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I'm removing my old driveway and putting in a brand new one. I'd like to have it heated, as I'm not getting any younger and it's taking me alot longer to recover after snow removal. I've been researching the differences between electric radiant vs. hydronic systems. Can anyone share anything they may know about this subject? I'm also open to any contractor/installer recommendations. Thanks !!
I'm removing my old driveway and putting in a brand new one. I'd like to have it heated, as I'm not getting any younger and it's taking me alot longer to recover after snow removal. I've been researching the differences between electric radiant vs. hydronic systems. Can anyone share anything they may know about this subject? I'm also open to any contractor/installer recommendations. Thanks !!
Radiant would be very costly, in my opinion. It's inefficient and LIPA's not cheap. If you must heat the driveway, I'd think hydronic would be the way to go (although you must have to have the lines bled every year, I'd think.).
If you have a hot water heating system it wouldnt be that costly to do. You would have to add a mixing valve to get the water cooled down, heat exchanger, a pump for that zone a relay and temp. sensor.
I was putting in new pavers for my driveway (20' x 45) and also put in radiant heating. It's essentially a swimming pool boiler (gas) on the outside of the house and 6 zones/loops ( one of which is for future use) of pex
piping filled with propylene glycol. The system is activated by an automatic controller based the readings of sensors ( air temp, slab temp & moisture). There's a manual override on the controller.
First test a few weeks ago with the snow storm & subsequent icing. It had my driveway bone dry.
A few pointers:
* You'll need to install insulation boards under the pex piping, which unfortunately also reduces the natural heat coming up from the ground.
* The controller's not cheap because there's only a few companies that make them. I have a teckmar controller.
* Get a plumber & electrician that has installed snow melt systems in the past.
* Have plumber install an future use loop/zone in case you decide to do your walkway/etc in the future.
I was putting in new pavers for my driveway (20' x 45) and also put in radiant heating. It's essentially a swimming pool boiler (gas) on the outside of the house and 6 zones/loops ( one of which is for future use) of pex
piping filled with propylene glycol. The system is activated by an automatic controller based the readings of sensors ( air temp, slab temp & moisture). There's a manual override on the controller.
First test a few weeks ago with the snow storm & subsequent icing. It had my driveway bone dry.
A few pointers:
* You'll need to install insulation boards under the pex piping, which unfortunately also reduces the natural heat coming up from the ground.
* The controller's not cheap because there's only a few companies that make them. I have a teckmar controller.
* Get a plumber & electrician that has installed snow melt systems in the past.
* Have plumber install an future use loop/zone in case you decide to do your walkway/etc in the future.
I have absolutely nothing to add to this thread except that this sounds FRIGGIN AWESOME!!!
I'd probably agree to this. say $10 an hour, 2 person to clean it in 2 hours, 5 snow storm a year, that's $4,000 for the next 20 years.
how much it cost to do the heated drive way? how much it cost to maintain it?
Good luck finding kids to do it. They are drinking cocoa and playing call of duty inside while grandma pays a couple of nice El Salvadoreans to do a better job for less. Welcome to 2012.
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