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In areas of the country that experience winter weather conditions such as snow and ice, expedient removal of these hazards is key to safe vehicle and pedestrian traffic. From sidewalks and entryways to parking lots, loading docks, and access ramps, snow and ice present slip hazards and endanger the safety of drivers, employees and customers. Injuries can cost companies millions of dollars a year in lost revenue and production. It is vital for commercial operations to take preventative safety measures and invest in snow melt systems.
In 2017, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, there were 20,460 ice, sleet, and snow related injuries – and about $17 million a week in lost productivity. These injuries can result in significant costs for the building owner – loss of productivity for an injured employee, health care costs for the injured party, and potential litigation costs for the building owner.
In addition, materials such as ice melt chemicals and equipment are expensive to procure and maintain. They can also damage the building and surrounding property and are an environmental hazard. Most ice melt products contain calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, and sodium chloride. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, these chemicals are “soluble, can be toxic to some biota, and [are] environmentally persistent. Salt application also leads to long-term environmental impacts as well as infrastructure and automobile corrosion problems. Particularly across the northeast and Midwest, salt application has led to the designation of thousands of miles of streams and thousands of acres of lakes, reservoirs, and ponds as threatened or impaired for chloride.”
Common Applications for Propane Snow Melt Systems
Propane-powered snow melt systems are popular in regions of the country that receive significant winter weather. Project types where commercial builders or property owners should specify a snow melt system for vehicle and pedestrian safety are hotels and restaurants, ski resorts, universities, and parking garages. In addition, snow melt systems are also critical at hospitals, clinics and assisted living facilities for access ramps and helipads so patients can safely be transported into the building.
In addition, businesses operating with propane are never limited by proximity to the electric grid, or natural gas lines, which is great for Ruby’s Inn — located more than 25 miles from the natural gas line at the entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. This historic resort was started in 1916 by Rueben (Ruby) Syrett and his wife Minnie and grew from a 10-room lodge to a property with 700 rooms, 3 restaurants, a large RV Park and campground, and year-round amenities to serve visitors to the Bryce Canyon area.
Lance Syrett, general manager at Ruby’s Inn, discussed the resort’s snow melt system: “We here at Ruby’s Inn have been installing snow melt systems since the early 2000s. All of our snow melt systems are glycol-based systems that are heated by various types of propane boilers. We do most of our heating using propane because natural gas is not available and electrical heat is too expensive and impractical for the scale of our resort.”
Ruby’s Inn first used their snow and ice melt system to heat a delivery area for the main, 300-seat restaurant. At an elevation of nearly 8,000 feet, the resort gets very harsh winters with an abundance of ice and snow and the delivery dock is on the north side of the lodge so is in the shadows most of the winter. Syrett says, “We distributed ice melt pellets and chipped a lot of ice before someone recommended the idea of installing a propane/glycol snow melt system. The system worked so well that we now make it a priority to always put one in anytime we have to replace concrete or build new.”
Ruby’s Inn now has snow melt systems in the arrival porte-cochere and sidewalks leading to nearby parking at the main historic hotel and the new Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel. They have also installed systems near the general store, gas station, and pool deck area of the Grand Hotel. Syrett notes, “We find the economic benefits of our snow melt systems far outweigh the costs. The snow melt systems save a lot of time and labor from chipping and removing ice. This labor savings pretty much pays for the expense of running the systems. However, the largest savings is probably the savings on ‘slip and falls.’ A single slip and fall can cost tens of thousands of dollars in injury and insurance costs. We continue to have fewer accidents each year as we install more and more ice melt systems. That peace of mind is worth the expense.”
Understanding Hydronic Snowmelt Systems and Controls
Snow melt systems are straightforward, similar to radiant floor heating in a building, but do require upfront planning and careful consideration of the site, heat source, sizing, and piping. First, in-ground sensors detect snow or ice, signaling pipes embedded in the ground to circulate a glycol solution that heats the surface and melts snow and ice.
Choosing a heat source will be one of the first decisions to make when specifying a snow melt system. Propane boilers can serve as an efficient component in propane snow melt systems. Propane can also support building heat, hot-water, and power generation and provides added resilience because it can be stored on-site and off-grid for use as a backup to other primary energy sources.
Next, you will need to size the boiler unit so it can achieve high efficiency levels while effectively melting snow and ice. Smaller, high-efficiency modulating-condensing boilers are widely used today and can even be wall-mounted. You can also use a zoned system to help downsize the heating source because you may only need to melt one section of a facility at a time. For example, a 500,000 Btu snowmelt system can be broken up into five 100,000 Btu boilers to melt different areas independent of the others. Onboard controls can be used to easily link multiple boilers together, then control the boiler, or multiple smaller boilers, to keep the temperature low for snowmelt systems, which only need to run at 110-120 degrees Fahrenheit. Using multiple smaller boilers instead of a single larger boiler can provide much greater turndown ratios, redundancy, and more flexibility in heating capacity.
Even more innovative heat sources are those that capture waste heat that is then used to melt snow and ice. This heat could come from a cooling tower, a compressor for a large freezer, a building’s steam system, or pool heaters that aren’t used in the winter. Additionally, a combined heat and power system (CHPS) provides stable power from an engine or turbine and uses the waste heat for water heating and snowmelt. This is another area where upfront planning is key, because if you are able to identify dual-use systems you can save on upfront equipment costs.
Project Highlight
Wasilla Police Headquarters
Wasilla, Alaska
At the new 20,000-square-foot police station in Wasilla, Alaska, a new hydronic radiant heat system with 5/8-inch PEX tubing in the concrete foundation circulates heat throughout the facility, keeping occupants warm in the region’s sub-zero temperatures. Radiant heating uses low-temperature fluid to generate warmth, making it one of the most efficient heating systems available. It’s also compatible with a variety of high-efficiency heat sources, including propane-fired boilers.
The building is also equipped with a snow and ice melting (SIM) system installed in concrete vaults placed in the ground to keep walkways outside safe – crucial for a public facility that’s open 24 hours a day. According to Plumbing & Mechanical Magazine, “There are six snow-melting zones at multiple building entrances, including the front walkway and several side doors with a total of 7,100 square feet of outdoor surface protected. Several of these SIM areas use their own snow- and ice-melt sensor controls to control flow as needed. This type of individual zoning for a SIM system is important to account for differences in wind and solar exposure to different areas of the facility and improves both safety and efficiency.”
Ensure Safety in Commercial Applications with Propane Snow Melt Systems
To recap, propane snow melt systems provide numerous benefits for both building owners and occupants and should be considered for any property that experiences inclement winter weather:
● Mitigate risk and minimize insurance claims and litigation
● Improve customer service and safety by offering clean, safe and unimpeded areas to employees, visitors, customers, and residents
● Easily melt snow in locations that are difficult to access and ensures path of travel that are clear 24/7
