No More Snow on Sidewalks and Driveways With a Hydronic Snow Melting System

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Increasing numbers of homeowners have now freed themselves from slipping and sliding on snow-covered sidewalks and driveways around their homes. They have discovered an innovative and highly practical home convenience — a hydronically-heated snow-melting system in sidewalks and driveways. A hydronic snow-melting system eliminates the need to shovel or blow snow from sidewalks and driveways, and it makes walking outside the home much safer for homeowners and visitors, especially the young and elderly.

While the term "hydronically heated" is relatively new, it simply means heating with hot water, a method that has been in common use for over a century in American homes. Hydronic snow melting and heating systems use hot water as the heat transfer medium. Hot water is circulated from a centrally located boiler through baseboards, radiators, or extremely durable plastic tubing embedded in floors, walls, ceilings, or, in this case, sidewalks and driveways. Because hot water retains heat for a long time, even after the boiler shuts down, hydronic heating reduces energy use, so it is especially "green" and environmentally friendly. Some units are highly efficient condensing boilers with an Energy Star Rating and qualify for tax rebate savings. Hydronic heating systems may be built into a newly constructed home or added on to an existing home as a retrofit application.

Homeowners are installing hydronic snow melting systems for several compelling reasons. Sidewalks and driveways that are free of snow and ice make a home friendlier and more welcoming. Clean, easy-to-traverse sidewalks and driveways also mean that much less snow and slush gets tracked into the house, thus reducing floor maintenance. Most importantly, a snow- melting system dramatically increases the safety around the home. It substantially lowers the possibility of people slipping and falling or a vehicle skidding and hitting something on the property.

Convenience is also a major plus for a hydronic snow-removal system. There's no more need to shovel snow or use a snow blower. Manual snow removal also requires waiting until enough snow has accumulated. But even after that snow is removed, more snow may fall, and the job has to be done all over again. Furthermore, manual snow removal usually leaves cumbersome and unsightly piles of snow along the curb, seriously limiting the available parking. With hydronic snow melting, the snow simply evaporates and disappears.

Hydronic snow melting is just one convenient feature of today's advanced hydronically heated home. The same central boiler can provide hot water for baseboard or radiator heating throughout the home; radiant heating in floors, walls, or ceilings, including the tile bathroom floor; spa and pool heating; towel warmers; and kick plate units under kitchen cabinets. Hydronic boilers can also supply the hot water source for the home with the installation of an indirect water heater, thus only one boiler is needed to do both jobs.

For more information on hydronic snow-removal and hydronic heating, visit www.myhomeheating.com, write to the Hydronics Industry Alliance, 2107 Wilson Blvd., Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22201, or e-mail to myhomeheating@gamanet.org.