How to Keep Snow Off Your Starlink and Other Satellite Dishes

Starlink satellite dishes all come with a built-in heater, so you don’t have to purchase a separate one to keep your satellite internet signal intact. Using the Starlink app, you can navigate to the heater settings and turn it on manually or set it up to automatically come on when the temperature outside hits a certain degree.

You can preheat and automate the heating function, but if you enable the sleep schedule on your Starlink, the heating implement will turn off.

Starlink's heating functions come in handy, but if you're living off the grid, you'll want to consider the heater's effect on your power supply. Heating always requires more electricity, and Starlink's dish functions are no exception, so make sure you understand what this heating feature will get you into. We've broken down more details on it below.

Starlink snow melting heat function

Starlink’s satellite dish has a heating function automatically detects snow and ice buildup and heats up to melt the snow. This feature is enough to attract animals (resulting in the famous Starlink cats) but isn’t hot enough to be a danger to them or your electricity bill.

The Starlink dish also has a Pre-Heat feature, which allows you to heat up your satellite dish ahead of an incoming storm.

Starlink dish thermal shutdown

Starlink satellite dishes can operate from -22 degrees to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. If it reaches 122, it goes into thermal shutdown. This shouldn’t affect most people, but those living in deserts will want to install a shade and possibly request a new satellite dish, as Starlink’s new Dishy is designed to use less power and generate less heat.

The best solution for avoiding snow and ice buildup on your dish is to prevent it altogether by installing it in the right place. If you live where heavy snowfall is a given, you should put extra thought into what spot your new dish should go. It's also good to know that typically, in North America, most dishes face south. 

Directly on top of your roof is not the best spot when heavy snow is inevitable. Even on the highest point of a sloped roof, snow can still build up to block the dish. If your home has any overhang or deck, putting it directly underneath would be the best spot. 

Another strategy is to install it on a pole beside your home. This way, even if you get several feet of snow, your dish will still be unblocked. 

Some of these solutions may not look the most attractive, but we think it's better than missing the big game or getting on your roof to shovel your dish out.

Satellite dish heaters may sound complicated, but they’re simple, install easily, and save you a lot of pain through the winter months. At its core, a satellite dish heater is a simple metal heating element designed to fit on a satellite dish.

They come in different sizes—some are even specifically designed to fit with different satellite dish brands, such as DISH, DIRECTV, Hughesnet, Viasat, etc. We recommend the HotShot Satellite Dish Heater since it fits a variety of dishes. 

Just remember to measure your satellite dish—or at least know its measurements—before selecting a satellite dish heater so it will fit your equipment. A dish heater that’s too small may not be able to fully clear the snow from your dish, and then you’ll be back where you started.

Most satellite dish heaters heat themselves automatically once outdoor temperatures reach freezing or below, so once it’s installed, you don’t have to worry about turning it on or predicting your next snowstorm. Just sit back and enjoy your uninterrupted satellite internet or satellite TV service.

Each satellite dish heater usually comes with its own specific set of installation instructions, so read the manual before jumping into setup.

Heating tape isn’t actually tape—it’s actually a cable designed to produce heat. Heat tape is typically wrapped around pipes to avoid freezing in the winter. That makes it a pretty decent option for satellite dishes as well.

Heating tape is much more finicky to apply to a satellite dish than a pipe. You need to find some way to adhere it to the dish, which usually involves using clamps to wrap it around the dish’s circumference. Plus, you have to manually turn the heat on and off. Overall, heat tape gets the job done cheaply, but it’s less convenient than a one-and-done satellite dish heater. 

We’ve highlighted our favorite option above if the price is more within your budget, but if you can manage it, a dish heater will better serve you in the long run.

Dish covers are hardy, weather-proofed fabric bags you place over your satellite dish to help avoid ice build-up. They also tend to help snow slide off instead of piling up in the dish itself, but “tend to” are the key words there because snow can still easily build up on a dish cover, especially if you live somewhere with heavy snowfall (hello, Alaska!).

Unfortunately, dish covers can also interfere with your internet or TV signal—just like anything that gets between your satellite dish and the sky. For that reason, we don’t recommend them. If you’re looking to keep snow off your dish, a satellite dish heater or even heat tape are better buys.

So you've figured out the best way to keep snow off your satellite dish. But how do you maintain the best satellite signal you can through the rest of the year? Do you need to clean it regularly? What about when fall leaves get caught in it?

Fortunately, you don’t need to stress about cleaning your satellite dish all the time. Satellite dishes are made to endure the outdoors. But if you want greater longevity out of your satellite dish—and to avoid paying for Hughesnet or Viasat technicians to come out and replace it (or no response from Starlink's customer service about your dish issues)—we’ve gathered easy tips for cleaning and maintaining your satellite dish.

You’re most likely to need to clean your satellite dish after some kind of storm, since storms often kick up debris. To clean your satellite dish without further damaging it or its special outdoor weathering, follow these steps:

1. Carefully anchor yourself near your dish so you don’t slip during the cleaning process.
2. Gently and carefully, remove large debris stuck or piled on the dish. Avoid scratching or moving the dish.
3. Take a wet dish cloth and gently wipe off any leftover mud, leaves, or other muck. Don’t use soaps or cleaning products—stick with simple water—as these harsher products can destroy the weatherproof coating on your satellite dish.
4. Just for extra measure, check over the dish’s screws and ensure they’re all tightened, so the dish doesn’t displace anytime soon.

These should all help you generally maintain your satellite dish and avoid equipment damage or technician fees. Just remember to be careful while conducting satellite dish cleaning. You never want to risk your back or bones by falling off a roof, just to get your internet signal back.

The best way to keep your satellite dish clean is prevention. If you have trees overhanging your house and roof area (where you’re most likely to have your satellite internet or TV dish), you may want to consider trimming it back significantly or removing the tree completely.

Trees that are close enough to your house to have branches fall directly onto your satellite dish are also a danger to your roof and home, so you can use the opportunity to do some overall home safety inspection. If that isn’t enough, try following our above steps for cleaning your satellite dish.

You should not use WD-40 on any kind of satellite dish, especially those from satellite internet and satellite TV providers. These dishes come with special chemical coatings to ensure they’re weatherproof, and WD-40 can interfere with or even destroy these coatings, resulting in high replacement costs or, at the very least, signal loss.

You don't want to use any cooking oils like Pam on satellite dishes. The oil might temporarily help snow slide off, but it can also damage the weatherproofing that protects your satellite dish. And if that happens, you could experience signal loss (and give yourself slower internet) or even get charged a fee by your provider for damaging the equipment. If you’re worried about snow, we recommend either trying a satellite dish heater or switching to Starlink, which has a heater built-in to its dishes.

No, you don’t want to use silicone sprays on your satellite dish—just like you should avoid using WD-40 and cooking sprays. They may help snow slide off, but they can also compromise the weatherproofing measures meant to protect your satellite dish from the elements. Instead, try a satellite dish heater or heat tape to get rid of snow. They may interfere very slightly with signal, but not as much as damaging the equipment.

You can put a plastic bag over your satellite dish, but it may interfere with your signal. It basically causes the same issues as a snow dish cover, except plastic bags are weaker and more liable to tear. Satellite dish heaters are a better alternative.