Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

Snowmelt in action

Steve Minnich
Steve Minnich Member Posts: 2,808
in THE MAIN WALL
New snowmelt system in action. Success! My customer still needs to upgrade his gas meter to 1,000,000 BTUH which is suppose to happen Monday, but I like what I see so far. Yeah I came out here in the middle of the night to check on it. I love my job. The gas company already upgraded the meter and they keep trying to tell me that it's big enough but it clearly says 650 CFH @. .5 PSI. The total load in the home in 875 CFH, 500 of that for the snowmelt.
Steve Minnich
Harvey Ramer

Comments

  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,607
    I've always enjoyed watching your high skills and dedication to a project come together. Beautifully done, as usual!
    Retired and loving it.
    Steve MinnichMad Dog_2
  • Steve Minnich
    Steve Minnich Member Posts: 2,808
    Thank you Dan!
    Steve Minnich
  • RobG
    RobG Member Posts: 1,850
    Is that an asphalt driveway?
  • Steve Minnich
    Steve Minnich Member Posts: 2,808
    6" of concrete
    Steve Minnich
  • Mad Dog_2
    Mad Dog_2 Member Posts: 7,620
    Way to go Son! Great feeling, right? I remember my first big snowmelt job. I realized how MUCH MORE directly tied to performance, snowmelt was than radiant, steam, solar et cetera. I.E., if it didn't melt snow, I failed..... UNLIKE other heating systems where results are more subjective. Where is the job? Mad Dog
    Consulting by Mad Dog & Matt Jr.
  • Mad Dog_2
    Mad Dog_2 Member Posts: 7,620
    Gas meters have a bit more capacity than they are stamped for. I would run ALL the appliances at once and clock the meter. If it doesn't pass enough cu. Feet, insist they upgrade it. Mad Dog
    Consulting by Mad Dog & Matt Jr.
  • Steve Minnich
    Steve Minnich Member Posts: 2,808
    It's a Frank Lloyd Wright home in Glen Ellyn, IL. I've covered every base on the meter. Did the appliance thing and if the boiler in the house is running at the same time, the snowmelt boiler bogs down if firing over 80% with gas pressure way below what I want to see. If nothing else is firing, she runs smooth as silk. I erred on the side of caution in sizing the gas pipe too by running 2".
    Steve Minnich
  • Steve Minnich
    Steve Minnich Member Posts: 2,808
    The last few feet are 1" but the 75' run from the meter at the house is 2".
    Steve Minnich
  • Gordy
    Gordy Member Posts: 9,546
    Awesome, looks like it's going to,get,a,work out,from the forecast Stephen.
  • j a_2
    j a_2 Member Posts: 1,801
    Great job, clearly your hard work and dedication, has paid off...
  • Steve Minnich
    Steve Minnich Member Posts: 2,808
    Thanks guys. I'm back at the job right now due to ignition failure. She's melting snow again but I made it imperative to my customer that he needs to get the gas company out here tomorrow.
    Steve Minnich
  • Robert O'Connor_12
    Robert O'Connor_12 Member Posts: 728
    Nice job!
  • j a_2
    j a_2 Member Posts: 1,801
    Most all of my work was in a low pressure area in and around Boston…Gas co. only guarantees 4.5 in w/c. We also have areas where they have to install whole house gas filters….due to dirty wet gas….Very often found sediment traps filled with a moist rusty colored dust/substance…My friend just the other day had to call the gas co. due to a leak….they found the boiler gas valve passing…admitting gas into the burner area..it was an oddly but goody mili volt valve…Could have been real ugly….Story not done yet, I told him to chalange the gas co. about the other appliances in the house…Fitter just gave the blank stare and shrugged his shoulders, said every house in town has same thing, not a big deal…Kinda don’t agree, not a big deal.
  • Snowmelt
    Snowmelt Member Posts: 1,425
    I had the same problem with too much gas comming in the house, it was a fauty gas meter. It was rather weird. When I checked it, the gas meter was high, when the gas company came and checked the gas was reading to low. I would like to know how many loops & leangth are your manifold or your manifolds? What temp are you running at?
  • Steve Minnich
    Steve Minnich Member Posts: 2,808
    12 300' lengths of 3/4" Rehau pex off 2 different manifolds, 6 loops to each. 130 degrees max.
    Steve Minnich
  • Steve Minnich
    Steve Minnich Member Posts: 2,808
    Thank you, Robert!
    Steve Minnich
  • Michael Welch
    Michael Welch Member Posts: 43
    It is so satisfying to see a snow melt system run for the first time and to know all of your hard work pays off.
  • Snowmelt
    Snowmelt Member Posts: 1,425
    Nice, did my moms driveway for my very first snow melt, with 3/4 pex 275 feet, 2 manifolds one 5 loop and one 6 loop. The rebarb was 6 inch squares so I ended using 6 inch center. Since I'm a tankless man I took a tankless takagi and used that. It worked well.
  • NYplumber
    NYplumber Member Posts: 503
    edited January 2015
    Nice job Stephen. Any under slab insulation?
    And what btu per sq ft did you design?

    Im putting in a viessmann this week for a snowmelt system. Waiting for the snow to fall.
    :NYplumber:
  • Steve Minnich
    Steve Minnich Member Posts: 2,808
    @Snowmelt - I really like the manifold enclosures. I would always keep them vertical if I could.
    @NYplumber - the tubing and insulation was installed 8 years ago by the homeowner, long before I met him. The layout was per a local supply house drawing and they used bubble foil insulation. I would have used 2" high density XPS. The load came to about 125 BTUH/SF
    Steve Minnich
    jonny88

Categories