Snow and Ice Melt

Billy_2

I will soon be putting sidewalks in at my house and want to add radiant snow and ice melt. What temperature of water should I run through the system? I plan on adding glycol. What percentage should I use? I live in Wisconsin. Thank you for any information.

RB_2

SIM ?'s

Billy,

Because we care we ask...

Will the client (you) sue an installer if the system fails to melt and someone slips and injures themselves because the controls were set up for one temperature when it needed another...unfortunate question but reality is a liability lawyer with a mitt full of unanswered consumer expectation questions.

So...before we begin talking temperature we'll need to discuss what exactly do you expect from your system...ie: can you wait for the system to catch up during and after a snow fall or do you want to melt and evaporate snow on contact?

Where in WI are you from?

Is drifting snow expected or is it sheltered?

What spacing are the pipes?

What diameter?

How long of loop lengths?

What is the construction detail...ie: is the back and edges insulated? Is it concrete, pavers or asphalt? How thick? How deep are the pipes buried?


To compare - I have about 1400 sf of snow melt at my home, concrete pavers, 1/2" pex 8" o.c., 250 ft lengths, buried 8" from the surface in a sand / limestone mix, insulated below pipes and on edges...location - Calgary, Alberta, Canada...designed for 175 btu/sf... temperature operates between 110 during idle and as high as 155 deg f when we get the big dumps.

I also have a covered 180 sf 4" concrete pad with 1/2" pex, 200 ft loops, 12" o.c., insulated back and edges...same temp but expectations are to keep my wet feet from sticking to the concrete when I'm out soaking in the tub.

The Radiant Panel Association will be publishing their Snow Ice Melting Guidelines...perhaps they can make it available to you now...search the web "Radiant Panel Association” for contact info.

Spidy senses tell me it's time to hire a professional for your project...lots of them here on The Wall...contact the pipe manufacturer for an expert in your neighborhood and be sure to use the "find a contractor" feature on this site.

A SIM system which works is a great safety feature, offers a placebo security system (must be home the walk is shoveled)...and impresses or causes distain with the neighbors, mailman or gas company.

A SIM system which doesn't work is a nice way to hide your money - some prefer under the mattress others like to bury it under the concrete...so many questions so many choices...


rb

Chris_4

GREAT RESPONSE!!!

Robert,

great response!! I have been trying to sell some snow and ice melting systems lately with no luck, but am not giving up yet! can I use the last line??

Chris

RB_2

SIM

Hey Chris the line is all yours...keep pushing those snow melts they beat pushing a shovel.

rb

Dale

Snow melt in Wisc.

Before you spend alot of cash you might want to find out is snowmelt is legal in Wisc. I live here and the last time I heard it was not legal and the building inspector if he/she chose to could stop the job. You may want to contact someone at the state to be sure.

hot_rod

A rich mans sport, for sure

If there is a REAL safety or liability issue residential snowmelt make sense. 150- 175 BTU's to heat the great outdoors seems wasteful, sometimes. That same energy could warm 5 homes!

If you go this route use a reliable automatic snow sensor so it only runs when needed.

hot rod

Billy_2

Snow and Ice Melt

I guess I left out a lot of information.
1) I have an outdoor wood boiler with radiant floor heat in my garage and basement.
2) Not too worried about an inspector in the area that I live.
3) The sidewalks will be 4" concrete. One will be 190 sf and the other will be 80 sf.
4) I was planning on insulating under the slabs and running 8" centers with 1/2" hePex. I was also planning on putting a heat exchanger in so I could run glycol through this system.
I am a steamfitter but only have experence working on large comerical jobs. We don't see too much radiant heat.