I am looking for information on installing a water heater to provide
heat to my driveway. The former owner removed all the michanical
equipment just before the bank forclosed. I don't have a choice about
heating or not heating as the driveway is too steap to plow, snowblow,
etc. The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,
Any help will be apreciated.

"TJ" wrote in message
...

I am looking for information on installing a water heater to provide
heat to my driveway. The former owner removed all the michanical
equipment just before the bank forclosed. I don't have a choice about
heating or not heating as the driveway is too steap to plow, snowblow,
etc. The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,

Since you need to buy the hardware, and perhaps pay someone
to instal it, it is likely he will connect correctly as part of the
installation process.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

On Nov 12, 3:42*pm, TJ wrote:
I am looking for information on installing a water heater to provide
heat to my driveway. The former owner removed all the michanical
equipment just before the bank forclosed. I don't have a choice about
heating or not heating as the driveway is too steap to plow, snowblow,
etc. The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,
Any help will be apreciated.

If you can drive it, if you can walk it, the Honda snow blower with
tank treads will blow it alot cheaper than heating the great
outdoors.

TJ wrote:
I am looking for information on installing a water heater to provide
heat to my driveway. The former owner removed all the michanical
equipment just before the bank forclosed. I don't have a choice about
heating or not heating as the driveway is too steap to plow, snowblow,
etc. The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,
Any help will be apreciated.

How could a driveway be too steep to plow or snowblow and still be
usable for anything?

TJ wrote:
I am looking for information on installing a water heater to provide
heat to my driveway. The former owner removed all the michanical
equipment just before the bank forclosed. I don't have a choice about
heating or not heating as the driveway is too steap to plow, snowblow,
etc. The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,
Any help will be apreciated.

I don't know anything about heating driveways ( I HAVE seen pictures of
snow), but the immediate thought comes to mind of the enormous number of
BTUs necessary to raise the temperature of several dozen tons of concrete
just one degree.

Are heated driveways common? Or at least not rare?

On Nov 12, 5:40�pm, "HeyBub" wrote:
TJ wrote:
I am looking for information on installing a water heater to provide
heat to my driveway. The former owner removed all the michanical
equipment just before the bank forclosed. I don't have a choice about
heating or not heating as the driveway is too steap to plow, snowblow,
etc. The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,
Any help will be apreciated.

I don't know anything about heating driveways ( I HAVE seen pictures of
snow), but the immediate thought comes to mind of the enormous number of
BTUs necessary to raise the temperature of several dozen tons of concrete
just one degree.

Are heated driveways common? Or at least not rare?

plowing and salting are costly.here in pittsburgh they are becoming
more common.

one slip and fall accident i had 10 years ago cost me dearly. knee
surgery, will need knee replacement too. Had arthrospic knee surgery
and nearly died in recovery after undiagnosed sleep apnea got me to
quit breathing.... it was a very close thing.

missed lots of work.

you only need to get the slab a few degrees above freezing

George wrote:
TJ wrote:
I am looking for information on installing a water heater to provide
heat to my driveway. The former owner removed all the michanical
equipment just before the bank forclosed. I don't have a choice about
heating or not heating as the driveway is too steap to plow, snowblow,
etc. The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,
Any help will be apreciated.

How could a driveway be too steep to plow or snowblow and still be
usable for anything?

The OP probably meant that it is too steep for plowing or blowing to be
sufficient. IOW, it is too steep to use when it isn't completely clear
of snow and/or ice.

George wrote:

TJ wrote:

I am looking for information on installing a water heater to provide
heat to my driveway. The former owner removed all the michanical
equipment just before the bank forclosed. I don't have a choice about
heating or not heating as the driveway is too steap to plow, snowblow,
etc. The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,
Any help will be apreciated.


How could a driveway be too steep to plow or snowblow and still be
usable for anything?


I've been to this party before. I have a driveway that has a slope that
is a bit more than 16 degrees. It rivals all but Lombard Street in San
Francisco. However I also get 12 feet of snow.

Beware of heating the slope of a driveway until you are firmly convinced
that the water which flows to the bottom will disperse thoroughly.
Otherwise you will have an icy lagoon at the bottom. If the driveway
slopes away from your property it is likely that the local authorities
will tell you to turn the heater off. Attorneys for those injured or
damaged because of the icy lake you place on the road below will send an
even nastier message.

An alternative is to look at high traction surfaces, a good 4 wheel
drive (Mercedes 4-matic works well) and good (Yokohama) studded snow
tires which together solve the problem.

Good luck.

Boden

On Nov 12, 4:42*pm, TJ wrote:
I am looking for information on installing a water heater to provide
heat to my driveway. The former owner removed all the michanical
equipment just before the bank forclosed. I don't have a choice about
heating or not heating as the driveway is too steap to plow, snowblow,
etc. The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,
Any help will be apreciated.

Hello from ski country south of Buffalo. In this part of the world,
my son's school abuts the ski slopes so we have both snow and hills.
My driveway is so steep that when I get to the road at the bottom, the
nose of my van scrapes the driveway. We get so much snow that a few
years back we had to stop the car at the end of the driveway, get out,
and walk to the end of the driveway to see if a car was coming. So
please explain this "too steep" thing to me.

As for the heating, if it's a hot water system I suppose any boiler
would do. You have to realize that it's only going to work when it's
close to freezing. At -40F there's not way you're keeping it warm.
Even at football stadiums -- including where the Bills play -- they
can only keep them free of snow to about 28F or so IIRC.

On Nov 12, 6:42*pm, Pat wrote:
On Nov 12, 4:42*pm, TJ wrote:


As for the heating, if it's a hot water system I suppose any boiler
would do. *

No, not just any boiler will do. I don't know much about snow melt
systems, but I do know that most boilers don't like to see any cooler
than about 130 degrees F on the return water temp. With a snow melt
system, I would guess that you could see 50 degree or cooler. You
will need a special boiler made for that application, and of course
you will need to fill the loop with glycol instead of pure water. As
to the concern with water pooling up at the bottom of the driveway, I
think that with most driveway snowmelt systems, the moisture contained
in the snow will evaporate into the air as it is melting, so the water
wont have a chance to run down the driveway and refreeze. That's what
someone told me when I was asking questions about snow melt systems a
few years ago. Like I said, though, I don't have any experience with
them so I don't know for sure.

You need to find a company that is experienced in this type of thing
to help you. Good luck.

wrote:
....
think that with most driveway snowmelt systems, the moisture contained
in the snow will evaporate into the air as it is melting, so the water
wont have a chance to run down the driveway and refreeze. ...

No way, no how if it's going to melt any amount of snow at all is all
the water going to be evaporated. W/o a drainage if it's allowed to
cool below freezing again, it'll be a skating rink wherever there isn't
drainage when it cools below freezing again.

--

"TJ" wrote in message
...
I am looking for information on installing a water heater to provide
heat to my driveway. The former owner removed all the michanical
equipment just before the bank forclosed. I don't have a choice about
heating or not heating as the driveway is too steap to plow, snowblow,
etc. The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,
Any help will be apreciated.

To get the amount of heat you need, the right equipment is a boiler with
enough output. An inefficient one is going to cost about $3000 to $4500. An
efficient one will cost even more. If you have hot water heat in your house
it may be possible to add an indirect fired hot water heater with
circulator, sort of like having an additional zone on the system. It would
be a closed loop since you'd use glycol for outdoors. The tank alone is in
the $1000 range, plus some controls and labor.

In any case it is going to be costly to operate if you get large amounts of
snow. I'd go for a shovel and sand.

On Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:42:58 -0800 (PST), TJ
wrote:

I am looking for information on installing a water heater to provide
heat to my driveway. The former owner removed all the michanical
equipment just before the bank forclosed. I don't have a choice about
heating or not heating as the driveway is too steap to plow, snowblow,
etc. The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,
Any help will be apreciated.

Maybe a plumber? Possibly a friend might be able to help, at least
get more ideas. Make a list of tests that will give the results you
need to troubleshoot. Do you have any manufacturer names on any of
the items? Hire a mechanical dynamics technician. Any movie grips
in your area?

wrote:
On Nov 12, 5:40�pm, "HeyBub" wrote:
TJ wrote:
I am looking for information on installing a water heater to provide
heat to my driveway. The former owner removed all the michanical
equipment just before the bank forclosed. I don't have a choice about
heating or not heating as the driveway is too steap to plow, snowblow,
etc. The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,
Any help will be apreciated.
I don't know anything about heating driveways ( I HAVE seen pictures of
snow), but the immediate thought comes to mind of the enormous number of
BTUs necessary to raise the temperature of several dozen tons of concrete
just one degree.

Are heated driveways common? Or at least not rare?

plowing and salting are costly.here in pittsburgh they are becoming
more common.

one slip and fall accident i had 10 years ago cost me dearly. knee
surgery, will need knee replacement too. Had arthrospic knee surgery
and nearly died in recovery after undiagnosed sleep apnea got me to
quit breathing.... it was a very close thing.

missed lots of work.

you only need to get the slab a few degrees above freezing
Hmmm
Why do they build a house with a driveway like that? Live in a house
like that?

dpb wrote:
wrote:
...
think that with most driveway snowmelt systems, the moisture contained
in the snow will evaporate into the air as it is melting, so the water
wont have a chance to run down the driveway and refreeze. ...

No way, no how if it's going to melt any amount of snow at all is all
the water going to be evaporated. W/o a drainage if it's allowed to
cool below freezing again, it'll be a skating rink wherever there isn't
drainage when it cools below freezing again.

--
Hmmm,
That's why the equipment was decomissioned?

In article ,
Tony Hwang wrote:


you only need to get the slab a few degrees above freezing

Which where I grew up would often have been about delta 75F.

On Wed 12 Nov 2008 07:26:01p, dpb told us...

wrote:
...
think that with most driveway snowmelt systems, the moisture contained
in the snow will evaporate into the air as it is melting, so the water
wont have a chance to run down the driveway and refreeze. ...

No way, no how if it's going to melt any amount of snow at all is all
the water going to be evaporated. W/o a drainage if it's allowed to
cool below freezing again, it'll be a skating rink wherever there isn't
drainage when it cools below freezing again.

Years ago we moved to a house in NE Ohio that had a heated driveway. Since
the driveway wasn't on a slope, I surmise it had been installed strictly
for convenience. The circulated water was heated by a dedicated oil-fired
boiler. There was a 6 or 8 inch wide grate at the foot of the driveway
that ran the full width and emptied into the storm sewer, to dissapate the
drainage water. I never measured the surface temperature, but I do know
that we never had an accumulation of snow on that driveway in the 8 years
we lived there. The walkway in front of the house was similarly treated,
but with no drain, as the water ran into the grass on the treelawn.

--
Wayne Boatwright
(correct the spelling of "geemail" to reply)

************************************************** **********************
Date: Wednesday, 11(XI)/12(XII)/08(MMVIII)
************************************************** **********************
Countdown till U.S. Thanksgiving Day
2wks 3hrs 6mins
************************************************** **********************
The classical Greeks were not influenced by the classical Greeks.
************************************************** **********************

hee myt alsew teech thi iriginal postre haw too spel.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Don Phillipson" wrote in message
...

Since you need to buy the hardware, and perhaps pay someone
to instal it, it is likely he will connect correctly as part of the
installation process.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Boden wrote:
George wrote:

TJ wrote:

I am looking for information on installing a water heater to provide
heat to my driveway. The former owner removed all the michanical
equipment just before the bank forclosed. I don't have a choice about
heating or not heating as the driveway is too steap to plow, snowblow,
etc. The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,
Any help will be apreciated.


How could a driveway be too steep to plow or snowblow and still be
usable for anything?


I've been to this party before. I have a driveway that has a slope that
is a bit more than 16 degrees. It rivals all but Lombard Street in San
Francisco. However I also get 12 feet of snow.

Beware of heating the slope of a driveway until you are firmly convinced
that the water which flows to the bottom will disperse thoroughly.
Otherwise you will have an icy lagoon at the bottom. If the driveway
slopes away from your property it is likely that the local authorities
will tell you to turn the heater off. Attorneys for those injured or
damaged because of the icy lake you place on the road below will send an
even nastier message.

An alternative is to look at high traction surfaces, a good 4 wheel
drive (Mercedes 4-matic works well) and good (Yokohama) studded snow
tires which together solve the problem.

Good luck.

Boden

Regrade yard, build a covered drive-through carport at bottom of slope,
and a covered set of steps up the hill. This house has a mere 60-foot
driveway, with about an 8-foot rise, and it already cost me one
transmission. Even with fresh tires, an inch of snow makes it impossible
to get up without spinning the tires. Sloping driveways look impressive
and inviting 8-9 months of the year. But in snow country, they are
unusable when ice and snow covered, absent extraordinary measures or
industrial-grade 4x4s. A lot of the driveways and parking lots I see
here up north, with slopes that make them impassable in icy weather and
have no place to push off or blow snow, make me convinced that most
landscape architects got their training down south.

--
aem sends...

You might consider a spell check. I don't know what the HELL you are
saying.


"TJ" wrote in message
...
I am looking for information on installing a water heater to provide
heat to my driveway. The former owner removed all the michanical
equipment just before the bank forclosed. I don't have a choice about
heating or not heating as the driveway is too steap to plow, snowblow,
etc. The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,
Any help will be apreciated.

TJ wrote:

... The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,

Groundwater.

Nick

"Steve Barker DLT" wrote in message
...
You might consider a spell check. I don't know what the HELL you are
saying.


"TJ" wrote in message
...
I am looking for information on installing a water heater to provide
heat to my driveway. The former owner removed all the michanical
equipment just before the bank forclosed. I don't have a choice about
heating or not heating as the driveway is too steap to plow, snowblow,
etc. The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,
Any help will be apreciated.



Steap is something you do with a tea bag on a hill
Toubing is a tube made from exotic imported material
Cannections is the name of his recycling bin for those metal food containers

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
"Steve Barker DLT" wrote in message
...

You might consider a spell check. I don't know what the HELL you are
saying.


"TJ" wrote in message
...

I am looking for information on installing a water heater to provide
heat to my driveway. The former owner removed all the michanical
equipment just before the bank forclosed. I don't have a choice about
heating or not heating as the driveway is too steap to plow, snowblow,
etc. The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,
Any help will be apreciated.



Steap is something you do with a tea bag on a hill
Toubing is a tube made from exotic imported material
Cannections is the name of his recycling bin for those metal food containers


Cut him some slack. He was probably taught by a member of the teachers'
union.

On Nov 13, 4:59*am, "Ed Pawlowski" wrote:
"Steve Barker DLT" wrote in messagenews:5qydnYc6j77UM4bUnZ2dnUVZ_rbinZ2d@gigan ews.com...

You might consider a spell check. *I don't know what the HELL you are
saying.

"TJ" wrote in message
....
I am looking for information on installing a water heater to provide
heat to my driveway. The former owner removed all the michanical
equipment just before the bank forclosed. I don't have a choice about
heating or not heating as the driveway is too steap to plow, snowblow,
etc. The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,
Any help will be apreciated.

Steap is something you do with a tea bag on a hill
Toubing is a tube made from exotic imported material
Cannections is the name of his recycling bin for those metal food containers

Well at least he can **** away his money heating the great outdoors, I
wish I could aford heating my indoors

On Nov 13, 5:04*am, wrote:
TJ wrote:
... The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,

Groundwater.

Nick


Interesting idea. With a well, you'd have water at about 50 deg,
right? Certainly not as much heat as water flowing from a boiler,
but with sufficient volume, I wonder if it would work? I'm sure you
could pump quite a bit of well water for less than the cost of the
fuel to run a boiler.

On Nov 13, 7:00*am, wrote:
On Nov 13, 5:04*am, wrote:

TJ wrote:
... The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,

Groundwater.

Nick

Interesting idea. * With a well, you'd have water at about 50 deg,
right? * *Certainly not as much heat as water flowing from a boiler,
but with sufficient volume, I wonder if it would work? * *I'm sure you
could pump quite a bit of well water for less than the cost of the
fuel to run a boiler.

It depends on where he is, where I am frost level is about 3ft down
and - 22f at a max, 50f water might not make it before it froze.I
think hiring a kid with a shovel has to be cheaper.

Needs a huge drywell, or a tie in to the storm drain.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Boden" wrote in message
...

Beware of heating the slope of a driveway until you are firmly convinced
that the water which flows to the bottom will disperse thoroughly.
Otherwise you will have an icy lagoon at the bottom.

Good luck.

Boden

It depends on where he is, where I am frost level is about 3ft down
and - 22f at a max, 50f water might not make it before it froze.I
think hiring a kid with a shovel has to be cheaper.

around here few kids will shovel, and those who do want a fortune,
after my slip and fall accident i tried to hire some to shovel my 12
by 50 foot front flat driveway. with 3 inches of snow kids averaged 60
to 75 bucks, nice soft lightweight snow. a guy with a plow wanted 125
bucks.heard later kids quote 1/2 of plow cost

if initially installed properly the underside of thje slab is
insulated with foam, so heat is directed upwards.

this is the ideal use for a dedicated tankless water heater, filled
with anti freeze and circulated by a pump.

ask some neighbors, if theres is heated they may be able to refer
someone.

no doubt the person being foreclosed upon soldf everything of value
they could in the home.

around here they strip all the copper water lines and sometimes even
the wire. homes look likew a bomb hit afterward.

scrap prices have dropped a lot,

On Nov 13, 8:35*am, Claude Hopper
wrote:
ransley wrote:
On Nov 12, 3:42 pm, TJ wrote:
I am looking for information on installing a water heater to provide
heat to my driveway. The former owner removed all the michanical
equipment just before the bank forclosed. I don't have a choice about
heating or not heating as the driveway is too steap to plow, snowblow,
etc. The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,
Any help will be apreciated.

If you can drive it, if you can walk it, *the Honda snow blower with
tank treads will blow it alot cheaper than heating the great
outdoors.

That's why they make salt and sand.

--
Claude Hopper * * * * *

? * * * ? * * * ¥

And 4wd with snow tires.

Claude Hopper wrote:
Ed Pawlowski wrote:
"TJ" wrote in message
...
I am looking for information on installing a water heater to provide
heat to my driveway. The former owner removed all the michanical
equipment just before the bank forclosed. I don't have a choice about
heating or not heating as the driveway is too steap to plow, snowblow,
etc. The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,
Any help will be apreciated.
To get the amount of heat you need, the right equipment is a boiler with
enough output. An inefficient one is going to cost about $3000 to $4500. An
efficient one will cost even more. If you have hot water heat in your house
it may be possible to add an indirect fired hot water heater with
circulator, sort of like having an additional zone on the system. It would
be a closed loop since you'd use glycol for outdoors. The tank alone is in
the $1000 range, plus some controls and labor.

In any case it is going to be costly to operate if you get large amounts of
snow. I'd go for a shovel and sand.


The driveway only needs to be above freezing DURING a snow to melt the
flakes as they fall. How often does it snow? After the driveway is dry
the heat can be turned off again.


But inertia is involved. You need to start pumping in heat quite a while
before the snowfall to get the slab up to temp. Then keep it operating
for some days to allow for drifting/snow blowing off the roof or trees/etc.

Check with a plumbing company which does steam heating. If it is a closed
system and the water gets above boiling, steam will be created and there
could be an explosion! Need a high temperature / high pressure relief valve.

Then you might want some sort of anti-freeze solution in the pipes in case
you choose to leave it off. But you would not want this solution flowing
back into your house water supply!

And pipes leak. Would need to keep it full of water/fluid. Need an indicator
to see how much water is in system.

Heated water/fluid expands when it heats. Need an expansion tank.

You can heat with solar, swimming pool heater, multiple electric water
heaters, natural gas/oil boilers, or wood burning "OWB" boiler.

Then need a pump to circulate the warm/hot water.


"TJ" wrote in message
I am looking for information on installing a water heater to provide
heat to my driveway. The former owner removed all the michanical
equipment just before the bank forclosed. I don't have a choice about
heating or not heating as the driveway is too steap to plow, snowblow,
etc. The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,
Any help will be apreciated.

On Nov 12, 9:55*pm, Phisherman wrote:
On Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:42:58 -0800 (PST), TJ
wrote:

I am looking for information on installing a water heater to provide
heat to my driveway. The former owner removed all the michanical
equipment just before the bank forclosed. I don't have a choice about
heating or not heating as the driveway is too steap to plow, snowblow,
etc. The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,
Any help will be apreciated.

Maybe a plumber? *Possibly a friend might be able to help, at least
get more ideas. *Make a list of tests that will give the results you
need to troubleshoot. *Do you have any manufacturer names on any of
the items? * Hire a mechanical dynamics technician. * Any movie grips
in your area?

Possibly a friend might be able to help, at least get more ideas.

Not sure why you would suggest he ask "*a* friend" when he just
essentially asked hundreds (thousands?) by posting his question here.

On Nov 13, 11:24*am, Bubba wrote:
On Thu, 13 Nov 2008 04:40:08 -0800 (PST), ransley





wrote:
On Nov 13, 4:59*am, "Ed Pawlowski" wrote:
"Steve Barker DLT" wrote in messagenews:5qydnYc6j77UM4bUnZ2dnUVZ_rbinZ2d@gigan ews.com...

You might consider a spell check. *I don't know what the HELL you are
saying.

"TJ" wrote in message
...
I am looking for information on installing a water heater to provide
heat to my driveway. The former owner removed all the michanical
equipment just before the bank forclosed. I don't have a choice about
heating or not heating as the driveway is too steap to plow, snowblow,
etc. The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,
Any help will be apreciated.

Steap is something you do with a tea bag on a hill
Toubing is a tube made from exotic imported material
Cannections is the name of his recycling bin for those metal food containers

Well at least he can **** away his money heating the great outdoors, I
wish I could aford heating my indoors

Why heat the great outdoors in a trailer park, ransley?
You do like to dream though, dont you?
Bubba- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

You drinkin again bubbass, what no customers during the day of heating
season turn ons, Or are you on drugs again, well at least you confrim
yr an asshole, I wonder how many potential clients stay away from
heating guys with the name Bubba.

"Bill" wrote in message
...
Check with a plumbing company which does steam heating. If it is a closed
system and the water gets above boiling, steam will be created and there
could be an explosion! Need a high temperature / high pressure relief
valve.


Why would it get above boiling? Home heating systems reach 180 and a high
limit switch turns off the burner. Same thing with an indirect fired water
heater and glycol. You set the desired temperature on an aquastat.

Expansion, yes; explosion, no.

On Nov 13, 9:33*am, Claude Hopper
wrote:
Ed Pawlowski wrote:
"TJ" wrote in message
....
I am looking for information on installing a water heater to provide
heat to my driveway. The former owner removed all the michanical
equipment just before the bank forclosed. I don't have a choice about
heating or not heating as the driveway is too steap to plow, snowblow,
etc. The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,
Any help will be apreciated.

To get the amount of heat you need, the right equipment is a boiler with
enough output. *An inefficient one is going to cost about $3000 to $4500. An
efficient one will cost even more. *If you have hot water heat in your house
it may be possible to add an indirect fired hot water heater with
circulator, sort of like having an additional zone on the system. *It would
be a closed loop since you'd use glycol for outdoors. *The tank alone is in
the $1000 range, plus some controls and labor.

In any case it is going to be costly to operate if you get large amounts of
snow. *I'd go for a shovel and sand.

The driveway only needs to be above freezing DURING a snow to melt the
flakes as they fall. How often does it snow? After the driveway is dry
the heat can be turned off again.

--
Claude Hopper * * * * *

? * * * ? * * * ¥

I don't know about the OP, but where I live snow is a daily
occurrence. Plus there the wind to deal with. Plus you know that old
saying "it's too cold for it to snow", well that isn't true.

On Nov 13, 8:18*am, ransley wrote:
On Nov 13, 7:00*am, wrote:

On Nov 13, 5:04*am, wrote:

TJ wrote:
... The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,

Groundwater.

Nick

Interesting idea. * With a well, you'd have water at about 50 deg,
right? * *Certainly not as much heat as water flowing from a boiler,
but with sufficient volume, I wonder if it would work? * *I'm sure you
could pump quite a bit of well water for less than the cost of the
fuel to run a boiler.

It depends on where he is, where I am frost level is about 3ft down
and - 22f at a max, 50f water might not make it before it froze.I
think hiring a kid with a shovel has to be cheaper.

Three things to consider. First off, glycol probably isn't the best
thing for in the lines. Get something that is okay for food service.
It's more expensive but safer if there's a spill/break.

Second, whatever your frost line is, it's deeper under a driveway. If
you get a cold spell and pipes break, it's no coincident that they
ALWAYS break under your driveway or sidewalk. Pavement has no
insulating value acts as a HUGE cold-sink to drive the cold farther
down. Sometimes it's as much as a foot deeper under pavement. Grass
with snow on it is a pretty good insulator and that's why you don't
get freezing underground pipes if there's snow on the ground.

Thirdly (and speaking of snow as an insulator), Someone mentioned
melting accumulations. If the snow builds up, turning on the heat
will melt the snow pretty efficiently because the snow cap will keep
any excess heat from being lost. 100% of the heat will be used to
heat the snow.

If the OP doesn't get much snow or much only into the 20s, salting or
brining might work just as well. You could put down a nice layer of
salt and wet it. That would work for temps in the high 20s -- other
chems will work at lower temps.

The biggest question is "where does the OP live and how much snow do
they get".

Where I live, you just learn to accept that there will be snow and
you'll never get your driveway clear in January or February. You
can't fight LES so you just have to accept it.

Why would it get above boiling?

Water can get above boiling if you have a do-it-yourself job and a product
like the following which is a coil which goes into a woodstove...
http://www.hilkoil.com/product.htm

On Nov 12, 3:42*pm, TJ wrote:
I am looking for information on installing a water heater to provide
heat to my driveway. The former owner removed all the michanical
equipment just before the bank forclosed. I don't have a choice about
heating or not heating as the driveway is too steap to plow, snowblow,
etc. The toubing installed in the driveway is in good shape and the
cannections are in the garage, I just dont know what to hook to them,
Any help will be apreciated.

These systems run anti-freeze, not water. Get it done properly or the
tubing will burst, I heat my garage floor with water and never had a
freeze up, but a driveway would have to be on glycol. A neighbor down
the street has a heated driveway, he still has to shovel so I'm not so
sure they are worth it in the upper midwest. But maybe in the lower
midwest they would be just the ticket.