snow melt slab temps

Chris Crean

When using Uponor ADS program you can change desired slab temperature. For Westchester you should design slab temperature to 38 degrees and a design outdoor temperature of 10 degrees. This will give you 115-125 BTU's per square foot. Uponor sells an automatic snow melt system. Take a look at new Uponor Climate Control Multifunction with snow melt sensor. Call Wales Darby NY or NJ for more assistance.

Chris Crean
Contractor Development - Wales Darby, NY 631-930-9962

kev

snow melt slab temps

Trying to design a snow melt for 1500 feet of area in front of a churh in westchester NY. If I use the IBR snow melt work book for a Class C design the total is 296 BTU/SQ FT. If I use WIRSBO ADS my loads are half that. THe ADS program lets me specify the slab temp and I am not sure what they should be for my design. This is only my second snow melt. The first I used the IBR book and the job works perfectly, although I am not sure if it was over kill with no other references. Thanks for any input.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

How do you specify slab temp in the ADS program? Beginning slab temp before the heat is turned on or desired slab temp (likely without snow) at some outside temp?

Doesn't Class C snowmelt allow some accumulation as long as everything can be expected to melt but not necessarily fully evaporate within some amount of time (12 hours?) after the snow ends? If so, I would suspect that the actual slab temp while melting snow or ice would stay at or just barely above freezing until melting is complete.

The difference between the two may be related to different assumptions regarding slab temperature before the snow/ice begins. In my area, I would honestly assume 32F as a minimum slab temperature since the vast majority of our snow/ice events occur at temps near freezing and are preceeded by at least a day or so of above-freezing air temps. In the event that the weather is unusually cold before or during, I believe it would be best to warm the slab and attempt to "idle" it near 32F when snow/ice is expected. Then, with good underslab insulation and provided it doesn't snow for a very long time, nearly all of the energy going into the slab [should] be made available to change the state of snow/ice to liquid water at 32F.

In a Class C situation, I can see how this method of thinking could result in far less energy requirement compared to turning on the system only after it begins snowing in cold weather when a large number of BTUs must be added just to raise the slab temp to the point that it can begin to melt.

kev

ADS

Not sure where you can modify desired slab temp, but after entering all info into program you can go back and play with settings. The slab must be dry after a storm because of early morning services, weddings, funerals and such.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Are you positive this is not a Class B situation? If I recall properly, such allows no accumulation in reasonable circumstance, but does allow some time to dry the surface as opposed to Class A which with both melt and evaporate reasonable accumulation in essential real time. I recall helicopter landing pads being mentioned as one of the few situations requring Class A snowmelt as it requires incredible amounts of energy.

troy_8

snow melt

Seems a little high to me. I am south of Buffalo and I usually design at about 150btu/sq.ft. for residential and around 200 btus commercially. I've never had a problem with these numbers melting snow in my area.

klaus

Snowmelt

Here in Eastern Iowa I design for 28 degrees idle and 36 - 38 degrees melting temps and have had no problems.

bill garnett_2

btu per sq ft

Lots of snow to melt here in Colorado and we usually see 125-150 btu's per sq ft. Tekmar is the choice for sensing moisture and monitoring slab temp-The 665 is ideal for a condensing boiler-no mixing required.