"Nehmo Sergheyev" wrote in message
...

- HeatMan -
We are looking at a new (to us) house. It's about 10 years old and
the
driveway looks like crap. We're going to offer slightly less than
asking
price because of the driveway condition. When I get it repoured, it
WILL
have PEX tubing in it for ice melting purposes. We don't get a lot of
snow
or ice around here, but at least we'll be able to get out when it does
snow
or ice.

- Nehmo -
I don't see why not. How much would some PEX (or perhaps Pex-Al-Pex)
cost? With some precautions, you can protect the tubing from cracking
when the concrete cracks. If you use a heat exchanger (to use with a
loop to your regular domestic hot water heater) and a couple of pumps,
you really wouldn't need much other equipment.


It will have a HX when it gets hooked up to the boiler. By the time the
snow melt water gets back to the HX, it's going to be near freezing and the
boiler won't be able to handle the thermal shock.

As far as the new concrete I have poured cracking, I'll protect the concrete
with control joints and sleeve the PEX at the joints.

I like the electric systems too. Electricity is more expensive than gas,
but, all in all, in terms of costs per season, the price is acceptable.


Not to me, but I will have a boiler already by the time the new driveway
gets poured.

But there must be some kind of image or psychological problem with
heating pavement, though. Look at the reaction you get in the NGs when
the subject is opened.

Do I look (or type) like I care? IIRC, there's a city in Colorado(?) that
has snowmelt on the city sidewalks clear.

And hardly anybody seems to have a mature
marketing strategy. http://www.warmzone.com/ has the best site, but it
seems they can't decide on which system to promote.


I like the water based stuff better than electric. You can repair PEX, but
you break a wire, you're out of business.