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Reviewing Electric and Hydronic Radiant Snow Melting Systems – Part I

What are the Best Options for Keeping Your Driveway Clear of Snow and Ice?

Every year it comes, and every year we fight it. I’m talking about snow . . . lots and lots of snow. Sure, it’s pretty and helps to put us in a festive, holiday mood, but the truth is that snow can drain our wallets, sap our strength and even impose on our sleep or leisure time.

Most folks who live in cold climates have become somewhat accustomed to getting up a little earlier or staying up a little later in order to shovel snow from their driveways or clear their roofs and gutters. Usually the shoveling of snow is followed by the disbursement of salt or other snow melting chemicals. Some homeowners – and businesses especially – opt to pay someone else to manually remove the snow. But is manual snow removal really the best way to rid our sidewalks and driveways of snow and ice? There is, in fact, another option – radiant heat.

Radiant heat snow melting systems are fully automated, so once they are installed, there’s no need to worry about snow removal ever again. Electric snow melting systems consist of three components: The heat cable, a snow sensor (activation device), and controller. (Hydronic systems also include a boiler and pump.)

Heated driveway in concrete

The heat cable features a thick wire that is surrounded by layers of insulation, copper grounding braid and a protective outer layer of PVC or polyolefin to form a flexible cable about ⅛ to ¼ inch in diameter. Cable is available on spools as well as in mats. These mats have the heat cable that is pre-spaced and attached to a mesh backing, and can be customized (cut) to suit virtually any type of layout, including driveways, ramps, common walkways and sidewalks, etc.

The activation device for the snow melting system activation device can be either an aerial-mounted or pavement-mounted snow sensor. These sensors activate the system when there is moisture present and the temperature is below approximately 38 degrees. Most systems also include a manual timer to preheat an area before a large storm to curb snow and ice accumulation or to eliminate snow drifts.

When the snow sensor detects the right conditions, it signals the control unit which then sends power through the heat cable. The system warms the surface quickly so that the first snowflakes melt immediately as they land on your heated driveway.

Electric and Hydronic Radiant Snow Melting Systems

What are the Pros and Cons of each Method of Radiant Heating?

First of all, it is important to clarify that one method of radiant heat cannot claim universal superiority over the other. Both types of radiant heat are popular. That being said, each system does possess distinct attributes and advantages.

Electric Radiant Snow Melting Systems

Electric snowmelt systems utilize rugged heat cable that distributes heat evenly across the surface of the driveway or sidewalk. The heating cable is durable enough that it can be installed in new concrete pours, under pavers and even in harsh, high-temperature new asphalt construction projects. It is secured to the remesh and generally spaced at 6 inches while being embedded within about 2 inches of the surface.

The Top Advantages of Electric Radiant Snow Melting Systems

Ease of Installation – Electric radiant heat systems are fairly easy to install. (Handy do-it-yourselfers can do most of the installation. It is important, however, for a qualified electrician to install the wiring.)

Energy Efficient – Electric radiant systems boast a rapid response time, heating the area quickly and efficiently (99% of all energy goes to snow melting, so there is virtually no wasted energy).

Lower Installation Costs – Because electric systems can be installed quickly and easily, the installation costs are minimal.

Maintenance Free – Electric radiant heat systems do not use any moving mechanical parts, so the system is virtually maintenance free.

No Mechanical Room is Required – Electric systems consist of three main components: the heat cable, a snow sensor (activation device), and the controller. So, unlike hydronic systems that utilize a boiler and pump, there is no need for a mechanical room.

SUMMARY: For small to medium sized snow melting applications, electric radiant heat is generally the best choice.

Continued: Read Part II

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Reviewing Electric and Hydronic Radiant Snow Melting Systems – Part II

Hydronic Radiant Heat

Continued from Part I

Hydronic heating was the first form of radiant heat, used by ancient Chinese civilizations and further developed by the Romans. Today’s hydronic floor heating systems feature PEX radiant tubing that is usually installed in concrete. For interior applications, the tubing is sometimes installed in a concrete mass called Gypsum Concrete or “Gypcrete,” or, more commonly in the grooves of the advanced aluminum panel system. The pre-cut panel method is known as a low-mass or modular board underlayment system, and is ideal for remodeling as well as most new construction projects.

Hydronic floor heating system being installed
Hydronic heated floor with Pex tubing inserted into Rau Panels.

The heating element for a hydronic system involves flexible tubing and specially treated water. Hydronic heated driveways use a closed-loop tubing system to heat the surface of the driveway. The tubing is generally made of a durable polymer (PEX tubing) or synthetic rubber to circulate a mixture of hot water and propylene glycol (antifreeze). The fluid is warmed to temperatures between 140 to 180 degrees F to deliver enough heat throughout the snow melting system.

The PEX tubing can be installed under a variety of mediums, including concrete, asphalt, stone pavers, etc. Successful operation of a hydronic heating system depends on proper tubing spacing and layout. Tubes are usually laid out in a spiral or serpentine pattern for even heat distribution, making initial installation a bit more challenging than that of electric radiant heating systems.

A water heater (boiler) is the heat source for a hydronic heated system, which can be powered by any energy source that satisfies the btu requirements, including natural gas, electricity, oil, wood, or even solar collectors. A circulating pump and supply and return manifolds, installed in an easily accessible location, transfer the liquid between the heat source and tubing.

Flexible Power Source Options (Low Operating Costs) – Because the boiler of a hydronic radiant heat snow melting system can utilize natural gas, oil, wood, or other cheap fuel, the operating cost for large hydronic systems can be lower than that of an equally sized electric radiant heat snow melting system.

Snow melting mats laid out to heat asphalt driveway
Retrofitting an asphalt driveway with radiant heat. Snow melting cable is placed on the original surface and new asphalt is then applied over the heat cable.

Electric heated driveway systems are generally more efficient than hydronic systems. Electric cables heat up instantaneously, whereas the liquid within hydronic tubing takes a while longer to be heated up before the snow begins to melt. Installation of electric systems is fairly simple for the “do-it-yourselfer”, and heat cable is also available in mats that can be rolled out for simple installation. The mats feature cable that is pre-spaced, attached to a durable fiberglass mesh backing. They can be easily rolled out to heat tire tracks or an entire driveway. This flexibility is invaluable in retrofit applications, where hydronic system installation is more evasive, and costly.

With both radiant snow melting systems, you have great flexibility in terms of the installation configuration (even more so with electric systems). Instead of heating an entire driveway, you may want to install heat cables to only melt snow in the tire tracks of the driveway. The heat cable for radiant snowmelt systems can be customized to heat just about any type of odd shaped area, large or small.

Radiant Heat Offers Flexibility in Terms of Options

If you are considering installing a heated driveway, there are three general driveway heating solutions that are typically recommended:

  1. Install radiant heating cable under the entire driveway pavement.
  2. Install only an 8-10 foot wide strip of heating cable up the middle of your driveway or main traffic area.
  3. Install two 24-inch wide tracks of radiant heat cable up the middle of your driveway.
Heated tire tracks in driveway
Electric heated driveway with heated tire tracks in concrete.

Electric radiant heat systems usually cost less to install, and are much easier to install in small spaces. The installation of a hydronic system is much more labor intensive and costs more for materials. However, for larger systems, you will probably save more money on the heating bill compared to electric warm flooring.

Make sure you work with experienced professionals who also provide system engineering and design services, included detailed CAD drawings. Warmzone is one of the best radiant heat providers that you could hope to find. They will work closely with you to ensure that the radiant snow melting system you install is the absolute best system for your specific needs.

Read Part I of this article

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Radiant Heat Has Arrived in Earnest

Electric Radiant Heating Comes in Many Flavors

Although radiant heat has been around for many years now, new technology has paved the way for it to arrive in earnest. There’s no cleaner form of heating than radiant heat. A wire grid (heat cable) installed in the floor provides a totally clean and quiet heat that radiates upward to all those lucky enough to be in the room. There is no blower cycling on and off or the noise that goes with it. And no dust or allergens are blown around either. What there is is clean, silent, comfortable heat. Time marches on. Just as cars today are equipped with more than just an AM radio with big dials, heating systems have advanced to a point where this form of clean, quiet and efficient heat is making a move to become the standard.

Another large advantage of radiant heating is that it is easily zone able. Each room or “zone” can be controlled separately, so if you have rooms that are not used regularly you can turn the heat off or down in those rooms, adding greatly to the efficiency of these systems. This is not something at which a forced air system excels. Radiant floor heating systems typically have thermostats in every room.

ComfortTile floor heating mat, cable and thermostat
ComfortTile floor heating cable in mat and on spools, shown with thermostat.

One of the great things about radiant heating is that technology has provided for its use in many different facets. Did you know that there are radiant roof heating systems that will melt the snow and ice off the roof and gutters? In addition there are driveway snow melting systems that will quietly and efficiently melt the snow and ice off your driveway. Modern technology isn’t just for iPods and iPads. These systems utilize the same type of technology, using low-voltage or line-voltage electric current that runs through heating cable and provides the desired result. These systems are also automated and programmable, and can do their duties when you aren’t even home. There are so many conveniences available to us today at which our parents and grandparents would marvel. Radiant heating is making inroads and it is easy to see why. People are discovering the comfort and efficiency of radiant heating and are adopting it with open arms.

Radiant heating systems can also be installed over existing floors as well. Just because the almost dream home you bought doesn’t have the heating system that would make it the dream home, don’t despair. Heating cable can be installed over the existing floor and a new surface poured over that, thus transforming your almost dream home in to your real dream home. RetroHeat radiant heat systems can also be installed in the floor joists under an existing floor.

With winter knocking on our doors, it’s the season for a snow melting system. Anyone with a snow melting system installed has experienced the joy of driving in to a driveway that has no snow on it when there is snow all around. One might have to try to suppress a smile when your neighbor’s are all snow bound. If you live in an area where snow is a regular concern you can appreciate the convenience of a snow melting system. Perhaps the ultimate dream is that you arrive home from work during a major snow storm and pull into your driveway where all the snow has melted away when it is piling up everywhere else. You park and walk on a sidewalk heated with a snowmelt system, you don’t worry about the ice cycles on the roof above because there aren’t any thanks to a roof snow melting system. You then walk in to the house and take your shoes off and instantly feel the comfort of a warm radiant heated floor. Life is good.

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Eco-friendly Heated Driveways

Heated driveways from Warmzone do more than just melt snow and ice from driveways and sidewalks, the snow and ice melt systems help preserve your landscaping by eliminating the need to use harmful salt and chemicals. In a nutshell, having an “eco-friendly” Warmzone snowmelt system is a way to protect the environment in your corner of the world. That may sound like an outrageous claim, but the facts are clear.

According to Spring-Green, a recognized leader in the professional lawn and tree care industry, salt spread over asphalt and sidewalks to melt snow and ice damages lawns and landscape plants. When salt products are spread over streets and walkways, the salt inevitably splashes onto nearby foliage. The sodium chloride burns the plants and gets absorbed by the plants’ root systems.

Spring-Green also states that using alternate ice-melt products aren’t the answer either. Commercial products contain potassium chloride which has a lower burn rate than sodium chloride, but fails to effectively melt the ice. What these alternate snow and ice melt products do is break the bond between the ice and the surface below, making it easier for you to remove the ice manually.

Warmzone heated driveways and snowmelt systems are the best option to melt the ice and protect your landscaping. The radiant heat systems don’t use any harmful chemicals, and they efficiently melt the ice and snow so you don’t have to break your back shoveling snow.

Snow melting systems can be installed in almost any driveway and can be retrofitted into existing concrete and asphalt. These energy efficient, eco-friendly systems feature state-of-the-art technology, but are surprisingly affordable and easy to install for any contractor or do-it-yourself expert.

Warmzone carries both low- and line-voltage snow melting systems and will help you determine which system is best for your specific project. A variety of manual and automated radiant heat systems are available to keep snow clear of your walkways and driveway 24 hours a day. Wake up in the morning and relax while the automatic heated driveway prevent snow and ice buildup, or come home from a winter weekend vacation to a snow-free driveway and clear access to your garage.

Contact us to learn more about environmentally-safe heated driveways and snowmelt systems. Warmzone snowmelt experts can help you design a heated driveway, snowmelt system or heated floor system that’s best for your property.

Call 888.488.WARM (9276).

Articles

Hot Remodeling Trends

Home Remodeling Trends you can Really Warm up to

CBS Moneywatch.com recently identified twelve trends in home remodeling for 2011. The hottest projects—bathrooms, must-do remodeling and warmer interior design projects made the top three, with green living coming in at number nine. With growing concerns over rising fuel prices and carbon footprints, it’s not surprising that more and more homeowners are investing in their homes to cut fuel consumption. Installing Warmzone radiant heated floors is a great way to keep up with remodeling trends and recoup on home improvement costs.

How does radiant heat work? Heated floors radiate heat from the floor up to keep you warm and comfortable when cold weather sets in. Two types of systems—electric heat cable and hydronic (water-based) tubing systems—when installed in the subfloor of your home act as heating elements to warm the surface above. These heating cables/tubing coordinate with a thermostat and sensors, as do traditional forced air systems, to provide heat to your home.

Heating mats being installed to heat a bathroom floor

Warmzone radiant heat is green heat. Powered by electricity, electric radiant heat cables can heat a surface in 30 to 60 minutes. Unlike forced air systems, they are room specific. With the help of sensors and a programmable thermostat you can heat one room, or heat them all quickly and efficiently, saving money on your monthly gas bill. And unlike forced air systems, they do not belch out the dust and dirt that compromises air quality in your home.

A radiant heated floor installation equals cheap equity. Heated floors give your home an impressive level of comfort and customization with minimal investment. Not sure you want to install heated floors throughout you home just yet? Warmzone offers a variety of heat cable products that can be easily installed under the subfloor of any room in your home, whether it be bathroom tile, wood or even carpet.

If, as CBS Moneywatch.com suggests, the over-arching remodeling trend for 2011 is to tackle small projects while you wait to do the really big remodeling project that’s on your list, why not start by installing heated flooring in your home.  Unlike other “one-size-fits-all” radiant heat providers, Warmzone offers an array of radiant heated flooring solutions designed to better match your individual project, and your budget. The good news—many of these floor heating products can be installed by do-it-yourself homeowners.

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Radiant Heat Technology

Snow Melting Systems: Technology For the Ages

While radiant heated driveways are viewed as a relatively modern convenience, you might be surprised to know that radiant heat has been around since antiquity. The Romans actually utilized raised-slab floors and an exterior wood fired furnace to heat their villas. As hot gases from the furnace would enter the house below floor level, they were naturally drawn through the floors up and out of the walls, radiating heat along the way.

Of course, radiant heat technology has come a long way. Durable, easily installed and inconspicuous, it clears the driveways and sidewalks we travel on, and warms our floors (along with our soles). Great news if you’ve ever considered a heated driveway in your future!

Today’s heated driveways are made up of three main elements: the heating element, the controller and the snow sensor or activation device. Controlled by either a wall-mounted control box, snow melting systems can be activated manually; or, with the help of sensors, automatically as conditions change.

ClearZone radiant heat cable comes with several benefits. Safely installed in new concrete pours, under pavers and in harsh, high-temperature new asphalt projects, it delivers unmatched durability. ClearZone cable can be customized to meet performance and space requirements for virtually any snowmelt project. Featuring a unique, maintenance-free design, a 10-year manufacturers warranty and the quickest response time, ClearZone cable is built to consistently outperform the competition.

Warmzone’s compact 6 x 3.5-inch wall-mounted snowmelt control unit monitors the activity of the entire heated driveway system. The snowmelt control unit can be switched on/off (standby) and the heating system can be forced on in case of blowing snow or ice formation due to wind or shade. It features manual override capability, and can also be controlled using an external signal, from a day/week timer, GSM-module or other signal source.

When moisture is present and the preset temperature is reached, it is the snow sensor—whether aerial-mounted or pavement-mounted —that relays the information to the controller to activate the snow melting system. Once the trigger temperature is set, the sensor switch will only activate a radiant heated driveway when needed, saving energy and operating costs.

As radiant heat technology has evolved, the ease of installation and the chief benefits of snow melting systems–efficiency and convenience–make heated driveways more compelling than ever. Warmzone can install heated driveways during pre- or post-construction phases, in almost any medium. The good news—with so much expertise and experience, Warmzone can easily customize a snowmelt system solution that’s right for you, and your budget.

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Green Heating for Your Home

Everyone seems to be seeing green nowadays. Words like “energy efficient, green construction” and “biodegradable” are used on a daily basis, and most of us believe that buying products with these labels means we are doing our part to save the environment. Auto makers jumped on the eco-friendly bandwagon, advertising vehicles that are gas-friendly to gas-free, which basically means 30 MPG and can run on mostly renewable E85 ethanol. What mostly renewable means, you’ll have to ask General Motors and Ford. Taking into account that Europe is considering implementing a 60 MPG minimum on cars, these early “gas friendly” cars look not-so-friendly.

One possible way to be more green or to incorporate green construction into an existing home, is investing in products that run on renewable energy such as electricity rather than fossil fuels. It’s true that most of the world’s electricity is produced using coal, nuclear, and natural gas. While this may not seem like a better alternative, consider the totally renewable energy sources of electricity such as solar, hydro and wind. As fossil fuels become scarcer, these renewable energy sources will be the forefront in energy production.

So where can you start? Most homes in America are heated using gas, and most of us can’t ignore the rising costs. Lowering the thermostat to barely tolerable temperatures may be your solution, but if you have children who are blissfully ignorant about the cost of heating, they have probably been tempted once or twice to warm things up when you weren’t looking. An alternative heating to gas that is hugely popular in Europe, and one that your children are guaranteed to love, is radiant heat.

Oddly enough, radiant heat is actually the oldest form of heating homes, originating all the way back to the Romans. Yeah, they were pretty smart. When most of us think of radiant heat, we think of hydronic technology. For those of you who are still in the dark, a hydronic system heats the floor of a home through a heated water loop or underground piping.  Drawbacks to these types of systems are a significant rise in the height of the floor, high cost, and difficulty to install.

An even better form of radiant heating runs on electricity. There is no magic behind it, just a wire or cable that is easily installed beneath hardwood, tile, cement and even carpet. Some systems don’t raise the floor at all, while others result in less than a half an inch of floor buildup, and much of the system can be installed by any ambitious do-it-yourselfer. The best part? It is energy efficient, consuming only 12 watts per square foot (many systems are even less), and you are able to heat your home comfortably at lower temperatures because the electric radiant heat warms all the objects it comes in contact with.

Allergy sufferers will be pleased to know that because electric radiant heating does not use forced air to heat, it won’t stir up dust, pollens, and other allergens in the air. Forced air heating systems also dry out your skin significantly, not to mention they take a fair amount of time to warm up your home. With radiant heated floors, your home heats up almost instantly, evenly and much more comfortably.

Something not easily digested is that America consumes 43 percent of the world’s motor gasoline, 25 percent of its crude petroleum, 25 percent of its natural gas, and 23 percent of its hard coal. Investing in energy efficient products that run on electricity, like electric radiant heat, just might cut down these numbers and make your home a green home. Not to mention make you feel a little better, make your home warmer, and your wallet just might be a little thicker.

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Ancient Radiant Heating

The “Ancient” Art of Sustainable Living

As a current or future radiant heat consumer, you might fancy yourself to be part of a growing trend towards sustainable home heating. What you may not know is that although it is considered an emerging, “modern” trend among residential homeowners, radiant heat technology is actually thousands of years old.

Ancient Roman ruins reveal floor heating technology
Ruins of a Roman underfloor heating system. (Photo courtesy of Silvermel.)

The history of underfloor heating began in 10,000 BC with the Chinese, who used the word “kang”(original meaning, “to dry”) to describe what became known as a heated bed. Inhabitants drafted smoke from fires through stone covered trenches in the floors of their subterranean dwellings. The hot smoke heated the floor stones, radiating into their living spaces. Evidence of heated floors based on this principle were found in 5,000 B.C. in China and Korea.

The Greeks and Romans finessed the process in 500 B.C. with the hypocaust. Literally translated, hypocaust means “heat from below,” from the Greek word hypo meaning below or underneath, and kaiein, to burn or light a fire. This system was more efficient and less evasive than that of its Asian predecessor. It used pillars to raise the floors, creating a space underneath to circulate hot air. Spaces were left inside of the walls so that hot air and smoke from the furnace would pass through enclosed areas underneath the floor and out of flues in the roof, radiating heat through the walls along the way. While the hypocaust was a marked advancement in under floor heating, the process of heating itself was labor-intensive and high in fuel costs, making it a luxury for those living in villas, and at the public baths.

It wasn’t until the 1980s that standards were developed for underfloor heating systems. Five years later, radiant heat became a traditional system in residential buildings in some European and Nordic countries, and began to find its way into non-residential applications. These modern underfloor heating systems use either electric resistance elements (electric) or heated fluid flowing in pipes (hydronic) to heat floors. Both can be cast in concrete, placed under the floor covering, or attached directly to the wood sub floor. Either type can be installed as an alternative to forced air to improve home air quality and reduce heating costs associated with fossil fuels, or as a localized system for thermal comfort.

Electric radiant heat marks a growing trend in residential heating. Electric radiant under floor heating systems are less evasive and less costly to install than hydronic systems, which require skilled designers and tradesmen familiar with boilers, circulators, controls, fluid pressures and temperature for proper installation. Electric radiant heat systems are more efficient than hydronic systems. Powered by electricity, radiant heat cables can heat a surface in 30 to 60 seconds, unlike hydronic systems, which may take anywhere from 4-7 hours to heat a surface—a considerable difference in performance. Because there is a boiler involved, hydronic systems may be fueled by natural gas, oil, coal or wood, making them less environmentally friendly and more costly to operate.

Whether you choose electric or hydronic floor heating, Warmzone has the experience and expertise to install a radiant heat system that’s right for your home and your budget. Whichever you choose, you’ll have the comfort of knowing you’ve done your part to reduce your carbon footprint, improve your home’s air quality and maintain a warm, comfortable environment for your family. Be sure to visit www.warmzone.com for more information on how Warmzone can customize a sustainable home heating solution just for you.

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Radiant Heat for Snow Melting

Snow Melting Systems – Technology for the Ages

While radiant heated driveways are viewed as a relatively modern convenience, you might be surprised to know that radiant heat has been around since antiquity. The Romans actually utilized raised-slab floors and an exterior wood fired furnace to heat their villas. As hot gases from the furnace would enter the house below floor level, they were naturally drawn through the floors up and out of the walls, radiating heat along the way.

Of course, radiant heat technology has come a long way. Durable, easily installed and inconspicuous, it clears the driveways and sidewalks we travel on, and warms our floors (along with our soles). Great news if you’ve ever considered a heated driveway in your future!

Today’s heated driveways are made up of three main elements: the heating element, the controller and the snow sensor or activation device. Controlled by either a wall-mounted control box, snow melting systems can be activated manually; or, with the help of sensors, automatically as conditions change.

ClearZone radiant heat cable comes with several benefits. Safely installed in new concrete pours, under pavers and in harsh, high-temperature new asphalt projects, it delivers unmatched durability. ClearZone cable can be customized to meet performance and space requirements for virtually any snowmelt project. Featuring a unique, maintenance-free design, a 10-year manufacturers warranty and the quickest response time, ClearZone cable is built to consistently outperform the competition.

Warmzone’s compact 6 x 3.5-inch wall-mounted snowmelt control unit monitors the activity of the entire heated driveway system. The snowmelt control unit can be switched on/off (standby) and the heating system can be forced on in case of blowing snow or ice formation due to wind or shade. It features manual override capability, and can also be controlled using an external signal, from a day/week timer, GSM-module or other signal source.

When moisture is present and the preset temperature is reached, it is the snow sensor—whether aerial-mounted or mounted within the pavement—that relays the information to the controller to activate the snow melting system. Once the trigger temperature is set, the sensor switch will only activate a radiant heated driveway when needed, saving energy and operating costs.

As radiant heat technology has evolved, the ease of installation and the chief benefits of snow melting systems–efficiency and convenience–make heated driveways more compelling than ever. You can install heated driveways during pre- or post-construction phases, in almost any medium. The good news—with so much expertise and experience, Warmzone can easily customize a snowmelt system solution that’s right for your specific needs and budget.

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Carwash Owners ― Protect Yourself and Your Business by Installing a Radiant Heat Snow and Ice Melting System

Protecting your car wash against the liability of slips and falls is becoming an increasing concern for business owners with car washes in cold climates. If you are in an area that receives heavy precipitation, keeping up with snow and ice removal means constant maintenance. Even the overspray from a car wash can create dangerous walking areas in and around each bay.

The easiest and most effective means of removing snow and ice is not the use of chemicals and salt, (which oftentimes customers are visiting your carwash to remove), but by installing a radiant heat snow melting system beneath the surface of the concrete drives and walkways. It is wise to heat 3-4 feet on the entrance and discharge aprons, as well as customer walkways and areas. If you are looking to invest in a car wash in a cold climate, or have already done so, you are probably already aware that your wash should not go without an embedded radiant heating system.

The demand for safe car washes has become a serious topic due to preventable accidents and expensive settlements in recent years. Automatic snow melting systems are great investments for self-serve car washes, not only for safety, but by increasing your customers’ satisfaction. You will be able to sleep easy knowing that at any hour of the day dangerous snow and ice will be removed, making your employees and customers as safe as possible.

Most automated snowmelt systems operate with the use of a sensor, which automatically activates when snow fall and precipitation are detected and approximate temperatures are below 39 degrees Fahrenheit, melting the snow before it ever has a chance to build up. Because the system is automatic, maintenance to remove snow and ice is completely eliminated anywhere the system has been installed.

The quickest installation of this type of system should be done before the concrete has been laid, but there is also a means of installing the snow melt heating cables into existing concrete by using concrete saw-cut technology. Eliminating the use of chemicals, salts, snow removal devices and ice on the concrete, will increase the concrete’s longevity and keep your carwash looking new for much longer.

Good insurance is a necessity for any business owner and an important step in getting legally protected. Good insurance comes at a high cost, and decreasing your chances of liability will decrease your cost. When comparing the cost savings for insurance and the decreased chances of an expensive lawsuit, there is no question that installing a radiant snow melting system is a must. If you are faced with the unfortunate circumstance of a lawsuit, any preventive action on your part will be a huge help in building your case.