A Homeowner’s Guide To Installing A Driveway Heating System

Installing heated driveways has become a norm for most homeowners. While each homeowner installs one for different reasons, the primary purpose of each is to melt the ice. Heated driveways allow effective snow melting, preventing slips and fall accidents that can even be fatal. Heated driveways come with many benefits. Among these, the homeowner doesn’t have to worry about frequent shoveling and plowing in winter. However, to enjoy the benefits of your driveway heating system, you must ensure to choose the best. If you’re looking for the best driveway home system, you may want to check Heavenly Heat and others to see the available options.

Read along to learn more about the driveway heating system installation.

Preparation

You can install the heating system under the pavers, in asphalt, or retrofit. However, before the driveway heating system installation kicks off, there’s a need for preparations. Before anything else, you must remove the existing concrete surface, including concrete pours, to create room for installation. During this stage, you’ll need to determine the control units with the help of your electrician. Bring the cold leads from where they connect to the non-heating cables to supply power to the heating element. Once the ground is in perfect condition, add the required concrete to effectively allow the system to perform.

Arrange the cable with enough spacing for adequate heating. While spacing is determined by the cord used, it’s advisable to stick to the American Society of Heating, Ref, and AC (ASHRAE) engineers’ rule to set the ideal heat depending on your location. After laying out the cables, determine whether to limit the regularity of adding heat to the required location. You’ll also need to study the cables passing through the crack control joints. 

Installing Electric Heating Driveway System

An electrically heated driveway system requires heating cables to be laid in a grid pattern under the driveway surface. These cables are non-corrosive, allowing the system to stand the test of time for decades. Besides being corrosion-free, the cables are also resistant to other external damage. Once the system is powered, the cables begin to heat the driveway, melting the snow. What makes electrically heated driveways even better is that the system heats up immediately after the power runs through it. This heating system doesn’t come with moving parts, making it a perfect choice for most homeowners due to low maintenance. Electrical driveway heating systems are cheaper to install than hydronic systems. Nevertheless, they’re costlier to operate. During the installation, you should be careful and don’t rush to avoid cutting heating cables. That said, it’s advisable to slice the mat tape using a pair of scissors for proper cable shaping. Avoid making mistakes that can lead to malfunctions. If this seems a problematic DIY venture, don’t hesitate to hire a professional to get the job done.

Installing A Hydronic Driveway Heating System

Hydronic heated driveway stems use water to melt the snow. The installation process is time-consuming and requires time for the material to settle and dry. In most cases, this process takes up to a month or more. For this reason, it’d be helpful to start the process before the end of summer to allow quick settling and drying. Installing a hydronic driveway heating system can be an excellent DIY venture. However, you must be experienced to take on such a task. If you aren’t sure you can complete the task successfully, consider seeking help from a professional. During the installation, you’ll have to decide whether to invest in a new boiler for the system. Also, you need to determine whether to use timers or sensors for alerts. After concluding your choices, go ahead and lay the foundation. Insulate the ground by laying the radiant insulation to reduce radiant heat gain. Once done, lay the heating tubes before laying paving material over the entire area. Remember, you should lay the tubes at least two inches apart and contain them with suitable sealing tape.

Conclusion

Heated driveway systems come in two types: an electric heated driveway and a heated hydronic driveway. Electric heated driveways systems require electricity to heat the snow while hydronic one uses a boiler to heat fluid through tubes attached to the driveway. Heated driveway systems aren’t expensive to install, are easy to maintain, and provide even heating across the driveway. Nevertheless, these systems are expensive to operate. On the other hand, hydronic heated driveways systems require low operating costs and deliver efficient heat with less output. Nevertheless, the heat can be uneven, and the boiler requires significant space.

While both heated driveways systems effectively remove snow on the driveways, they differ in installation, cost, and maintenance. That said, it’s vital to determine which works better for you before installation.