Snowmelt

CRS_Mechanical_Snowmelt

Snowmelt Systems–

Sick of shoveling your driveway, or even using a snow blower, just to have the wind blow enough snow back onto your driveway to create an ice rink? Snowmelt is the answer. Sensors in your concrete or blacktop know when the temperature hits a certain point, and there is moisture on your driveway your snowmelt kicks on. In most cases shoveling is never necessary, and the driveway isn’t just clean, it’s dry. Take care of the Utah winters by keeping your driveway, porches, and entryways near your home free of ice and snow. You’ll feel so bad for your neighbor without it, that you’ll break out the snowblower just to do a kind deed with all your extra time.

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How Does It Work?

A snowmelt system is used to remove snow and ice via embedded hydronic PEX tubing. Common areas for snowmelt systems are: driveways, walkways, parking areas, stairways, loading docks, and around car washes. A snowmelt system is usually installed during the original construction in concrete, asphalt, or under pavers. Retrofit electric systems can also applied to existing concrete or asphalt using saw cutting technology.

Maintenance
A snowmelt system may extend the life of the concrete, asphalt or under pavers by eliminating the use of harsh salts and chemicals, and damage from snow removal devices.

Aesthetics
A snowmelt system is not visible when installed and does not add extra height or require additional materials than a standard concrete, asphalt or under paver pour.

Efficiency
Most new snowmelt systems operate in conjunction with an automatic activation device that will trigger the system on when it senses precipitation and freezing temperatures. These types of devices ensure the system is only on during useful periods and eliminates wasteful energy consumption.

Environmentally friendly
Snowmelt systems are environmentally friendly compared to the use of salt and chemicals to melt the snow, which causes calcium chloride to run into rivers and other critical water supplies. Current systems are more cost effective in the long run than continual salt dumping and removal, and reduce waste by extending the life of the cement.

Opponents argue that snowmelt systems can impact the environment negatively by warming the atmosphere.

Low operation costs
A 35-50 watt per sq. ft. electric snowmelt system can melt snow on a 300 sq ft (28 m2). area for under $.50 per continuous hour of operation. The time to melt snow off a driveway (per storm) is usually just a few hours.

An hydronic snowmelt systems costs roughly $.14 to $.25 a sq. ft. to operate, depending on your location.

Hydronic snowmelt systems
The heating element in a hydronic system is a closed-loop tubing made of a flexible polymer or synthetic rubber that circulates a mixture of hot water and propylene glycol (antifreeze). The fluid is warmed to temperatures of 140 to 180 °F (82 °C) to warm surrounding concrete/asphalt/concrete pavers and melt snow and ice. Technology for hydronic snowmelt systems is based on the same technology as underfloor heating systems.