Snow melt on metal roof?

Tim Doran_4

We always designed these systems to melt the snow as it fell so as to prevent any accumulation and the resulting possibility of a slide. We used a snow cup that ensured that the roof was warm for the duration of the storm.

Tim D.

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Rich L.

Can it be done?

We've been hit with some serious ice and snow over the last couple of weeks. Now we've had one day just above freezing last week and I have a customer that had large sheets of ice coming off of his metal roof. This roof has the horizontal ridges that are supposed to prevent this, it didn't. It's a roof above a drive up area at the main enterance to a commercial building. He's worried for his customers and of course for his liability if somebody was to get hurt. He wants to know if there's a snowmelt type of system he could use for his roof. I suggested electric cables on the lower edges of the roof and he's opposed to that. He's a stickler for his buildings apperance and doesn't want anything like that on the outside.

After giving it some thought I'm wondering if I can put pex tubing in the roof trusses, insulate behind it, and use it as a snow melt system? The building has grossly oversized boilers. Theres lots of spare system capacity. Could I use a slab sensor in the roof for temp and moisture? Has anyone attempted anything like this? Then of course I have to figure out how to deal with the ice forming on the walks and drive below it as well!

Thanks,
Rich L

Steve Gates_3

qiuk trac once

Did wisbo on a flat roof. With sensor and works well. Had to protect sensor from drip splash falsely starting it up with out snow. Have to think if sensor would work on an angle?

Norm Harvey

The problem I can see with snow melt on an angled roof is that once the roof heats up it will unbind the sheet of snow/ice and allow it to slide down. It would be the same problem happening, only faster.

I would think some kind of raised gutter to prevent a sheet of snow from falling off would do more to curb the liability.

Rich L.

Right Tim,

> We always designed these systems to melt the snow

> as it fell so as to prevent any accumulation and

> the resulting possibility of a slide. We used a

> snow cup that ensured that the roof was warm for

> the duration of the storm.

>

> Tim D.

>

> _A

> HREF="http://www.heatinghelp.com/getListed.cfm?id=

> 515&Step=30"_To Learn More About This

> Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in

> "Find A Professional"_/A_



Those were my thoughts too. Do you use a heat cable in the guttur then to keep the water moving? What is a snow cup. I'm not familiar with that.

Do you put the tubing tight to the roofing or do more of a "staple up" style job. I'm looking more the staple up route because everything is already in place. Then possibly using a ultra-fin system to better warm the space and insulate with a six inch air gap or so. Does this sound like it would work?

Thank you, Rich L

Rich L.

Right Tim,

Those were my thoughts too, get rid of it before it becomes sheets of ice and snow. Do you use a heat cable in the guttur then to keep the water moving? What is a snow cup. I'm not familiar with that.

Do you put the tubing tight to the roofing or do more of a "staple up" style job. I'm looking more the staple up route because everything is already in place. Then possibly using a ultra-fin system to better warm the space and insulate with a six inch air gap or so. Does this sound like it would work?

Thank you, Rich L

Mike Thomas_2

Why don't you put motorized dampers on roof vents and then add a fan coil unit to the attic. Close the dampers, warm the attic, melt the snow as it falls on the roof and as soon as the snow stops, turn everything off. Save a lot of crawling around in an attic.