Engineering ToolBox - Resources, Tools and Basic Information for Engineering and Design of Technical Applications!

Snow Melting Systems

Sizing snow melting systems - water and antifreeze.

A typical snow melting system should have a heating capacity of at least 100 Btu per hour per square feet (320 W/m2). This would melt up to 1.5 inch/hour (4 cm/h) snowfalls.  

Snow melting system

Solutions of 50% water and 50% antifreeze are common, but the solution used should always be adapted to local temperatures and system conditions. Note that metal pipes, like copper, will break if the solution inside the tubes freezes. Plastic pipes may in general freeze without breaking.

Coils in Concrete Layers

  • entering temperature to the melting coils should be in range 120 - 130oF (50 - 55oF)
  • distance between the coils should not exceed 12 inches (0.30 m)
  • length of the coil should not exceed 140 feet (42 m) if 1/2" pipes are used. If 3/4" pipes are used the coil length can be extended to 280 feet (84 m)
  • heating capacity is increased to 200 Btu per hour per square feet if the length with 1/2" tubes are reduced to 60 feet (150 feet with 3/4")
  • concrete thickness above the tubes should be in range 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" (3 - 4 cm). The concrete layer must be reinforced with a wire mesh

Coils in Blacktop or Asphalt Layers

  • entering temperature to the melting coils should be in range of 120 - 130oF (50 - 55oF)
  • distance between the coils should not exceed 9 inches (0.23 m)
  • length of the coil should not exceed 140 feet (42 m) if 1/2" pipes are used. If  3/4" pipes are used the coil length can be extended to 280 feet (84 m)
  • heating capacity is increased to 200 Btu per hour per square feet if the length of 1/2" tubes are reduced to 60 feet. (150 feet with 3/4")
  • blacktop or asphalt thickness above the tubes should be at least 1 1/2" (4 cm)

Related Topics

  • Heating Systems

    Design of heating systems - capacities and design of boilers, pipelines, heat exchangers, expansion systems and more.

Related Documents

Search

Search is the most efficient way to navigate the Engineering ToolBox.

Engineering ToolBox - SketchUp Extension - Online 3D modeling!

3D Engineering ToolBox Extension to SketchUp - add parametric components to your SketchUp model

Add standard and customized parametric components - like flange beams, lumbers, piping, stairs and more - to your Sketchup model with the Engineering ToolBox - SketchUp Extension - enabled for use with older versions of the amazing SketchUp Make and the newer "up to date" SketchUp Pro . Add the Engineering ToolBox extension to your SketchUp Make/Pro from the Extension Warehouse !

Translate this Page

Translate this page to Your Own Language .

About the Engineering ToolBox!

Privacy Policy

We don't collect information from our users. More about

We use a third-party to provide monetization technologies for our site. You can review their privacy and cookie policy here.

You can change your privacy settings by clicking the following button: .

Citation

This page can be cited as

  • The Engineering ToolBox (2008). Snow Melting Systems. [online] Available at: https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/snow-melting-d_1082.html [Accessed Day Month Year].

Modify the access date according your visit.

3D Engineering ToolBox - draw and model technical applications! 2D Engineering ToolBox - create and share online diagram drawing templates! Engineering ToolBox Apps - mobile online and offline engineering applications!

Unit Converter

















































9.26.9

.