Driveway and walkway automatic snow melt system
Posted: Monday, February 27, 2006
by Mirek Walus
Ideal Heating LLC
The key to the installation of the automatic snowmelting system is quite simple: to know about it BEFORE the walkway and driveway is to be installed!
To save on the energy and installation cost, only half of the driveway will be heated. Insulation will help to retain the heat. The moist ground below could needlessly take a lot of heat away from the surface where it will be needed.
Four 462 ft. long Elektra VCD25/3550 cables. Each cable is 3550Watts @ 240V, 15.5 Amps good for near 125 sq.ft. of the coverage when installed as 28 Watts per sq. ft.
At NJ electric energy prices of 12ยข per kWh if the whole contraption is ON for as much as 10-12 hours a day it will cost under $20 to use.
The ground moisture and temperature sensor is installed for full automation and energy savings.
- When it is cold and dry, nothing happens.
- When it is wet and not cold, nothing happens.
- When it is cold and wet, the system will turn itself ON and stay ON until the surface of the sensor is dry.
IT IS ALWAYS ON STANDBY UNTIL NEEDED!
Each cable with its own contactor and breaker.
Ready for the winter weather.
Six months later...
To save on energy and installation cost only half of the driveway is heated.
Sometime later...
The next day:
More info: www.Ideal-Heating.com
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)I would not have designed or installed the system as described. Morgan Audetat Badger Radiatiant Floors and Snowmelting Badger Boiler Service Mpls, MNwould you elaborate on why, its fine to tell us this is incorrect or inefficient. but with all the information you leave us Mr. Morgan Audetat, the only reason i can see you would would not install the aforementioned system is greed.may i call attention to "Badger Radiatiant Floors and Snowmelting "
Not many people have experience with snowmelting systems.
This was just the information I was interested in, as some initial research into the subject. Great photo-documentation; and excellent comment on insulating below to prevent ground-heat leakage!
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