Will heat tape work on a garden hose?

Will heat tape work on a garden hose? Heat tape can work on garden hose only if garden hose is rated for heated use and you use heat tape rated for use on hoses and plastic, but generally not recommended for standard vinyl garden hose because garden hose is not designed to be heated and can melt, and most garden hoses should be drained and stored indoors in winter rather than heated. There are specialized heated garden hoses that have built in heating element and are designed for winter use to provide water to livestock or RVs, which are better than wrapping regular hose with heat tape. If you must use heat tape on regular hose, use low temperature self regulating tape rated safe for plastic, run straight along hose, do not spiral tightly, cover with foam insulation, plug into GFCI, and monitor, but risk of hose damage, leaks, and fire if done improperly. Better to disconnect garden hose, drain, and store inside during winter, and use freeze proof faucet cover. For RV or farm use where hose must stay out, buy factory made heated hose which is safer and UL listed for outdoor use.