Helpful Tools for DITRA-Heat Repair
Below is a list of tools that are necessary and extremely helpful for wire repairs.
Schluter Splice Repair Kit | DITRA-Heat E-HK-SK
- Pictured below RIGHT
- If not stocked at distribution, these can be ordered direct from Schluter.
- Use this for repairing a damaged cold splice or end splice.
Schluter Wire Repair Kit | DITRA-Heat E-HK-RK
- Pictured below LEFT
- If not stocked at distribution, these can be ordered direct from Schluter.
- Use this for repairing a damaged section of a heat wire.
KLEIN Tools ET600 Multimeter Megohmmeter
Insulation tester. 4000 Ohms resistance. This device can do tests 1, 2, 3 and 4 (sensor).
- TEST 1 - Setting second from right (WiFi/tone symbol). Connect a clip to each heat wire lead. An ohms reading withing 10% of the wire is a pass. This readout can be affected by temperature. A readout within 10% means there is no break in the wire.
- TEST 2 - Setting second from right (WiFi/tone symbol). Same setting as test one, but test each lead with the ground wire. A readout of OL is a pass. This means the ground is not touching either of the leads.
- TEST 3 - Setting 1kV (far left). Connect a clip to ground and the other to each lead. This will test for knicks/cuts in the insulation (clear coat around the heat wire) that could lead to a ground fault when calling for heat. This is optional, but will add an additional 5 years to the warranty on the wire.
- Think of this test like a garden hose. If a garden hose has a hole in it, when you turn the water on - water will squirt out of that hole. Electricity flows like water. If there is a nick or cut in the clear insulation around the heat wire, electricity will escape and fault to the ground wire that is wrapped around the leads from one end of the wire to the other.
- TEST 4 - Sensor test. This will be the far right setting. Connect a clip to each sensor lead. The readout will be dependent on temperature. The hotter the room temp that the thermistor reads, the lower the kOhm number you will receive. Higher numbers indicate colder temperatures.
Fluke 26500090 TS90 Cable Fault Finder
Tells how many linear feet into the wire the damage is.
Wagner 0503059 FURNO 300 Heat Gun
Dual Temp 750áµ’F & 1000áµ’F Heat Settings, Electric Heat Gun for Paint Removal, Bending PVC, Crafts and More
Welding Blanket High Temperature Resistant up to 1800°F Fireproof Fabric
- I use my high temperature weld blanket when doing repairs to protect the wire, black shrink tube, and DITRA-Heat membrane from being destroyed by the heat gun.
- The heat blanket is also nice to wrap the heat gun in when replacing back in the toolbox without destroying and melting cases and covers.
Klein Tools 55918 Tool
Belt, Electrician Tool Belt for use with Modular Pouches from Klein Tools Click Lock Modular System, Size M,Yellow/Blue
- This handy tool makes cutting the gray insulation a breeze. This guarantees that you will not cut too deep and cause an additional pathway in the clear conductor insulation that could lead to another fault.
WAGO Lever-Nuts® Inline Splicing Connector | for Solid and Stranded Conductors | 2-Conductor with Operating levers | 20-12 AWG | Transparent housing | White Cover | [Box of 60 Pieces]
- Sometimes volt/megger meter alligator clips don’t bite very well to tiny gauge conductors when testing from an opened wire during diagnostics and repairs. To make this easier, use a Wago connector and a piece of scrap 12 or 14 gauge Romex wire as shown below. Alligator clips will bite much easier to the Romex than they will a tiny conductor.
Klein Tools 1019 Klein Kurve Wire Stripper Crimper / Cutter for B and IDC Connectors, Terminals, More
Klein Tools CL120 Digital Clamp Meter
Auto-Ranging 400 Amp AC, AC/DC Voltage, Resistance, Continuity, Non-Contact Voltage Tester Detection
FLIR One Pro LT iOS Pro-Grade Thermal Camera for Smartphones
- This link is for iOS. You can also search and purchase for Android.
- High quality electrical tape
- Blue painters tape
- Use for taping off areas that will not have wire snapped into them (cabinets, toilets, bathtubs, etc.)May also be used for marking areas of the floor where wire is snapped in, so other trades can know which areas to avoid when cutting or screwing into the floor.
- Gorilla tape or Duct tape
- Completely tape over a tile that you will be removing. This keeps the shards together when pulverizing the tile with a hammer. This limits the amount of cleanup during the process.
- Old shop rag.
- Wet with cold water and wring out. Use to quickly cool/strengthen a splice after heating.
- Black Sharpie marker
- Construction pencil and eraser
- Extra wire nuts
- Extra dry wall screws
- Sometimes these are used for securing the thermostat back plate to the wall. I like them because they screw in faster, however, some GC’s, TC’s and homeowners like the thermostat screws better. Use at discretion.
- Extra AAA batteries
- Extra AA batteries
- 1” stone/mason chisel
- Has a more blunt tip and is better for removing tile and mortar during a repair than a sharp wood chisel.
- Scrap piece of DHE membrane
- Can be helpful in diagnostics
- Small measuring tape
- Extra Black/Black sensor wires
- Extra from the last job? Don’t throw them away! These can come in handy.
- Small LED flashlight
- Philips/Flathead reversible screwdriver
- Small philips/flathead screwdrivers for sensors
- 10-15’ grounded extension chord
