Depending on which one you choose, heating cables or mats may work for warming floors, de-icing, pipe freeze protection, pipe heat tracing, or melting snow from sidewalks and driveways. Certain systems, like snow melting or underfloor heating systems, may rely on constant wattage. This means they maintain the same watts per foot through the length of the mat or cable. Self-regulating cables adjust heat output based on the surface temperature, which works well to protect pipes from freezing and to prevent ice dams from forming around roofs and gutters.