Tag Archives: Driveway heating

Radiant Heat News

The Secret of Heated Driveways is Out

Driveway Heating is More Well Known Than Ever

If you were trying to keep your driveway heating all to yourselves, convinced that no one else deserved such a luxury, then you may be interested to hear that the heated driveway secret is out. More and more homeowners are catching on to the affordable, once thought of luxury of driveway heating. It is easier and more affordable than ever to lay radiant heat cables beneath your driveways and sidewalks.

Business owners are catching the wave of heat as well. The secret has spilled into their parking lots and loading docks and even showing up on school properties across the country as well. Radiant snow melting systems are a great way to keep property clear of snow. What was once a little known system has become a staple in winter-laden homes and businesses across the states. Heated driveways are efficient and require little power to access their heating power. The warmth keeps the snow from accumulating on the pavement and snow and ice danger is minimized with the flip of a switch. The automatic snow sensor keeps tabs on the temperature and snow fall so you never have to get up in the middle of the night to turn it on. The sensor detects those things for you and turns on and off when needed or not. Share the secret that is not so secret anymore with your friends and neighbors and tell everyone about driveway heating. They’ll love you for it.

Testimonials

It Won’t Break the Bank, or my Back (Shoveling)

Location: Calgary, Canada

Solution: ClearZone Heated Driveway

Heated tire tracks in driveway

This past weekend, we received over four inches of snow and temps -15 degrees C . . . That’s like Green Bay cold!

Anyway, as you can see, the heated driveway is doing its job. Just a week ago, my electrician installed the correct type of wire for the CDP 2 so everything is functional now. A lot of folks in our neighborhood stop by on their walks and have conversations about my driveway, or ask questions if I am outside.

I know that some think this would be extremely expensive to operate, but last month, with Christmas lights on every night, I saw only a $150 increase in my electrical bill. Also, we only have 2 or 3 months of significant snow in Calgary so it won’t break the bank, or my back (shoveling) and delivery people don’t have to crawl up the slope in fear of slipping!

Have a great day.

Dennis S.

Testimonials

The Job was Simple to Install

Location: Idaho

Solution: ClearZone Snowmelt System

Thanks for supplying my customer with exactly what they needed. Living in multiple locations, the weather-censored concrete heating system you offer was the perfect match for my Boise, Idaho homeowners. Being new to this type of installation, I expected things to be a little more complicated. A few phone calls after receiving the product within days made the job simple to install.

I would have to say that customer service with your company was by far second to none. I look forward to doing business with you in the future and referring you on to homeowners with snow melting needs.

A sincere thank you,

Cody D. – Owner, Perfection Construction

Testimonials

It’s Been Taking Care of the Four to Six Feet of Snow That Would Otherwise Accumulate!

Location: Montana

Solution: ClearZone Heated Driveway

As we discussed, I would be more than happy to provide a reference and or install.

The system works as designed and is flawless. Even have pictures of the progress/process as the projects were constructed. It’s been taking care of the four to six feet of snow that would otherwise accumulate! Maybe more, just that was the depth of the snow in the area of installation.

Kevin P.

Radiant Heat News

Make Heated Driveways Your Destiny

Life is Easier and Snow Removal More Efficient with Driveway Heating

At times destiny seems unavoidable, something you are tunneling forward without the realization of it. At other times you are busy “working” towards your destiny with lists of goals and fact sheets about how to best obtain your dreams. Sometimes, admittedly, the lines are blurred and if you make it through a busy day without cursing you feel proud of yourself. With the facts about heated driveways available on Warmzone’s informative website you can make driveway heating your destiny and change the way you feel about wintertime.

Heated driveway in concrete

Winter has many beautiful moments that make you feel glad to be alive, like when the first big storm covers the dirty gutters cluttered with autumn’s discarded waste. Then the realization hits you that you must clear that very same beautiful sparkling white snow from your driveway and walks. Driveway heating makes it possible to avoid all of that and makes life infinitely easier during the harsh cold months. Heated driveways have radiant heat cables fitted snugly beneath the surface of your driveway so they keep it warm and clear from accumulating snow. Driveway heating is an efficient way to keep the snow and ice levels manageable and your family is safer because of driveway heating as well. Even if heated driveways don’t feel like your destiny think of all the time they’ll free up, leaving you to keep reaching for your true destiny, whatever that may be

Radiant Heat News

Driveway Heating is What You Wanted You Just Never Knew It

A Heated Driveway Should Be on Your Wish List

Heaven forbid I be the bearer of bossy news, especially since you don’t know me. But trust me, driveway heating is truly what you want, you just might not know it yet. Allow me to illuminate the reasons you should put a heated driveway on your wish list. I feel confident that once you investigate driveway heating a bit more you’ll soon be on the heating bandwagon.

Heated tire tracks in driveway

First up, if you live where it snows make the call today to find out more. It’s simple really; if you have a heated driveway you don’t have to plow, shovel, or swear at the snow anymore. Snow melting systems will melt all the snow on your driveway plus your sidewalk if you choose to install heating cable there as well. Electric snow melting systems are easy to customize and can be installed just about anywhere or in any application possible.

Second, a heated driveway is an affordable and efficient way to maintain heavy snow loads on your property. The heat cables require very little electricity, plus they only run when conditions warrant. When the temperature is below a set point and the sensor detects precipitation, it signals the system to send heat to the cables. So these energy efficient systems operate only when needed, but they also feature manual override capability for times when it may be needed..

There are plenty of other reasons to consider a heating driveway system. But I’ll let you discover those for yourself as you explore this website and see for yourself that yes, you do want to put a heated driveway on your wish list.

Radiant Heat News

Automated Heated Driveways

Radiant Heated Driveways Work Only When Needed

It’s rare to get around-the-clock reassurance with consumer products, yet a radiant heated driveway offers just that. Once you install a heated driveway, you quickly become the neighbor that has the heated driveway that automatically warms the driveway during a snowstorm in the day or the night – and then shutoffs afterwards. This means you sail through the winter with relative ease. The manual back-breaking labor you once dreaded after a storm is limited to sweeping a few particles of snow off your welcome mat at your front door.

Heated concrete driveway for mountain lodge

Radiant heated driveways come with a smart snow sensor that is always working. This doesn’t mean your heat cables are always on. The radiant heated driveway uses sensors to detect temperatures and amounts of snowfall and activate the radiant heating system, only when needed. This means that you’ll cut down on energy costs and eliminate the need for snowmelt chemicals or rock salt.

Radiant heated driveways communicate with the snow sensor that is programmed to activate the system when needed (usually when it detects precipitation and temperatures are below 39°Fahrenheit). The sensor signals the controller (typically installed on the wall in the garage) when conditions warrant and the controller then sends power to the heat cables to heat the driveway as the first snowflake hits. Afterwards, the system shuts off.

The driveway heating system also features manual override capability, so you can melt snowdrifts or ice that may have formed in a shady area. The snow sensor for a heated driveway system is typically installed on the side of your roof where it can accurately sense temperature and snowfall conditions. Once your heated driveway is installed, it can work without your presence, around the clock, reliably, and confidently

Articles

Heated Driveways and Snow Melting Systems (Part I)

Whether you’ve been living comfortably in your house for years or you are building a new home, installing a radiant heated driveway is a viable option for you. Certainly it is more practical to install a radiant snow melting system during the initial construction phase of a driveway, but unknown to some homeowners is that both asphalt and concrete driveways can be retrofitted with electric radiant heat systems.

Hydronic Snow Melting Systems

There are two types of driveway heating systems available today: hydronic systems and electric systems. Hydronic snow melting systems utilize a mixture of water and propylene glycol (anti-freeze) that circulates through a closed-loop network of flexible polymer (Pex) tubing that is installed in the concrete or asphalt. The liquid is heated by a water heater/boiler and then circulated through the Pex tubing by a pump to heat the driveway and melt snow. The condensing boiler (water heater) can be powered by any energy source, including natural gas, electricity, oil, wood, or even solar collectors. Because of this, hydronic snowmelt systems can offer a slightly lower operating cost than electric systems, especially for large snow melting applications.

Warmzone hydronic systems feature highly efficient condensing boilers with an Energy Star Rating as well as industry leading pumps, valves and tubing. Unfortunately, when it comes to retrofitting a driveway with hydronic radiant heat, the only way to accomplish this is to tear out the old driveway and install a new one.

Electric Heated Driveways

Electric radiant snow melting systems are easier and cheaper to install than their hydronic counterpart. Both existing concrete and asphalt driveways can be retrofitted with electric radiant heat.

Heated sidewalks being installed

Electric snow melting systems utilize specially engineered ClearZone heat cable that is available on spools or pre-spaced in mats that can be easily rolled out during installation in concrete, asphalt or under brick and stone paver driveways and sidewalks. The ClearZone cable is UL listed and consists of a twin conductor with FEP/XLPE insulation and polyolefin jacketing that provides flexibility and excellent UV protection. The heat cable is rated at 220°F and has a minimum 10-year warranty. Designed to produce 30-50 watts per square foot, ClearZone radiant heat cable has the quickest response time (time to heat the driveway upon system startup) of any snow melting system on the market. Because electric snowmelt systems do not rely on heating water heater before pumping the liquid through PEX tubing, the response time is considerably less than that of hydronic systems.

Fully Automated Snow Melting Systems

The fully automated driveway heating system features heat cable, a control unit (controller), and a high-performance snow sensor (activation device). One of two types of sensors (aerial or pavement mount) can be installed, depending on the project. Aerial mount sensors are typically used for residential heated driveways while pavement mount snow sensors are more commonly used in large commercial snow melting applications.

When the snow sensor detects precipitation and temperatures are below a designated set point (usually set at 39 F), the sensor signals the master control unit, initiating startup of the snow melting system. While the driveway snow melting system is fully automated, it can also be activated manually. The controller includes a manual override function for times when snowdrifts or ice forms because of wind or shaded areas. Another especially attractive feature of electric heated driveways is that the systems do not feature any moving parts, so they are virtually maintenance free and extremely reliable.

 Read Heated Driveways and Snow Melting Systems Part II

Articles

Heated Driveways and Snow Melting Systems (Part II)

Continued from Part I

Installing an Electric Radiant Snow Melting System
To install a ClearZone snow melting system in concrete, the driveway is first prepared for the concrete pour, including the placement of rebar or remesh. The durable heat cable is then secured to the wire remesh or rebar with zip ties and then the concrete is poured. Concrete seats or “Mesh-Ups” are often used with wire remesh to ensure proper positioning of the cable.

In addition to the heavy stress of fresh concrete pours, ClearZone cable is also designed to withstand the extreme temperatures of hot asphalt applications. The cable is laid out and then the asphalt is applied on top and then compacted, resulting in a discreet, maintenance free asphalt heated driveway. You can lay out the mats or space the cable yourself, but it’s important that a qualified electrician connect the wiring for the snow melting system.

Retrofitting Existing Driveways with Radiant Heat
To heat an existing asphalt driveway, the process is surprisingly simple. The cable is laid on top of the old asphalt and then the new layer of asphalt is applied on top and then compacted. Retrofitting a concrete driveway with radiant heat is a more tedious affair. Grooves are cut in the existing concrete, using concrete saw-cut technology, and the heat cable is then placed in the freshly cut grooves. An epoxy topcoat is then applied over the newly embedded cable sealed to seal the heating cable. A sand broadcast can be applied to the surface before the epoxy cures for additional traction and safety. Saw cut technology can also be used for retrofitting asphalt driveways if desired.

Retrofitting a truck ramp with radiant heat snow melting system

Radiant Snow Melting System Options
There are several options when it comes to installing a radiant snow melting system. For example, you can heat the entire area of a driveway, or perhaps just an 8-foot strip in the middle or just a pair of 2-foot-wide tire tracks. Radiant heated driveways and snowmelt systems can be tailor made for virtually any of your snow and ice melting needs. The applications are limited only by your imagination, and the experts at Warmzone will work closely with you to determine the best system for your needs.

Eliminate the need for the use of harsh snow melting chemicals and prolong the life of your driveway with an environmentally friendly radiant snow melting system. Not only can installing a radiant snow melting system increase the value of your home, but it will also increase pedestrian safety. So enhance your safety and peace of mind by calling Warmzone and learning about the options of installing an automated snow melting system today.

Radiant Heat News

Be on Time with the Help of a Heated Driveway

You’re Late for a Very Important Date and Snow is to Blame

Do you spend more time making up excuses as to why you are late than you actually do in being on time to your appointments, dates, yoga class, and work? We all have those lists in our head of excuses to our boss or our kid’s soccer coach about why we are late yet again. It’s never easy having to use these excuses. Your number one wintertime excuse of shoveling a foot of snow off your driveway could be a thing of the past however. You can eliminate snow shoveling from your “oh geez, am I late again? So sorry…” routine.

Heated driveway in Denver

Installing a heated driveway is now easier than ever. It’s also a cost-effective, proven home re-sell enhancing feature. Equipping a home with a technologically sound and savvy snow melting system has become a popular and affordable way to beat the snow. Look at the homes in your own neighborhood. Many of them probably already enjoy the benefits of a snow melting system. If they do, they are never late for a date or any other function because of back breaking snow removal. Their driveways remain clear and clean of sticking snow all winter.

Driveway heating has come a long way. It’s no longer something seen exclusively in the affluent neighborhoods or touted by the rich and famous. Heated driveways are now something your sister’s best friend just installed, your son’s basketball coach, your co-workers, next door neighbor or even your kid brother who you were sure was never going to own a home let alone increase its value with something as smart as a snow melting system. Get out of hot water with your boss, pull out of your driveway on-time and relaxed as you calmly wave at your less fortunate neighbors sweating and shoveling out from last night’s whopper of a snow storm. Install a snow melting system right now and start enjoying the benefits of a stress-free, time-saving heated driveway.