1- sand gravel mixture;
2 sand;
3-reinforcement grid;
4- cable / tube;
5- screed;
6- Vehicle layer
1- sand gravel mixture;
2- concrete;
3 sand;
4- cable / tube;
5- Paving tile
Recently, sloping systems for open areas are becoming increasingly distributed. They are designed to heal tracks, stairs, entrances to the garage and other zones of the local area in the winter season and allow you to avoid the accumulation of snow, the appearance of ice, and therefore their labor-intensive cleaning, requiring the use of chemicals or sand. Deciding to rid himself from the daily clearing of the site, the owners of the house near Yekaterinburg equipped the snowmate system from the Swedish company Thermotech tracks and an access road. The device and the principle of operation of the synthox systems are similar to the warm floor: a single or two-housing cable is placed under the road coating layer, which is fed from the 220V network, or a polyethylene pipe with a non-freezing liquid circulating in it (ethylene or propylene glycol solution).
Today, many of the electrical systems of the roof electrical systems are known, however, when the surface area exceeds 30m2, electric heating becomes inexpedient due to the large power consumption. It is necessary for the melting of snow cover with a thickness of 10 cm, you need the order of 300W power to 1m2, thus, it will take 9kW to heat the area in 30m2! And if it is not about 30, and about 50 or 100m2? In systems operating on the principle of water underfloor, a small amount of energy consumes only a circulation pump (60-100W). In addition, the synthetic system does not require an increase in boiler power: it can be periodically switching from home heating to heat heating.
Laying the electrical system. For heating open areas, a resistive cable is used mainly, during installation in a concrete screed, it is recommended to use its type, with an additional single or double braid from steel galvanized wires (for reliable protection against mechanical damage). Under the winter from the tracks, the grass should be removed and the fallen leaves should be removed, since over time they dry and turn into an additional layer of thermal insulation, which will lead to overheating of the cable and the output of the entire system. Self-regulating cables are suitable here, which automatically change their heat dissipation depending on the temperature of the external environment. First, the soil is placed in the heat insulating element (polystyrene plates, rigid plates of minvati), then poured the sand layer with a thickness of 2-3cm. Sometimes thermal insulation under the cable do not.
The heating cable is placed in a sandy or gravel pillow, on top of which the screed with the finish coating (paving slabs, asphalt) is performed. The total thickness of the screed together with the finish is 4-5 cm. The step of the serpentine laying of the cable must be at least 40mm. Crossing the heating part of the cable is not allowed.
Laying a liquid system. Depending on the heated area, the pipes of a diameter of 17, 20, 15 and 32mm are used. So, for plots up to 300m2 use 20-millimeter pipes. For large bottles, it is recommended to choose products with a diameter of 25mm, and if necessary, laying very long circuits - 32mm. Always, if you need to provide a small radius of the bending of the pipes (for example, on the steps), as well as for small areas of the plots (20-40m2) it is better to take pipes with a diameter of 17mm.
Pipes of small diameter (17, 20mm) are connected to the same manifolds that are used in water heating systems. Integrated collectors with built-in circulating pump and the necessary controls are installed. Such a device is mounted indoors on the outer wall, after which it is, according to the project, connect the pipe contours of the snowmate. For pipes with a diameter of 25 and 32 mm, distribution collectors made of polypropylene pipes with removals at a distance of 0.5 m.
Before laying systems, refer to the places where the bends of the pipe will be. The average value of the laying step for pipes with a diameter of 17 and 20 mm- 200mm; 25 and 32mm- 250mm. Next, make a concrete base, after which the pipes are fixed with wire on a pre-laid reinforcing grid or fasten the brackets to polystyrene raids and poured concrete. Then the road surface (no more than 100 mm thick) is mounted. When arranging systems under sidewalk tiles or a lawn, the pipe is laid in sand or soil, after which they fall asleep with a layer of sand or soil (30-40mm) and finish finish.
Connecting the system should be carried out according to the closed scheme only through the heat exchanger. This is necessary for two reasons. First, a non-freezing liquid (antifreeze) is used in the snow circuit, and in the home-water heating system, providing better heat transfer than antifreeze. Therefore, it is impossible to submit to one boiler. Secondly, the heat carrier returning from the snowmate system has a low temperature, and it should not directly enter the boiler.
Automation
Specialists recommend snowstation systems automate, thereby ensuring the efficiency of their work. Compared to devices that function all the time in manual mode, when using equipment equipped with automation, savings are up to 70%.The functions of the automation depend on whether in the strapping of the boiler circuit for the synthetic system. Her presence is equipped with a controller controller, which registers the outer temperature and humidity of the air and, if necessary, includes or turning off the installation. The temperature and humidity sensor (in a single case) transmitting information to the thermostat is placed in places of the greatest accumulation of snow or ice. If the system is mounted on several levels, the sensor, as a rule, is located on the lower one. The device is installed flush coated.
The controller can operate in two modes: manual (inclusion is carried out by the user, and turning off the timer after 1-6 hours) and the automatic activation occurs depending only on the outdoor temperature or from the outdoor temperature and humidity.
From what to choose
The Russian market presents both cable and liquid synthetic systems. The first produced by Teplodor, Alef-M (Russia), Devi (Denmark), Nexans (Norway), Thermo (Sweden). Among the liquid are the most famous devices from Thermotech (Sweden), Raychem (Germany), Uponor (Finland), Vanubab-Service (Russia). The cost of mounting and equipment for the electrical systems of the snowmate is an average of from $ 15 for 1m2, liquid - from 10-20 per 1m2.