Driveway heating systems circulate glycol and water through PEX pipes to melt snow and ice. Canadian homes, businesses, institutions, industries, and municipalities use driveway heating systems to melt the existing snow on their driveways without using traditional methods that are time and energy-consuming. However, the most important thing is that what types of driveway snow melting systems are available and which is the best for you.
More buyers wanted heated driveways this year. I, like many Canadians, hate shoveling snow and dealing with contractors. Many don’t want to shovel in the cold early. Snow removal means yearly contracts and reliable trucks that can be wasted if no snow falls. Radiant snowmelt is popular. Radiant snowmelt devices are becoming more common and cheaper.
Radiant snow melt systems are still a luxury, but the price has reduced drastically in 10 years. Radiant snow melters are more available because of technology. If your driveway/walkway was over 700 square feet two years ago, you needed a Hydronic (water-based) snow melt system. Hydronic snow melt systems are three times more expensive and time-consuming to install. A homeowner would choose a hydronic system because their electrical panel can’t handle the current needed to run a radiant snow melt system (stove, washer/dryer, TVs, etc.). Recent developments in radiant snow melt controllers allow multi-zoned configurations that manage amperage. Say you have a 200 Amp panel and heating your driveway consumes 150 Amps, leaving you with 50 Amps. If you exceed 50 Amps, the breaker will trip.
Thankfully, homeowners no longer have to risk injury by manually sweeping snow from their driveways and sidewalks. The yearly chore of clearing snow from a driveway can be made much easier with the installation of a snowmelt system. Continue reading this article if you are interested in learning more about the various driveway snowmelt systems that are available in Toronto. This article provides an overview of two distinct types now available on the market.
The Common Advantages of Different Types of Driveway Snow Melting Systems
- Convenience
- residents’ and consumers’ security
- reduced risk of liability
- reduced costs for operation and maintenance
- minimal impact on the environment
- enduring dependability
Multi-zonal systems work differently from non-zonal systems, although both work. We try our best to optimize your system’s performance. Before installing radiant snow melt systems, we offer our clients the option to upgrade their electrical panel/service if they want a non-zonal system. Local utilities limit each home’s full service.
400 amp electrical service isn’t for everyone. Grand building may help with service upgrades, system design, installation, user tutorials, and post-installation support. As winter approaches, let us help you install a radiant snow melt system so you can toss your snow shovel, turn a switch, and watch the snow melt on its own.
Two Types of Driveway Snow Melting Systems That Can Help You
Let’s take a deeper look into two types of driveway snow melting systems that homeowners in Toronto can use for their homes.
Hydronic Radiant Heating
You may already be familiar with radiant heating technologies. Radiant heating replaces furnaces and forced air vents. Instead, heat enters via subterranean PEX piping. Hydronic systems pump warm water and glycol through pipes. This technology is also used for home underfloor heating systems.
Driveway snowmelt systems work like outdoor Hydronics. Manifolds circulate warm water and glycol through sub-driveway plumbing. This system’s heat melts snow and ice easily and guarantees that additional snow will melt immediately.
Hydronic radiant heating can be used with concrete, asphalt, and stone pavers. Contractors always install such systems when building a new driveway. Adapting an existing driveway can be done in two ways.
Electric Radiant Snow Melting
Electric radiant heating systems act like hydronic ones, distributing heat subsurface. As you may have suspected, the heat source is crucial. Electricity circulates through underground cables to provide heat.
Installation expenses are lower for electric radiant heating systems. Unlike hydronic systems, you won’t require boilers or manifolds. Hydronic systems may have cheaper running costs than electric ones in some circumstances.
Electric radiant snow melt systems can be installed on existing driveways. This approach entails designing a regional system. The contractor marks your driveway with chalk before cutting it with a saw-cutting machine.
The contractor creates grooves for the heating cable in this way. Once the wires are in place, the contractor inserts protective backer rods in the grooves and seals any voids.
Homeowners can’t always remodel or install a new driveway. Meanwhile, electric snowmelt mats can provide radiant heating. These mats work like embedded radiant systems but sit on your driveway.
Unroll the mat, plug it in, and let it work. The heating cables are secured with a mesh. Heavy-duty snowmelt mats can be driven over without damage.
Now that you know the two types of driveway snow melting systems used in Toronto, we recommend learning about portable driveway snow melting mats.
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