Prevent, stop your pipes from freezing. From washing machines, boilers, sinks, outside taps, troughs, drains, overflow, condensate pipe and condensing boilers this cable will stop frozen pipework. Trace Heating. The principal function of trace heating is the maintenance of a specific temperature in pipes or vessels by balancing the heat losses through the thermal insulation. Although thermal insulation will reduce the rate of heat loss trace heating is essential to maintain the desired temperature, particularly in no flow conditions.