Snow melt performance during big snow?

Chuck_17

Do typical snow melt systems usually keep up with big snowfall events?

A church will be putting in a hot water snow melt system in a sidewalk. One of parishioners asked if it would keep up with, for example, 24" in a few hours?

Jamie Hall

How would "that depends" do for an answer? If you were getting that much snow, but the air was basically warm -- say around freezing -- it might. It takes 144 BTU to melt a pound of snow -- so if you can figure how much heat you are delivering to your snow melt system, and the weight of the snow, you can figure how long it will take the system to melt the snow.

STEVEusaPA

You can design it any way your budget allows. So if designed correctly, and controlled correctly, then yes. That could be anywhere from melting in a few hours to something like a hospital helipad where it's melting from first flake and drying after last flake.
But if a big storm were coming I would make sure it's idling before the storm starts.
You wouldn't want to show up after the storm started and turn the system on expect it to melt 24" of snow in a few hours

j a_2

Here in the Boston area snow melting systems are far and few between...What areas are the most common....

hot_rod

Here is the ASHRAE guidelines on the class of snowmelt. It is hard to predict weather, but you could look back 20 years or so at snowfall data and determine what the biggest load could be.

Critical applications like emergency ramps and helipads on hospitals can run 200 BTU/ sq ft or more, depending on location.

I've yet to see one where you flip a switch and watch the snow start melting, although some homeowners expect that

j a_2

Airports have a lot of snowmelt areas....they also have melting pits,where they dump it and melt it...

JUGHNE

If 24" of snow fell in NE, church would be postponed.
The sidewalk may melt clear but the parking lot would have to be cleared.....the streets.....everyone's driveway....and their residential streets.
It is a great idea for a minor snowfall and especially ice on the walks though. IMO

j a_2

It's for rich people