Electric Snow Melting system installed in an Asphalt Driveway 

Thomas, Thanks for watching. The cost of a snow melting system like this is dependent on one main parameter: the size of the heated area. In this project, the customers selected “tire tracks format,” which means the heated area is made up of two strips of roughly 2’ X 20’ (about 80 square feet total), which is very affordable when compared to full coverage at 200 square feet (10’ X 20’). By entering your project’s dimensions in our Instant Quote Tool (www.warmlyyours.com/en-US/my_instant_quote/start), you can get a custom estimate of how much it would cost. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to give us a call (800) 875-5285.

it would be much cheaper just to shovel the snow off the driveway compared to heating it.

WarmlyYours All that and you don't even show how the system works?

This installation is actually for an electric radiant heat system.

You can actually see a time-lapse of the snow melting system at work here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7wdpsTCYoXI.html Thanks for watching!

Robert Watterson ouch. Guess it's time to move away from typical electrical bill and go solar.

solar wont able store enough energy efficiently to melt the snow

Robert Watterson lol

i bet you could cook eggs on that driveway

The solar panels would be covered by snow there for generating no electricity. Better put a heater on them too, the model of green efficiency.

?. Please explain. Pump? Heat?

​@thesimplegig You'd need a pump, radiator, and a fan. The cold coolant runs through the pump into radiator, warm air passes over the radiator heating the antifreeze, antifreeze goes through one leg of the pipe to the bottom of driveway, back up the other leg, and completes the circuit back at the pump.

@@d00der41 so you'd need a well-heated garage? Or do you put an electric or propane heater in position to blow hot air through the radiator?? I doubt that the 40° air in my garage would warm the antifreeze enough to melt ice at 10°

Jersey Tom, you don't just have to take our word for it, we've added a timelapse video of the snow melting system in action. you can find it at the 6:23 section of this video by clicking on the more info button on the top right of the video. or see it as a stand alone video here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7wdpsTCYoXI.html. Thanks for watching!

solar freaking road ways!!!

Jersey Tom in yo face!!

These systems often have to be installed well in advance of Winter to make sure everything is working before snow falls. You can see the system at work here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7wdpsTCYoXI.html&lc=Ugw_P6HCZXgtUxFppsx4AaABAg

saintpine exactly lol, I’d even rig a shovel type plough on wheels, so that it could be attached to my spend thousands just to have some tyre tracks lol. I’d be happy to pay some kid to do it each morning too lol

DumplingSaysNo And snakes 😂

There actually is a product like that and you can find it here: heattrak.com/ . While these systems are easy to roll out, they may not turn on and melt snow in the cases of drifting snow for instance. Thanks for watching!

They do. It's called salt

It is indeed 240V, this system uses 15kWh of electricity. Some projects do require the electrical being reconfigured, so we always advise customers to check their home limitations while planning and contact their provider if more electricity will be required for their heating needs. As for the conduit, it was enclosed for this system according to local code and requirements for this type of system.

The system does not heat up more than it needs to be above freezing so that the snow and ice will melt. The summer sun's radiant heat would do more to alter your asphalt driveway than this system.

While geo-thermal energy is a great resource, not everyone is able to dig that deep into their yards, nor do it for an area that would capture enough heat to melt snow off the driveway. Our systems don't require you to dig that deep into the surface and as a result can be easily repaired should something happen to the cable/mat after it has been installed. Our controls have an "hold-on" feature that keeps the system running intermittently after the initial warm up to make sure that all the ice/snow is melted away without refreezing.

The game 23 , not to use the roller on the bare mesh.

Echopractic what part did he not get, duh.....

War of jake bots 23 he said never run a paving machine over it not a roller.. Weight from roller or cars probably doesnt matter as much as the drag caused by the pave machine would probably tear or rip.

This is exactly it - a roller is very different from the large paving machines typically used for asphalt, and this recommendation is to insure that the heating cable is left undamaged during installation. Thank you for your input Summerlin866!

its a steam roller lol

This is likely not possible unless there was something wrong with how much power the system was drawing and it was not set up with the proper sensors and controls. If you visit our operating cost calculator here: www.warmlyyours.com/en-US/snow-melting/cost-calculator You can see that even for an area like Beaver Creek (with $0.15 kWh pricing), running these systems for 8 hours a day on a 1000 sq. ft. area would be $83 a day, and only $581 for a full week. Even at 24 hours a day, the system would have to be over 3,500 square feet of coverage to get a bill that large. But many driveways are simply not this large, and not running each day for more than 6 hours on average. These systems are designed to turn on when it starts snowing to help immediately melt falling snow and stop once the temperature and moisture sensors indicate there is no more snow on the surface of the area. So it's very unlikely that a system would run up that large a bill unless it was not installed correctly or something wrong with the electrical at the house. Thanks for watching!

Thank you @jerzcnate! This system is actually great for sloped driveways as well, we had a customer install this in a winding sloped driveway so they would not have to shovel snow on a steep slope.

The operating cost for a snow melting system in a typical driveway is only $0.76 per hour. This calculation is based on the national average of $0.08 per kWh. Typically you would run a system like this for 6 hours on a day with snowfall, so just under $6 to have your driveway free of snow without harsh chemicals are corrosive rock salt. Paying a kid to come shovel it, each time you would need it would definitely add up to more than $6/day - plus you would have to find someone each and every time you want it shoveled, with our system, sensors can detect when you need it and clear your driveway for you.

darkone12491 ey your cutting me out of business pal a shovel costs 15 dollars these days and my video games are now up to 60$ a game why 😡😡😡😡

On your demo video, it only looked like about one inch of snow. Any "typical" car could drive through that with now issues. Plus, If i were a kid shoveling driveways with only one inch of snow. I could do several "typical" driveways in a hour.

Also, lets put this power usage in perspective. $6 per day doesnt sound like much. But. Where I live its more like 10 or 11 cents per kilowatt hour. But regardless of the cost of electricity, we are talking about 75 kilowatt hours per day. That is massive. That is more than any regular house uses, even with electrical heat. The people who really need this technology are not in "typical" circumstances, and this unit will use much more power than advertised. The more ecological solution would be to buy an AWD vehicle with some decent ground clearance, such as the Subaru Forester or Crosstrek, Or a 4WD truck of your choice. Or an AWD SUV, Mazda has a few choices, as does toyota and ford. That would be a better bang for your buck. WarmlyYours, show me some math that proves me wrong, and I willl happily reply addmitting my ignorance.

Hi Travis, This video was shot in Chicago suburbs last winter - we got a very light winter and so very little snow to demonstrate how this system works. But there is no limit to how much snow these systems can handle. It's just a matter of time in extreme cases and for full coverage installs, your entire driveway would be cleared away effortlessly.

This works for asphalt, concrete and in mortar/sand under pavers actually. The system only gets warm enough to melt the snow, so just above freezing. Slab sensors are installed with asphalt jobs to help detect the internal temperature and turn the system off intermittently once the snow has melted to protect the integrity of the asphalt, no worries about it getting "gooey". As with anything designed for winter, it's always best to install well before the season, so this project was completed in late summer of 2016 and we wanted to share the install as soon as it was ready while we waited for the first snowfall. We actually do have separate videos showing it at work once winter came that year, you can see one of them here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7wdpsTCYoXI.html

@@Warmlyyours okay thsnks ill watch

Hi Nick, Did you call the company that sold you the system? Or did you happen to purchase it from us? We've never had a system fail due to how the system was manufactured - it is often damage that occurs during installation by the driveway installers. We offer repair service for these systems and with the tools we have, only a small section is excavated to make any necessary repairs to the cables if needed. You can read more about the process here: www.warmlyyours.com/en-US/posts/How-to-Troubleshoot-and-Repair-a-Heated-Driveway

Unless you’re 100, these things have been out for many, many years, almost as long as electricity has existed.

Hi Deoc, there are no maintenance costs for this system. It comes with a 10 year warranty and we've yet to have a system simply fail. Most repairs we've done have been for systems that were damaged by the asphalt contractor as it was being installed, and we offer tools to help identify the location of damaged wires, so only a small portion of the driveway has to be excavated in order to splice and repair the wire. Asphalt does crack after a few years and typically has a lifespan of 12-20 years. For an area like ours, Chicago, it's more towards the lower end (12 years) meaning that most people need to replace their asphalt anyways, so with the cost of a snow melting system added on, it's a small addition to the overall cost. These systems can also be embedded in concrete or in mortar/sand under pavers if asphalt is not what you're looking for in a driveway. This particular system is 240VAC and uses roughly 15kWh, so with the national average of $0.12 per kWh, it costs only $1.80 an hour to run this system. If you don't have the electrical power to run this kind of system, you can adjust the size easily or reach out to your city to discuss this type of project and plan on more power for your home. As for the snow, once it's melted, it actually evaporates away from the surface. The asphalt is kept dry and warm, preventing the water from re-freezing. Even during our most recent ice storm, this system was able to produce two strips of ice-free asphalt. The system only warms up to just above freezing, roughly 40 degrees to keep the snow from re-freezing. If you think about how much your time is worth and how much salt the average person goes through each winter, this system can be a huge benefit to those who are not able to shovel or don't want salt damaging their cars, shoes, plants or harming their pets. Hope we answered all of your questions, Thanks for watching!

The system had to be installed well before winter, so it wasn't running yet. But you can see it at work here a few months later: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7wdpsTCYoXI.html&lc=UgxYOtGR6Kw6uNhLZRJ4AaABAg

These systems are embedded in the surface material of your driveway (whether that's asphalt, concrete or in mortar under pavers). By doing this, the heat is evenly distributed throughout the surface and allows it to warm up consistently. Unless someone damages the heating elements of the system before installation, there will not be any patches of unmelted snow while the system is operating. The configuration in this installation was a unique type of tire track layout that the homeowners picked. These mats use 50 watts per square foot, you can learn more about our snow melt systems on our website: www.warmlyyours.com/products/snow-melting

There is little to no yearly upkeep for our snow melt systems. Most of the work goes into installing them correctly and making sure the sensors for controls are connected properly and located in the best spot. As for energy usage, most systems would only need to run on average for 6 hours per snow day. As for the cost, when this system was installed, the going rate was $0.08 per kWh (Chicago suburbs), this system uses 15 kWh and costs roughly $1.20 per hour to run. For an average snowfall, you would run this system for about 6 hours in a day, costing you only $7.20 per snow event. There is always an option to manually turn off the system should you want to further cut down on energy cost.

Exploxer25 the highway by Thompson Manitoba Canada is heated but I think they use some type of geothermal heat sink system.

jim bob dose it work?

Exploxer25 yooooo ur so smart

I just nominated you for the Nobel Prize. Good luck man

When I was 10 I thought about blowing the salt off the streets so I wouldn’t have to go to school

Since it's asphalt, all of this work is typically done in one day since the asphalt has to be dumped and spread out while it's still hot and malleable. We always recommend that installers have the snow melt part of this project ready to go down quickly when doing asphalt or concrete so the materials do not sit too long and cure early. Thanks for watching!

Hi, you can find more information on how these systems are used for driveways here: www.warmlyyours.com/en-US/snow-melting/driveway The snow melting mats come in 120 and 240 while the cables come in 120, 208, 240 and 277. And yes, these systems will work under pavers as long as they are embedded. They will also work underneath concrete areas and of course asphalt. Thanks for watching!

The system can run as frequently as you need it to. Most customers purchase sensors and advanced controls which allow the system to detect snow on its own and start melting when needed. There are always manual override to these controls, so should you need to turn it on you are able to. The systems with advanced controls are designed to turn on when its energy efficient to do so. If it is snowing too much too quickly, the system will automatically shut off, but you can turn it on manually if you don't mind using more electricity to do so.

Hi there, it's not in the video but the area has been filled in with dirt by landscapers.

Thank you JD for the kind words, thanks for watching!

Hi there, the system is actually embedded in the asphalt so that it effectively warms up that layer of the driveway. Our Environ product actually has a foil like backing that allows the heat to be reflected back up for underfloor heating.

You can actually see what it would cost with our operating calculator tool: www.warmlyyours.com/en-US/snow-melting/cost-calculator This driveway in the video costs $0.07 an hour to melt the sections installed. thanks for watching!

It is not rated for use within soil, only asphalt, concrete or beneath pavers within sand/mortar. But there are products that are designed for greenhouses that help warm up the soil to prevent freezing - not sure if that would actually work for what you're describing though as it's an open air environment.

Yes the system can be manually controlled from inside the house with controls or your phone even! There are also sensors you can buy that will auto-detect moisture/temperature - making sure it only turns on when it starts snowing.

Actually if a spot in the cable fails or becomes damaged during installation, it is possible for the rest of the system to still function. But we do offer repair services should anything happen so you can make sure everything is in working order. Our team would only need to excavate the surface material in the spots where there is damage, make the repair and then patch that spot. So no need to tear up the entire area if there is anything that needs fixing. You can learn more about it here: www.warmlyyours.com/services/troubleshooting Thanks for watching!

Unfortunately there is not. The gravel and dirt would shift away too much and possibly uncover the cables which would leave them exposed - something the National Electric Code does not allow for. However you can install this system for Pavers (within sand or mortar), asphalt and concrete. Thanks for watching!

Hi Gary, It is the similar to underfloor heating, but we typically don't have to tear up more than a couple tiles/pieces of flooring in order to repair a damaged heating element. We are able to precisely locate a damaged piece of wire, repair just that section and have the flooring go right back over that isolated area. We actually use the tools shown here to locate damaged heating elements for floor heating or snow melting: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xpMmNA7Tx7g.html We are currently working on a snow-melt version of this kind of "troubleshoot" step-by-step guide.

Great questions! In this situation, because the tire tracks are set up in "Zones" meaning, there are multiple mats that can be controlled individually or collectively as a group, then yes. If a wire was damaged, then that section of mat would not be functioning. In order to locate the damaged cable, we would recommend working with an electrician to use a high voltage device (hi-pot) or variable transformer (variac) or even a sequence of using one then another with eventually a thermal camera to locate the break. That way only a small portion (1 foot square) would have to be opened to get to the break and make a splice repair. IF this was the situation contacting our tech department and setting up a rental for the testing equipment and purchase of a splice kit would be required and save the homeowner the headache of tearing everything up. Thanks for watching!

Most people do assume that but our systems actually help keep the melted snow from refreezing and essentially evaporate the melted snow. If you watch our timelapse video of the system at work, you can see that the heated areas stay clear of snow and ice as soon as it hits the ground: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7wdpsTCYoXI.html&lc=Ugy22IfHK4ImiBMh8Fp4AaABAg

There's not much that can be done with the end of a driveway when the city is typically responsible for plowing the roads - with this system, at least there's no clearing your driveway, patio or stairs which saves a lot on time and effort.

If it's installed right, tested and wasn't damaged during the install, it will outlast the concrete or asphalt it's installed in. And once the driveway needs to be replaced, the system would have to be replaced again at that time due to excavation of surface material. Thanks for watching!

If there was a problem, we would help locate the faulty section, open up enough of the driveway (12-16" section) to use a splice kit (www.warmlyyours.com/products/code/SPSM-01) for the repair. We have a fantastic tech team on staff and work directly with electricians to minimize driveway openings and additional expenses to the homeowners. Thanks for watching!

Hi Matthew, a lot of home owners who choose to install this product do so to save on salt/harsh chemical corrosives that can damage a car. These systems also allow for a relatively snow free area, making it easier to get in and out of your vehicle when winter comes.

The system HAS to be embedded in order to function properly. You cannot drive over the mats directly, so laying them out on your driveway would eventually damage them. If you recently redid your driveway, we have a brand new installation option to retrofit an existing driveway to add these systems in. You can find more info on it here: www.warmlyyours.com/snow-melting/driveway/retrofit-application-guide. We'll actually be reviewing this installation type in a webinar next month - you can register on our website.

The system needs to be embedded beneath 2-3" of new asphalt. We typically recommend a new driveway or retrofitting an existing one by creating trenches in the asphalt to place the product. You can learn more about it here: www.warmlyyours.com/en-US/snow-melting/driveway/retrofit-application-guide Thanks for watching!

Our systems are able to run efficiently below freezing until it hits 17 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature, the system is not melting at the same rate as before, and becomes less economical to run. Most controls for our systems have a built-in feature to shut off around this temperature to ensure it is not using electricity inefficiently. We have customers who have installed this up in Canada near Toronto and still get plenty of use out of it throughout the Winter.

Great question and great answer.

Hi elementaleighteight, Yes, we always recommend that our products be tested before being installed/paved over/tiled over, etc. We provide an Ohms reading warranty card for our customers to verify their product is in good condition before being installed.

You can actually watch it working here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7wdpsTCYoXI.html&lc=Ugy-14SkrMWCFi1SLgN4AaABAg . and here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hRzHjo78t7Y.html

If you're driveway would need to be replaced, then so would the system. But the great thing with a snow melt system, is that you would be using less salt and have less wear and tear on your driveway if the salt is what's usually damaging it.

WarmlyYours - the driveway was not replaced just because of salt. Didn’t use it on the driveway anyway cause it was shoveled off.Neighbor plowed it for me. No the driveway needed to be replaced because of the temperature. Months of cold then warmed up. The expansion and contraction of the asphalt in such temperatures is why it has to be replaced so often. Upstate NY, 4 to 6 months of snow followed by the warming up then 1, 2 months of heat and humidity in the summer.

If your climate has temperature fluctuations throughout the year that affect the asphalt - then the system would need to be replaced with the driveway.

Unfortunately this system does have its limits to help keep it efficient. We typically do not see the snow melting as well when it gets close to zero. -40 would definitely see this issue get worse. There is a manual override if you want to make the system keep running, but the energy costs would not be as efficient as it was designed to be.

There are tools you can connect to the cold lead of the system and it will tell you where the cable is damaged if at all. Once you know how far down the cable it's damaged, you'd reference the original installation plan (provided when you order) to locate where you would need to excavate material and do a splice repair. The tools are available to rent from our tech team if they're ever needed.

Hi Chris, when the system turns on entirely depends on which of these outdoor controls are paired with the snow-melt system: www.warmlyyours.com/products/line/snow-melt-and-deicing-snow-melting-control For the Premium Snow Melt Control featured in this video, it detects precipitation and ambient temperature and activates when there is precipitation present and temperatures below 38 Degree Fahrenheit. Our other controls allow customers to control which temperature the system will turn on at when precipitation is detected.

All of our systems can be turned on and off manually - if a customer's sensor stopped working, they could easily control the system manually.

WarmlyYours I read a review that one had malfunction and owners never knew the system was constantly running til a $3,000 electric bill came in the mail. That’s a concern for me.

If the sensor malfunctions, it won't detect snow/moisture and therefore won't activate. We have not seen a review or received any feedback for our snow melt systems where a customer had this type of issue. If it is a concern to someone, they could opt for one of our controls that is manual and turn it on and off when they need it.

Yes you can watch it in action here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7wdpsTCYoXI.html These systems often need to be installed several months before winter arrives, so it can be difficult to capture them at work shortly after installation.

Hi Matheus, these installs typically happen well before Winter and therefore the system could not be shown working during that time of year. If you watch this video you can see it at work: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7wdpsTCYoXI.html As for repairs, with electrical tools and thermal cameras, you could easily detect any issues with the system and make isolated repairs to parts of the driveway without ripping up the whole system.

Burnt Toast Yeah my bathroom floor has something similar. Must be one heck of an electric bill.

It's not running at all times of the day or year you idiot's. You're talking about your bathroom and this is outside.

usually costs ab 28¢/hr

It actually varies quite a bit depending on your kWh rate and the size of the project. We have an operating cost calculator for these systems to help you plan ahead though: www.warmlyyours.com/en-US/snow-melting/cost-calculator

@@Diddy_Doodat Actually the driveway temp sensor determines when it is on or off. Unless you do it manually when it snows, But if you rely on that sensor that thing will be on constantly whenever the driveway gets cold enough snow or no snow. Thats got to cost a huge amount.

Great Question! This product works in those situations as well. learn more on our website (www.warmlyyours.com/en-US/snow-melting/heating-cable-mat-systems) or chat/call any of our technical staff for further information.

Good question! So what most people don't know is that with our automatic controls and sensors, these systems only turn on when needed. They detect temperature and moisture levels so that they start operating when snow is present. These Snow Melt mats use 50 watts/sq ft, the estimate we provided in comments above was running 6 hours for a day with snow. So with 50 watts x 6 hours, thats 300 watts a day. 300/1000 gives us 0.3 kWh/day. Based on your local kWh rate, you would multiply this by 0.3 to get the operating cost per sq ft of coverage to run for 6 hours a day. You can take that amount, multiply it by the coverage you would want and then multiply it by average snow events during winter to get a better idea of how much it might cost you during a season.

We actually use the same tools shown in this video for floor heating to identify the problem if there is anything damaged in a system like this: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xpMmNA7Tx7g.html We are currently working on a snow-melt version of this kind of "troubleshoot" step-by-step guide.

Exclent explanation, thank you.

They would be able to safely walk on the asphalt. The ground does not warm to a point where you would noticeably feel it radiating heat to your feet. It would simply make it warm enough to prevent snow from sticking/forming ice.

Thanks for the compliment, we think this project is pretty cool too! As for your other question, we'd recommend taking a look at this handy guide: www.digminecraft.com/getting_started/how_to_tame_horse.php

WarmlyYours thanks my dude

lmao he actually replied XD

This is actually a really good question that we see come up a lot with our snow melting products. All of our automatic controllers have Hold-on time feature after the initial warming up of the mats. This feature ensures that all the snow is melted from the surface, and also that the system continues to operate and evaporate the surface water without it refreezing.

These layers ensure that the structure is sound, and this is how it would be constructed regardless of whether it involves snow melting cable or not. Asphalt expands and contracts anyway whether it's in the winter from ice or summer from extreme heat. Our cables have a 10 year warranty against manufacturing defects. Some customers don't want to spend all of the money that is required to pour a driveway, and asphalt is a good compromise. If a customer is interested in a more durable paving material, they can go for concrete, and we are able to heat that as well.

We actually have a separate time-lapse video here to see this product in action: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7wdpsTCYoXI.html Thanks for watching!

Unless you manually turn on the system, it would not be able to turn on in the summer. With the right moisture and temperature sensors, the system will only turn on when it's the right conditions to melt snow (i.e., below 40 and snowing).

We do not recommend this product for those types of pavers. Regular pavers work well because they transfer the heat easily from the mat layer to the surface. But rubber pavers may insulate a bit too well for the heat to transfer efficiently. Asphalt, Concrete and regular Pavers are the three materials we recommend using with our system.