Global Warming - No. Driveway Warming - YESSSS

[quatroad]

Finally got a chance to test out the snow melt system we installed this summer. A BIG, HUGE, GINORMOUS thanks to Mr.B for his help in getting the GFEP's required for the project.

<img src="http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/ss81/Quatroad/P1040089.jpg">

<img src="http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/ss81/Quatroad/P1040093.jpg">

<img src="http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/ss81/Quatroad/Orbit%20Snow%20Melt/P1040095.jpg">

<img src="http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/ss81/Quatroad/Orbit%20Snow%20Melt/P1040098.jpg">

<img src="http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/ss81/Quatroad/Orbit%20Snow%20Melt/P1030601.jpg">

<img src="http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/ss81/Quatroad/Orbit%20Snow%20Melt/P1030584.jpg">

 

[JCQuick]

Holy snowman I could not deal with that. heck i'm tring to get my boss to give me snow days off when it gets below 70

 

[61scout80]

that's pretty wild. its all on one 20 amp breaker?

 

[e-tek]

Holy man - SPOILED!!!!
I knew someone many years back who had a heated drive in vancouver. Over time the climate changed and it RARELY snowed (or maybe we went though a cold cycle). Hope it snows enough to keep it useful!

 

[toxicz28]

That's awesome! I sould have thought about that when I tore out my driveway this year. Is it all electric?

 

[brownbagg]

Is it all electric? I think they make some propane ones too.

 

[Stuart in MN]

that's pretty wild. its all on one 20 amp breaker?

If it's electric, I'm guessing that 20 amp breaker is just for the controls and the other bigger breakers are for the heating elements. However, since it's only used when there's snow on the driveway it's not like you're paying for all that power 24/7 all winter. They also make hydronic driveway and sidewalk heating systems.

 

[Art From De Leon]

I'll bet the neighbors are envious, or really, really pissed about the ice slick in the street formed by the runoff.

 

[ScaldedDog]

I'll bet the neighbors are envious, or really, really pissed about the ice slick in the street formed by the runoff.

Oddly, most of the moisture evaporates on these systems.

Mark

 

[the spyder]

http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37382

Here is the install thread.

 

[Art From De Leon]

Oddly, most of the moisture evaporates on these systems.

Mark

I had a feeling that might be the case,.

 

[quatroad]

Mark is correct. The system maintains an evaporative surface temperature of approx. 50-F so there is no run-off and no icing even at the edges of the meltway. The system has a manual override so you can turn it off (if you're feeling nostalgic for that exhilarating feeling from shoveling), or if the expected snow is minimal and running the system isn't necessary. Since we had a forecast of 16-20" over a 24-hour period, we let the system do it's thing, turning on automatically, running the necessary load time, and then turning off approx. 2 hours after the last flakes fall to assure complete evaporation of the meltway. In retrospect, we actually should have used the manual override to pre-heat the system because the initial rate of snowfall was so high that the system did not reach optimal operating temperatures before there was some accumulation, so it had to work a little harder and longer to catch up and maintain effectiveness throughout the storm cycle. Overall it performed flawlessly. The technical support and responsiveness from the Nexans folks and Orbit Mfg. in PA who supplied the custom cables and controls was first-rate. Too bad our first two electrical contractors weren't nearly as professional. But in the end, the results speak for themselves. I don't know how many occasions we'll have to utilize the system, but since we were putting in an all new driveway, now was the time to do it. Plus, my lumbar disks are getting bad much faster than my 4-year old's biceps are developing, so this is a big help.

 

[Jack Olsen]

It's a shame there isn't a way to store up all the energy that asphalt absorbs all summer as a way to power the heating element in the winter.

 

[bmwpower]

Holy smokes I wish I had that today. I think I'd go with hydro since I could not spare the electrical requirements.

 

[quatroad]

It's a shame there isn't a way to store up all the energy that asphalt absorbs all summer as a way to power the heating element in the winter.

Agreed. The amount of wasted energy on blacktop is staggering.

Holy smokes I wish I had that today. I think I'd go with hydro since I could not spare the electrical requirements.

That was a real issue with us because we would have gone with a much larger meltway if we had spare electrical service, but the expense of bringing more in was prohibitive so we limited ourselves. In the end, we chose the embedded TXLP cables over hydronic because our research found that the majority of heavy-duty commercial/industrial installations in places were failure and repair are just not an option went with the electrical though it was, in our case, approx. 15% more expensive to install than a similarly sized hydronic meltway.

 

[Garys Garage]

I love the idea, but what will it cost to run this? Do you have any idea? I would think it would cost more then to heat your house. I use a boiler in my shop to heat my floor and it cost me 5000 to heat my shop in the winter.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I love the idea, but what will it cost to run this?

The cost was discussed in the build thread referenced above. It's not all that bad, it only gets turned on during snowfalls.