How a Snowmelt System Could Benefit Your Home in Orchard Park

November 20, 2021
Winter Heating in Orchard Park, NY

Orchard Park is well-known for its snowy winters. One minute, it’s sunny and warm. Then, the seasons change. Once winter arrives, it seems like everybody is busy shoveling snow. However, with a snowmelt system, you won’t have to. These devices automatically melt the snow on your driveway, sidewalks, or roof. That way, even blizzards won’t increase your chore load.

What Does a Snowmelt System Do?

Snowmelt systems melt snow whenever it falls on the ground. These systems can be installed on your roof or under your driveway. Either way, they accomplish the same goal: melting snow. In Orchard Park, shoveling snow can take hours after a heavy storm. But with one of these systems, the hard work is done for you.

How Does a Snowmelt System Work?

Most of the time, these systems are fully automatic. This means that they turn on whenever they detect snow. Several types of snowmelt systems are available, each using different technology. However, for the most part, they function based on the same principles. Some sort of detector notices when snow falls on the ground. Then, an activator turns on the system. At that point, it’ll heat up to melt any snow on it.

How Much Do Snowmelt Systems Cost?

Running a snowmelt system isn’t totally free. Fortunately, compared to laboring in the snow, the expenses aren’t all that bad. Your exact operating costs will depend on how much its fuel costs. Some of them use electricity while others might use propane or gas. Even more important than fuel costs, the time your system is on also impacts overall expenses. Most systems are built to deliver between 70-170 BTUs per square foot. The longer they’re running, the more expensive they’ll be. Fortunately, we’ve installed many of them. So, Vastola Heating & Cooling can help you get a system that’s affordable.

Electric vs. Hydronic Snowmelt Systems

The two most popular types of snowmelt systems are electric and hydronic. An electric system is made of only three parts. There’s the heating cable, a control unit, and the activator. The heating cables simply deliver heat to whatever needs to have snow melted. Control units let engineers specify how the system operates. Finally, the activator is what detects when there’s snowfall.

Hydronic systems are slightly more complicated, but they’re great at melting snow fast. Instead of using electricity, these systems use heated water and antifreeze. Turning them on sends the mixture through a closed-loop tube. This circulates it throughout the system, spreading heat evenly. These tend to be a little more expensive to install, but they’re less expensive to operate.

Both systems achieve the same end result, though. They’ll keep snow from accumulating around your home.

What Are the Benefits of a Snowmelt System?

If you’re an Orchard Park homeowner, you’ve probably had to shovel snow more often than you’d like to think about. The biggest benefit of these systems is the snow-free driveway. Backing out of the garage after a snowstorm has never been easier. Your neighbors will still be shoveling by the time you’ve left sight. By placing the system around your home, you can even minimize snow shoveling on the sidewalks. Also, you won’t have to worry about buying large bags of salt anymore either. Since these systems melt the snow automatically, salt won’t be necessary.

Putting one of these systems in could even save you money in the long run. You won’t have to buy another shovel or bag of salt again. Even better, you’ll save a lot of time as well. Shoveling snow and spreading salt around takes more time than you realize. But with one of these at home, you’ll never be stuck doing those chores.

A snowmelt system could even help to boost your property value. Everyone in Orchard Park knows how much of a hassle snowstorms can be. So, if you have a snowmelt system, your property will become a lot more desirable. As a result, people might be willing to pay more for it.

Your Orchard Park Snowmelt System Team

If you’re tired of shoveling snow, you can always count on Vastola Heating & Cooling. We’ve been serving the residents of Orchard Park and Erie County for almost 70 years. We’re experts at installing, maintaining, and repairing furnaces. We can even help you with your air conditioner or whole-home generator. Contact us today if you’d like to get a snowmelt system for your home.

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