SNOW-MELTING AND DE-ICING APPLICATIONS

In cold winter areas, protection against ice and snow accumulation is often required in different types of structures, as gutters, eaves through, downpipes, roofs or outdoors areas (walkways, parking ramps, stairways, entrances, loading bays, etc…). The potential hazards or damages can be easily prevented by installing heating cables system. Thanks to the simplicity of the solution in both installation and operation and zero maintenance requirements, electric heating cables have an exclusive position in this application. .

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Snowmelting of throughfares

Thanks to heating cable, it is possible to prevent ice formation and snow accumulation in any type of thoroughfare (walkways, entrances, loading bay, stairways, parking ramps, etc…).

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Heating cables are especially designed for this application with a high mechanical resistance and linear output from 20 to 30W/m.

In walkways (not used by vehicles), the heating cable can be placed in a sand bed or into a concrete slab.

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  1. Hardened surface (paving stone,..)
  2. Humidity sensor (water, snow, ice)
  3. Sand fill and sub-base of the cable
  4. Heating cable
  5. Firm gravel base (macadam)

 

 

 

 

 

In stairways or terrace, the cable can be placed directly below the tiling within the flexible bonding cement.

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  1. Floor pavement (Floor tiling)
  2. Flexible bonding cement
  3. Heating cable
  4. Stair base

 

 

 

 

 

 

For driving throughfares, we highly recommend that the heating element is placed within a concrete slab to prevent any damage due to the load of transiting vehicles.

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  1. Hardened surface (interlocking pavement)
  2. Humidity sensor (water, snow, ice)
  3. Sand bed
  4. Concrete board (protects the heating cable from vehicle load)
  5. Heating cable
  6. Firm gravel base (macadam)

 

 

 

 

For snow melting of outdoor surfaces, wattage of 250-300 W/m2 should be installed to ensure a correct operation even at temperatures far below freezing point.

A correct regulation is very important as it will bring the heating system into operation as soon as there is a danger of ice formation. Besides controlling the outdoor temperature, the system needs to register the presence of moisture in the area monitored. If the system is controlled manually by the user and is triggered when the surface is already covered with a layer of snow, snow removal can take up to 12h of operation (depending on the thickness).

Protection of gutters, downpipes, and roofs

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Most of the problems in snow area occur in gutters and downpipes. When the snow accumulated on the roof starts to melt with sun exposure or heat loss from a deficiently insulated building, the water can freeze again within gutters and downpipes. This ice formation can lead to damages on the pipes, either directly due to ice formation, either due the extra ice load. Even, when water outlet freezes totally, the water starts to flow over the edge of the gutters, forming icicles or getting under the roof covering (or leaking onto the façade) where it will freeze again and may cause greater damages.

An ideal and easy protective measure is to provide heating of eaves through and downpipes with electric heating cables. For typical conducts (up to a diameter of 150 mm) a heating output of 30-40 W/m is normally installed (increased up to 60W/m in areas of higher altitudes). It is recommended to use a cable with a linear output of 15-20W/m and to install it back and forth (or even three times) into the conducts to cover a larger surface.

Plastic grips, chains or steel cables with grips especially designed for this application are used for the attachment of the cable in gutters and downpipes. (see snowmelting cables).

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It is also possible to protect roofs against ice formation and snow accumulation with the installation of heating cable. The installation is performed in a “saw-tooth configuration” with such spacing that the surface wattage is about 200W/m2 or 250-300W/m2 in higher altitudes areas.

As for snowmelting in open spaces, a suitable regulation system is extremely important, monitoring both temperature and moisture). If the heating cable is controlled manually by the user and is triggered when a thick layer of ice is already present, the cable will melt a cavity (tunnel) in the ice and thus create an air shell which behaves in the same way as thermal insulation. Even though the cable is in operation, the ice doesn’t melt and the application is basically non-functional.

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