Tag Archives: Snow melting systems

Articles

Outdoor Radiant Heating Systems

Following the trends of the indoor heating market, where radiant heating systems have been used for decades, the great outdoors is warming up, too. Radiant heat warms the floor and any object in contact with the floor to distribute an even, no-draft heat. Outdoor settings like patios or pathways leading to a hot tub can now benefit from using a traditional hydronic radiant heating system or even more intriguing is the emerging trend of embedding electric heating cables to provide that desired surface temperature. Raising the surface above 38 degrees will conveniently remove any snow or ice and allow you to use your outdoor living areas more often.

Outdoor heating systems (snow melting systems) are more suited towards new construction since these electric heating cables are actually embedded in the concrete or placed in a sand bed directly under brick pavers. Ambitious do-it-yourselfers will have no problem laying out the cable and preparing them for a certified electrician to do the final hook-up. Outdoor heating systems have always been efficient in delivering heat; the problem has been shutting them off when the job of removing snow from a driveway or outdoor patio is complete.

Recent designs in aerial sensors and surface mounted sensors make these outdoor heating systems cost effective to operate. Automated sensors detect the combination of precipitation and cold temperatures and activate the outdoor heating systems during inclement weather conditions and then automatically turn off a few hours after the storm. Manual operation of these outdoor heating systems can also be used to spot heat your driveway or patio if additional heat is required.

Obviously, an outdoor heating system is not for everyone. Those who live in warm climates year round will not be well served. However, think of those residents in New York, Illinois and even Colorado and Utah with long steep driveways or exposed sidewalks. Even businesses are adopting outdoor heating systems to curb their liability to slips and falls. Sidewalks, entryways and even loading docks are benefiting from embedded heating systems as an effective way to remove pesky ice and snow hazards.

HOTNEWS

Home Improvements for Your Feet and Your Pocket

A Smart Choice for Increasing Your Home’s Value

As the housing market crash continues, it seems that even the falling prices, incentives and rebates still aren’t enough to entice new buyers. A year ago a finished home would sell in 4.3 months, it now takes an average of 6.3 months. If you are already a home owner, switching your home from fossil fuel heating to electric radiant heat will not only help protect your investment, but provide an earth friendly efficient alternative that will make your home more attractive to potential buyers.

The best choice for radiant heating is the ComfortTile cable and mats. The CT systems continue to be Warmzone’s best selling electric heat product, and it’s no wonder considering Warmzone attaches a 10-year warranty to every system sold.

This system is the most robust radiant heating product on the market and is manufactured by an industry leader that has been providing quality products for decades.

ComfortTile floor heating mat
ComfortTile radiant floor heating cable pre-spaced in mat.

The most popular spaces for radiant heat in the home are the kitchen and bathroom areas. These areas tend to be the largest area of tile in the home, which also makes it the most difficult to heat. Forced air heating systems only warm the air, which leaves the floors cold and drafty during cold weather months. Radiant heat provides a uniform temperature from ceiling to the floor and warms all the objects and furniture it contacts.

The ComfortTile radiant heating mats are the easiest systems to install. They arrive with the ComfortTile cable already affixed to the flexible mesh, which has a convenient, easy-to-use adhesive backing.

Warmzone’s website is filled with information about how to best install the product beneath tile, stone, and concrete applications. We also have a full staff of professionals available to help you through every step if you choose to install the system yourself. If installing it yourself isn’t your thing, Warmzone has a network of installation professionals in your area that are experienced installers of our systems.

Warmzone has now made the ComfortTile mats more affordable than ever, making it easier for everyone to enjoy the warmth of radiant heating in their homes. Now is the best time to start remodel projects and ready your home for the upcoming winter months, especially if you are pouring new concrete.

Project Highlight – University of Minnesota

Warmzone was recently approached by the Forestry Resources Department of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, with a horticulture study that needed Warmzone’s help. The solution: ClearZone radiant heating cables.

The University purchased 46 reels of ClearZone heat cable to measure growth variations in different temperature plots. University officials chose the ClearZone system because of the easy-to-program thermostat, versatility and high durability in outdoor conditions.

The radiant heat system enabled Forestry Department students and faculty to create controlled environments in which to conduct accurate growth rate studies.

Warmzone radiant heat used for university horticulture study

The predominant outdoor use for the ClearZone system is to heat driveways, parking lots, sidewalks and bridges. It is especially useful on disability ramps, where safety and ease of use is most important.

In the past, radiant heat systems have been viewed as a luxury that only a few could obtain. But that’s changing. More and more consumers living in cold regions are discovering that the benefits of radiant heating far outweigh the initial cost.

The study by the University has opened up new avenues for radiant heating that have never been used before. Although still a new concept, the study proves that radiant heat has the potential to be used by home and garden enthusiasts to create a tropical oasis in just about any location to maintain ideal growing conditions.

Press Releases

Wisconsin Says Goodbye to Outdated Snow Melting Law

Salt Lake City, UT (PRWEB) May 27, 2008 – Wisconsin governor, Jim Doyle, recently passed a law abolishing the 1980’s law banning heated sidewalks, stairs, entrances and pedestrian walkways in Wisconsin. Wisconsin was the only state to ban heated sidewalks in response to the 1970’s energy crisis.

In a state that received 100 plus inches of snow during the 2007-2008 winter, it is a wonder that the law was not repealed sooner. Many Wisconsin businesses and service providers, such as the Marathon County Public Library, waited for the law to abolish before beginning walkway and stairway construction projects. Safety was the biggest concern and reason behind installing a radiant heat snow melting system.

Current snow melting systems are more environmentally friendly than the use of salt and chemicals to melt the snow, which causes calcium chloride to run into rivers and water supplies. Radiant heat systems are more cost effective in the long run than continual salt dumping and removal, and also extend the life of the cement.

Snow melting systems carried at Warmzone use a sophisticated activation device that only turns the system on when it senses precipitation and temperatures are below 39 degrees Fahrenheit. Additional features include an adjustable temperature trigger point and an adjustable delay off cycle, which eliminates unnecessary energy usage. The ClearZone heated driveway cable consumes only 30-50 watts per square foot and its response time is the quickest snow melting system on the market (requires 30% less operation than other systems).

Best of all, the snow melt system runs on electricity, not fossil fuels. To make your snowmelt system the ultimate “environmentally friendly” radiant heating system, look into the possibilities of solar, wind, and hydro renewable energy sources.

It is recommended to install a snow melting and heated driveway system into new concrete, but radiant heat systems can also be installed in existing walkways, sidewalks and driveways. Concrete saw-cut technology and epoxy is typically used for retrofitting existing cement structures with radiant heat. For more information about installation and the latest snow melting technology, browse Warmzone’s website or call Warmzone at 888.488.WARM (9276).

About Warmzone
Warmzone’s mission is to match customer’s needs with the finest radiant heating systems available. As an intermediary between project requirements and a variety of system choices, Warmzone and warmzone.com offer non-biased, individualized solutions that factor the installation, durability, performance and operational investment as the key criteria of their customers.