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How can I make a ice-melting system to install under my asphalt driveway?

How can I make a ice-melting system to install under my asphalt
driveway?

I'm going to be repaving my driveway and want to make a snow melting
system. Don't know how to design it or what size wire I should use or
if I need 110 or 220, how many different circuits I need based on the
square footage.
 
H

Homer J Simpson

Jan 1, 1970
0
How can I make a ice-melting system to install under my asphalt
driveway?

I'm going to be repaving my driveway and want to make a snow melting
system. Don't know how to design it or what size wire I should use or
if I need 110 or 220, how many different circuits I need based on the
square footage.

They built one into a bridge in our city. They've never used it because it
takes so much power it's too expensive to use.
 
They built one into a bridge in our city. They've never used it because it
takes so much power it's too expensive to use.

It is extremely highly reccommended not to do it! It will waste too
much energy, therefore it will add too much to the already excessive
CO2 emissions and it will inflate your electricity bill.
Now, if u hv an electricity producing windmill on your roof, it does
not really matter what voltage you use, as long as you insulate your
wires to avoid electric shocks.
 
D

D from BC

Jan 1, 1970
0
How can I make a ice-melting system to install under my asphalt
driveway?

I'm going to be repaving my driveway and want to make a snow melting
system. Don't know how to design it or what size wire I should use or
if I need 110 or 220, how many different circuits I need based on the
square footage.

This is good example of the problem I thought about in my post
"Dealing with Customers in Electronics Design"
I can sell you plans and make $$$ but I'm getting slammed with the
ethics on here so...
In the long run, I think it might be cheaper to construct a covered
driveway..
Bummer...no money made here.. :(
D from BC
 
C

Christopher Ott

Jan 1, 1970
0
How can I make a ice-melting system to install under my asphalt
driveway?

I'm going to be repaving my driveway and want to make a snow melting
system. Don't know how to design it or what size wire I should use or
if I need 110 or 220, how many different circuits I need based on the
square footage.

A quick search turned up this:
http://www.concretenetwork.com/concrete/snow_melting_systems/

They recommend 36-50 watts/square foot! Yikes!!!

I would suspect that the propane based system would be much more practical.
Perhaps this could be duplicated cheaply with a small gas water heater
circulating antifreeze through a tubing system. You don't need to fry eggs
on the thing, just hold the temperature over freezing.

Sounds like you need a plumber instead of an electrician...

Chris
 
C

colin

Jan 1, 1970
0
It is extremely highly reccommended not to do it! It will waste too
much energy, therefore it will add too much to the already excessive
CO2 emissions and it will inflate your electricity bill.
Now, if u hv an electricity producing windmill on your roof, it does
not really matter what voltage you use, as long as you insulate your
wires to avoid electric shocks.

Yes but the extra CO2 will cause more global warming wich may eventually
melt the ice on his driveway anyway, thus making the enregy waste self
limiting. unless you live in one of those places where global warming will
make it colder wich would be unlucky.

How about making a robotic driveway clearer ?

Colin =^.^=
 
G

GregS

Jan 1, 1970
0
A quick search turned up this:
http://www.concretenetwork.com/concrete/snow_melting_systems/

They recommend 36-50 watts/square foot! Yikes!!!

I would suspect that the propane based system would be much more practical.
Perhaps this could be duplicated cheaply with a small gas water heater
circulating antifreeze through a tubing system. You don't need to fry eggs
on the thing, just hold the temperature over freezing.

Sounds like you need a plumber instead of an electrician...

I would run two pads for the tire tracks, and not the whole driveway.

greg
 
M

maxfoo

Jan 1, 1970
0
How can I make a ice-melting system to install under my asphalt
driveway?

I'm going to be repaving my driveway and want to make a snow melting
system. Don't know how to design it or what size wire I should use or
if I need 110 or 220, how many different circuits I need based on the
square footage.

Waste of money really, in 5 years the weather in New Jersey will never go below
40F.

Heck, they predict that even New England will never see snow again in 10-20
years.

http://www.newenglandclimate.org/Scorecard2006.pdf
 
K

kell

Jan 1, 1970
0
How can I make a ice-melting system to install under my asphalt
driveway?

I'm going to be repaving my driveway and want to make a snow melting
system. Don't know how to design it or what size wire I should use or
if I need 110 or 220, how many different circuits I need based on the
square footage.

Northern Tool, or maybe it's Harbor Freight, sells a propane flame-
thrower thing.
 
E

Ecnerwal

Jan 1, 1970
0
How can I make a ice-melting system to install under my asphalt
driveway?

I'm going to be repaving my driveway and want to make a snow melting
system. Don't know how to design it or what size wire I should use or
if I need 110 or 220, how many different circuits I need based on the
square footage.

Just run 4 inch diameter clay pipe under there, and stuff it full of
dollar bills - then place a lit match at one end and start the money
burning.
 
How can I make a ice-melting system to install under my asphalt
driveway?

I'm going to be repaving my driveway and want to make a snow melting
system. Don't know how to design it or what size wire I should use or
if I need 110 or 220, how many different circuits I need based on the
square footage.

I think it's best if you park your car under the driveway where
there's no ice.
 
M

mkaras

Jan 1, 1970
0
How can I make a ice-melting system to install under my asphalt
driveway?

I'm going to be repaving my driveway and want to make a snow melting
system. Don't know how to design it or what size wire I should use or
if I need 110 or 220, how many different circuits I need based on the
square footage.


Where I used to live people would throw down salt and let that melt
the ice. I'm not going to give my comment toward the environmental
issues of the salt but it did seem to work for temps well below the
normal freezing level.

- mkaras
 
K

krw

Jan 1, 1970
0
Where I used to live people would throw down salt and let that melt
the ice. I'm not going to give my comment toward the environmental
issues of the salt but it did seem to work for temps well below the
normal freezing level.

Normal table salt (NaCl) only works down to 20F or so. It's messy,
rots the hell out of concrete (and cars), and as you say isn't very
eco-friendly. Highway departments use it by the megaton because
it's cheap. Here they don't even mix it with sand, rather use it
as sand.

I use Calcium Chloride on my sidewalk and driveway. CaCl2 works
well down below 0F (they claim -25F). Though CaCl2 may not clear a
lot of ice at 0F it will pit the ice giving quite good traction.
CaCl2 costs 2-3x NaCl but works much better.

I've also tried Potassium Chloride, which is supposed to be even
more eco-friendly. KCl was too expensive and didn't work well
enough for my liking.
 
M

Maxwell

Jan 1, 1970
0
How can I make a ice-melting system to install under my asphalt
driveway?

I'm going to be repaving my driveway and want to make a snow melting
system. Don't know how to design it or what size wire I should use or
if I need 110 or 220, how many different circuits I need based on the
square footage.

Ok group, correct me if I am wrong, but weren't most building codes in the
US ammended to mandate minimum insulation requirements back in the 70s or
so? I thought I recall this was done to force energy conservation in the
construction of new homes and buildings.

Well if so, how can it be considered legal or prudent to allow people to
heat their friggin' parking lots!!!!!!
 
D

Don Lancaster

Jan 1, 1970
0
Ecnerwal said:
Just run 4 inch diameter clay pipe under there, and stuff it full of
dollar bills - then place a lit match at one end and start the money
burning.
The obvious solution is to move the driveway to where there is no ice.


--
Many thanks,

Don Lancaster voice phone: (928)428-4073
Synergetics 3860 West First Street Box 809 Thatcher, AZ 85552
rss: http://www.tinaja.com/whtnu.xml email: [email protected]

Please visit my GURU's LAIR web site at http://www.tinaja.com
 
K

krw

Jan 1, 1970
0
Ok group, correct me if I am wrong, but weren't most building codes in the
US ammended to mandate minimum insulation requirements back in the 70s or
so? I thought I recall this was done to force energy conservation in the
construction of new homes and buildings.

Well if so, how can it be considered legal or prudent to allow people to
heat their friggin' parking lots!!!!!!
Because driveways aren't dwellings?
 
J

James Beck

Jan 1, 1970
0
"Christopher said:
A quick search turned up this:
http://www.concretenetwork.com/concrete/snow_melting_systems/

They recommend 36-50 watts/square foot! Yikes!!!

I would suspect that the propane based system would be much more practical.
Perhaps this could be duplicated cheaply with a small gas water heater
circulating antifreeze through a tubing system. You don't need to fry eggs
on the thing, just hold the temperature over freezing.

Sounds like you need a plumber instead of an electrician...

Chris
That's what I ws thinking.
Why run a wire through the thing when hot "water" would do just as well,
AND the technology is already out there. Small hot water heater,
radiant floor tubing, recirculator pump, a pressure bladder for reserve
liquid/expansion control, temp sensor and/or manual switch. A 50/50 mix
of automotive antifreeze and water. Done.

Jim
 
J

James Beck

Jan 1, 1970
0
Normal table salt (NaCl) only works down to 20F or so. It's messy,
rots the hell out of concrete (and cars), and as you say isn't very
eco-friendly. Highway departments use it by the megaton because
it's cheap. Here they don't even mix it with sand, rather use it
as sand.

I use Calcium Chloride on my sidewalk and driveway. CaCl2 works
well down below 0F (they claim -25F). Though CaCl2 may not clear a
lot of ice at 0F it will pit the ice giving quite good traction.
CaCl2 costs 2-3x NaCl but works much better.

I've also tried Potassium Chloride, which is supposed to be even
more eco-friendly. KCl was too expensive and didn't work well
enough for my liking.
Salt is on the way out and a lot of states don't even allow it on the
roads anymore because of the environmental impact during the thaw.
 
K

krw

Jan 1, 1970
0
Salt is on the way out and a lot of states don't even allow it on the
roads anymore because of the environmental impact during the thaw.
I keep hearing the wacko tree-huggers saying that but I'll believe
it when I see it. They might just as well shut the state down from
Dec1 to May1.
 
J

John Fields

Jan 1, 1970
0
They built one into a bridge in our city. They've never used it because it
takes so much power it's too expensive to use.

---
And you think Americans are stupid?

At the very least we would have figured out, ahead of time, what it
would cost to run it and then, based on that, made a decision to
build it or not.

As it is, it sounds like you yokels spent hundreds of thousands or
millions to build it and then when you fired it up you found out it
was prohibitively expensive to run.

What a bunch of fucking idiots.
 
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