Driveway/Sidewalk Heater
- Thread starter MSTIMMELL
- Start date
pete_c
Guru
Welcome to the Cocoontech forum MSTIMMELL.
I was thinking of doing this with last home. The DIY would not have been difficult if I removed the asphalt driveway and replaced it. I had allocated a space in the garage for a boiler and priced out out the pex pipes for said endeavor. Only got as far as installing under the driveway vehicle sensors (which have nothing to do with heating the driveway). I really wanted to do this to avoid removing the snow endeavors. The driveway was sloped down so easy water flow there. Over time just used a service to clear the driveway (well and it was free).
I got the idea from sitting on the steps at a building steps (Mertz Hall) at Loyola in Chicago which was using electric heated steps back in the 1970's. The steps were a place to commiserate during the cold winters there.
I helped a friend do this for his basement in a new house build. Pipes were put in to place prior to the pouring of cement, a boiler room section was built. Then the kids moved out (to college and life in general) and it is only his wife and him in the house which they only live in the main floor now and do not utilize the basement or the second floor of the house.
I was thinking of doing this with last home. The DIY would not have been difficult if I removed the asphalt driveway and replaced it. I had allocated a space in the garage for a boiler and priced out out the pex pipes for said endeavor. Only got as far as installing under the driveway vehicle sensors (which have nothing to do with heating the driveway). I really wanted to do this to avoid removing the snow endeavors. The driveway was sloped down so easy water flow there. Over time just used a service to clear the driveway (well and it was free).
I got the idea from sitting on the steps at a building steps (Mertz Hall) at Loyola in Chicago which was using electric heated steps back in the 1970's. The steps were a place to commiserate during the cold winters there.
I helped a friend do this for his basement in a new house build. Pipes were put in to place prior to the pouring of cement, a boiler room section was built. Then the kids moved out (to college and life in general) and it is only his wife and him in the house which they only live in the main floor now and do not utilize the basement or the second floor of the house.
I was designing a system to do my driveway and even my porch got the PEX installed.
After some rough calculation on energy required, I decided I could not afford the energy costs. It was only affordable in the tropics and then you wouldn't concern your self with such little snow anyway.
If you don't dry the surface completely you will make it even better, glare ice.
After some rough calculation on energy required, I decided I could not afford the energy costs. It was only affordable in the tropics and then you wouldn't concern your self with such little snow anyway.
If you don't dry the surface completely you will make it even better, glare ice.
StarTrekDoors
Active Member
Leviton/HAI doesn't manufacturer a solution for hydronic driveway heating but you could use an outdoor temperature sensor and relay through the OP to control a valve for your boiler piping but you would still need some way of detecting snom/ice, possibly a conductivity sensor or a pair of IR detectors, although manual operation would seem to make more sense to avoid energy wasting errors. There are snow detectors, but using one of those means you don't need the Omnipro to manage snow melting.
Keep in mind using a thermostat is not the same as detecting snow. You could heat the driveway for weeks or months with no snow.
Don't forget to add anti-freeze to your boiler system to keep the circulating water from freezing. Run-off direction and avoiding water pooling is also important as melted water will refreeze - and as Larry pointed, out, ice is bad. Your piping needs to be in full contact with the asphalt or concrete to maximize heat transfer and minimize air gap insulation. Stone and brick driveways don't work well, so don't bother. I use heat-tape on the angle iron track for my sliding gate since the gate won't open when covered with ice or packed snow.
Pre-manufactured driveway heating kits can be more efficient on energy use than DIY. There are several companies that make such kits as well as mats and even gutter ice melting solutions that could be tied into your OP panel. None of those are really designed for use with the OP since they have their own controllers.
Keep in mind using a thermostat is not the same as detecting snow. You could heat the driveway for weeks or months with no snow.
Don't forget to add anti-freeze to your boiler system to keep the circulating water from freezing. Run-off direction and avoiding water pooling is also important as melted water will refreeze - and as Larry pointed, out, ice is bad. Your piping needs to be in full contact with the asphalt or concrete to maximize heat transfer and minimize air gap insulation. Stone and brick driveways don't work well, so don't bother. I use heat-tape on the angle iron track for my sliding gate since the gate won't open when covered with ice or packed snow.
Pre-manufactured driveway heating kits can be more efficient on energy use than DIY. There are several companies that make such kits as well as mats and even gutter ice melting solutions that could be tied into your OP panel. None of those are really designed for use with the OP since they have their own controllers.
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