Electric Vs Hydronic Snow Melt Systems

Homeowners can either install an electric system or a water based hydronic system.

Electric vs hydronic snow melt systems.

If fast response is critical hydronic systems can be operated during the winter at a reduced idling rate to keep fluid in the pipes warm enough to react quickly to impending snowfall. Hydronic snow melting our systems melt snow and ice by circulating a glycol solution fluid through tubing that is either embedded in concrete or installed beneath brick pavers. Whereas electric radiant heat systems are often the more preferred solution for residential or home improvement projects. Watts radiant offers two types of snow melting systems hydronic and electric which can work alone or be installed as a supplement to a radiant heat system.

A scaled down version of this system designed specifically for snowmelt systems is on my wish list. If you are in the snow belt snow ice melt systems can be a profitable niche. While the concept of a built in snow melting system has its appeal the cost can be prohibitive. The main advantage of hydronic systems is that they generally deliver more heat at a lower operating cost than electric systems.

Once activated hydronic systems usually have a slower response time than electric systems because the fluid that circulates through the tubing must first be heated. You are stuck paying the electric company whatever it bills you when you have an electric snow melting system but by contrast hydronic systems can run on a number of power sources including propane or natural gas. Generally hydronic is the best pick for larger scale commercial snow melting applications because of the potential for lower operating costs. However they are much more efficient to operate compared to electric systems due to cost of fuel which depends on the source of heat used.

An electric system costs less to install because there s no need to purchase a boiler to heat the water. Hydronic snow melting systems require a larger investment upfront. I can remotely activate the system in advance of a storm monitor it to see if it is functioning properly and locate failure points before leaving the shop.