Snow Melt System

Gary Fereday_4

of condensation inside the bouler is what you;re chanching. Return very cold water is worth insurance that it (condensating) will not occur

B . Martino

snowmelt system

I will be installing a snow melt system with a plate heat exchanger and injection pump. My question is do I need a primary pump going through the the heat exchanger on the snow
melt side or will the injection pump just be able to pull
from the exchanger as it is a short loop from supply to return
In other word will the pump from the boiler to the heat exchanger act as the primary and the injection off the exchanger will just pull from the exchanger.

Dave Holdorf_2

Snowmelt Piping

Dave-

Each circulator has a specific task in a snowmelt system. I have attached a drawing discussing each circ.
Pump 1 is the primary circ, it's job is to maintain flow through the boiler and through the control, monitor boiler supply and return temps for 1; proper boiler supply temp and 2; maintain a minimum temp for the return to protect from flue condensation (if needed).
Circ 2 is the injection circ to maintain the temp of the fluid based upon outside air temp and the delta T across the snow melt area.
Circ 3 is the zone circ and both of them run at the same time when a heat exchanger is involved.

I hope this helps.

Dave H.

Henry

You can save the price of two pumps and the heat exchanger, if you go glycol all the way. That is how we do it here in the Great White North. A mod/con boiler is ideal for this type of work. Our largest installation was 5000 sq feet of driveway. It cost $5K a month in gas for the snow melt alone! The job was for one of the owners of Gildan. T shirts sure are profitable!

JJ_4

Geesh....

If he wants to go carbon-neutral and save money....I'll shovel his driveway for $4.5K per month (with benefits of course...like free t-shirts)!

Rod Kotiga

I'm with Henry. Use a mod/con boiler like a Knight and bag all of that old world heat exchager ( performance penalty ) stuff and do a primary secondary piped system. You'll never use another heat echanger again once you see the work your saving yourself.

Rod K.

Rich Kontny_3

I will throw in salt

for $2.5 k/month. Snow melts make me cringe!

Jack Smith

Right on Henry !

Dedicated mod/cons are the only way to go. Can't beat the efficiency, as if snowmelt is efficient.

Jack Smith