Snow melt works

Wayco Wayne_2

a snow storm yesterday of about 10 inches. I turned on my sidewalk snow melt and let it run all day while it was snowing. When heating up it heats the slab unevenly. I am guessing it is a difference in the depth of the tubing. But once it heated up all the way it really took off and not only melted all of the snow but eventually dried the pavement after it stopped snowing. Way Cool!!!! My neighbors stopped their shoveling came by and were wondering what was going on. They thought it was pretty nice too. :) WW

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jbplumber

ok

Glad to hear its working Wayne. J.Lockard

Larry_10

hi Wayne I was wondering how much dose it cost to run your sidewalk is it cheaper then paying someone to come and clean it for you or? dose it take allot of oil


if I ever had to redo my driveway I may want to do it if it's cheep to run

thanks

Ted_8

Math

It seems like btu/sqft x area x hours x boiler eff x fuel units x fuel cost should get you there. I would think that NOAA has data for snow fall hours or inches by region.

I personally feel that most designs are way over what is realy needed but the math that I have seen is way out of my capabilities so I have no way to work it out. I once called the RPA for advise and was told that the project required nothing less than 300 btu/sqft. This seemed out of line so I went with 150 btu/sqft as advised by a rep and the system runs like a champ. Does anyone have the straight scoop on this?

Chris

Chris

Wayco Wayne_2

My system is a sdiewalk

that is about 184 square feet. My wirsbo software told me I needed 19688 btuh. That comes out to 107 btu per square feet. It would take about 5 hrs to make a therm (100,000 btu's) I ran it 10 hrs yesterday so I probably used about 2 therms. I think Therms around here are $ 1.26 per therm so I don't think it costs much. Maybe 4 or 5 dollars using a 90% Munchkin as the heat source. Does that seem right?? WW

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Larry_10

wow that's good cheaper then the snowboy next-door :-)
that's good

Paul Rohrs

Glad to hear all is well.

Care to post any pics?

Regards,

PR

Mark Eatherton1

If you believe the math....

184 X 107 = approx 20,000 btuH, divided by combustion efficiency (.90) then you'd use 22,222 btuH, divided by 100,000 (BTUH/therm) then that equals .22 therms.

.22 therms times $1.26/therm = $0.28 per hour to operate. (not including pumping costs)

$0.28 times 10 running hours = $2.80. If these numbers hold true, I don't think I could get my neighborhood kids to TOUCH it for less than a $20...

Your mileage may vary, and your pickup loads are probably a lot greater than your running load, but its still cheaper than the neighborhood kid...

Good Job Wayne!

ME

Uni R

Don't Forget

Neighborhood kids are a renewable resource and if they can make some money through sweat equity all the more power to them. I think one of the local Munchkin shovellers came by the house the other day to see if they could shovel the driveway and noticed that my shovel was nicer than theirs. That's about the only way I can figure out why my nice shovel is gone but there is a very new but not as nice shovel outside exactlt where it was... Kind of funny actually. But he better not start eyeing my snowblower.

Carl PE_2

Call Wirsbo

the math that I have seen is way out of my capabilities

Wirsbo has a snow-melt design guide that's really easy to follow. Call them at (800) 321-4739 and ask them to send you a copy.

I went with 150 btu/sqft

Most of the systems around here (central IL) are about 100.

Mad Dog

Cool

Yeah, until the whole slab is warm enough you will see the striping. Way to go Wayco Wayne. Mad Dog

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