No, seriously. In the summer, you should think about snowmelt, selling snowmelt and installing snowmelt. The beauty of a snowmelt system is that the customer never sees or hears snow being removed, and no chemicals are being applied, which can damage lawns, landscaping and the driving surface, not to mention the environment. Snowmelt is wonderful, but it’s not always the easiest thing to sell. The best way we’ve found to sell snowmelt systems is to network.

Network with homeowner associations and upper-middle-class clients. Simply put, that’s who buys snowmelt systems. Also, we network with landscape architects and landscapers. These two groups of people are the ones who get a call anytime significant outdoor changes are made to a property. 

Many landscapers are either asked about snowmelt or wish they could offer it. Without a trustworthy hydronic installer to refer the work to, they risk having the homeowner select someone who’s not experienced enough. Though not directly the landscaper’s fault, an improperly installed snowmelt system could reflect poorly on the company. Become a resource to these people.

Walkways, patios, breezeways and driveways offer the most potential for snowmelt installation as long as pavers or concrete are used. Snowmelt cannot be installed below asphalt for several reasons. First, asphalt is so hot when poured that it will melt or damage PEX tubing. Second, it’s relatively soft and will, over time, acquire depressions in high-traffic areas. This will crush the tubing.

Selling snowmelt systems is a game of thinking ahead. Something we’ve encountered in the past is a landscaper’s client who wants snowmelt eventually, but not yet. Let your clients know — and have the landscaping company impress upon its clients — that the time to install the tubing is now. Even if they don’t currently have the budget for the boiler system, they can hire you to install the tubing now. You can return to install the boiler in several years if need be. 

Another way to battle price resistance is to offer options. If snowmelting the entire patio or driveway isn’t in the budget, consider offering it in key areas, like the walks and garage bibs. These areas, which are difficult to shovel/plow and present the most slip-and-fall risk, are the most important. 

Below are some of my favorite snowmelt tips and tricks:

Protect the system and yourself: It’s important for you, as the hydronic professional, to only deal with reputable landscapers so that careless installation of substrate and patio/concrete does not damage the tubing. If the landscape contractor has never worked above a PEX tubing system, be sure to educate him on protecting the pipe, not only from punctures but also from UV exposure. 

Tubing should not be exposed for long. Refer to the pipe manufacturer’s literature for acceptable exposure times. If the final surface is not to be installed within that time, the pipe must be thoroughly covered with sand or a tarp. 

As always, be sure to pressure-test the system before the final surface is applied. Also, be sure that the landscaper knows that the tubing system was sound before a concrete pour or paver installation.

Select the boiler carefully: You should use a boiler you’re very familiar with, especially because you’ll be asking it to do something a little out of the ordinary. Beyond that, it’s just as critical to size the boiler correctly for snowmelt as it is for space heating. All the same rules apply. Short cycling is a problem no matter the application, and many of the snowmelt systems I’ve looked at are oversized.

You’re selling luxury, so add value: Snowmelt is a luxury, and the price tag reflects that. I’ve successfully overcome price resistance by adding value to the installation. For example, instead of committing the boiler entirely to the driveway, find other ways to use heat. We’ve added indirect water heaters and garage unit heaters in the past. 

Maybe they’re planning an addition to the home at the same time. Can this be heated by the snowmelt boiler? Provide something that the customer may like to have but would not be likely to install a dedicated boiler to handle.

It’s important to provide drainage: Pitch and drainage should be looked at because you don’t want to leave water puddles behind. While this is really the landscaper’s concern, it wouldn’t help your reputation if the homeowner ends up with giant puddles in the driveway and the potential for ice to form. Discuss this with the landscaper if you see that drainage isn’t being account-ed for.

Finish protection: Some pavers and certain substrates cannot be used with snowmelt because the warmth can potentially deteriorate the finish. Make sure that the landscaper is aware of this while selecting the finish. 

Also, maintaining very low supply water temperatures is important to mitigate damage to concrete surfaces. If you ever climb a flight of concrete stairs at a public facility and the concrete looks to be eroding, it’s likely that the supply water temperature to the snowmelt system is too high. 

All manifolds are not created equal: The manifolds used in a snowmelt system should be of vertical configuration if possible, and they should feature balancing ports. This helps eliminate air during the initial purge and offers a little flexibility in loop length. 

Speaking of manifolds, we try our very best to avoid using remote (yard) manifolds. These are hard to work on and create an opportunity for a land-scaper or lawn mower to damage the customer’s investment.

Selling Convenience,
Luxury and Beauty

Snowmelt systems are not cheap, but they’re not financially unwise for the homeowner, either. They have many benefits. A driveway or walkway with snowmelt will look better in the winter, especially if the surfaces are made with pavers. A snowy yard and exposed, dry pavers look fantastic. There’s also a safety component that’s hard to quantify: People rarely slip and injure themselves on dry surfaces. 

Snowmelt systems protect driveway surfaces, landscaping and lawns because chemicals aren’t being applied, and snow removal equipment is no longer needed. Also, snowmelt systems raise the resale value of a home. 

Typically, if the customer is willing to pay for the initial cost of the snowmelt system, he doesn’t balk at operating expenses. An average driveway for us is between 1,000 and 2,000 square feet. At current natural gas prices, melting a driveway of this size will cost around $100 for each snow event. 

Compare that with the cost of a quality snow removal contractor who is also applying ice-melt chemicals, and there’s not a great deal of difference.

As a snowmelt system owner myself, it’s very nice to wake up in the morning and not have to shovel. Next month, I’ll discuss how to tie a snowmelt system into an existing hydronic system.