit and adapted to move the heated fluid through the circuit.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the circuit includes a first gutter segment.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the first gutter segment includes a gutter facia board segment and a gutter insert segment.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the circuit includes a first downspout segment.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the circuit includes a sub-ground-freeze-line segment adjacent a lower end of the first downspout segment.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the circuit includes a first non-gutter drip edge segment.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the first non-guffer drip edge segment includes a non-gutter facia board segment.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the first gutter segment and the first downspout segment are part of a first section of the circuit; wherein the circuit includes a second gutter segment and a second downspout segment which are part of a second section of the circuit which is spaced from the first section; and wherein the first non-gutter drip edge segment extends between and is connected to each of the first and second sections.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the circuit includes a second non-gutter drip edge segment which is spaced from the first non-gutter drip edge segment and which extends between and is connected to each of the first and second sections.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the circuit includes a first downspout segment.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the first downspout segment includes a downspout insert segment.  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the first downspout insert segment is a single tube.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the heat source includes one of an electric heat source and a natural gas heat source.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 1  further including the fluid and a reservoir from which the fluid exits and returns via the circuit and to which the fluid returns; and wherein the heat source is disposed adjacent the reservoir for heating the fluid.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the fluid has a composition suitable to prevent freezing of the fluid within the circuit at a temperature of 32.0 degrees Fahrenheit.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 1  further including an outdoor-temperature-dependent on/off switch for automatically switching the pump between on and off modes at predetermined temperatures.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the circuit includes a heat ribbon comprising a plurality of tubes and webbing joining the tubes to one another.  
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the circuit includes a single-tube segment and a connector which is connected to each of the single-tube segment and the heat ribbon to provide fluid communication between the single-tube segment and the heat ribbon via the connector.  
   
   
       19 . In combination, a heating system and a gutter system having a gutter and a downspout, the heating system comprising: 
 a recirculation fluid transportation circuit comprising a gutter segment mounted adjacent the gutter and a downspout segment mounted adjacent the downspout;    a fluid;    a heat source for heating the fluid; and    a pump in fluid communication with the circuit for moving the fluid through the circuit.    
   
   
       20 . A method comprising the steps of: 
 heating a fluid; and    moving the fluid within a recirculation circuit adjacent a portion of a gutter system of a building to increase the temperature of the portion of the gutter system.