How to Save Your Driveway with Heat This Winter

In a place like Chicago, shoveling snow is a tough chore for homeowners; but it’s also a necessary one if you want to get your car out of the garage, or even leave your house in some cases.

If snow accumulates on the driveway for too long, it can even cause holes and cracks in the concrete, leading to structural damage.

In this post, we will discuss a very easy way to keep your driveway clear and heated—a snow-melt system!

How does a snow-melt system work?

Snow-melt systems detect the presence of snow with the help of underground sensors. When these sensors are activated, the surface is heated using pipes. These pipes are embedded in the ground underneath and are heated by a warm fluid that circulates inside them.

When the fluid heats the pipes, heat is transmitted up to the ground, making the snow melt. As soon as all the snow has cleared out, the sensors shut off.

Each snow-melt system also contains a control system that keeps the current flowing through it within a safe limit. This prevents damages that may result from temperature fluctuations.

What are the benefits of having a heated driveway?

Heated driveways save you from the arduous task of manually shoveling snow all the time. The process is quick, easy, and efficient.

Other than that, it makes your driveway last longer. This is because there’s no need to use rock salt or sodium chloride to melt the snow. It’s a little-known fact that salt can lead to corrosion in vehicle undercarriages.

It may also damage or burn out the plants and grass near the driveway. Most people use snowplows and heavy trucks to scrape off the snow. Both of these methods damage the yard.

Manual snow shoveling isn’t easy. The process is risky and can cause slip-and-fall accidents, injuries, and frostbite. On the other hand, automated systems minimize any risk of personal injury. The process is also much easier—there’s no need for frequent maintenance and no purchasing huge reserves of deicers. All you need to do is turn on the switch.

The good news is that Global Heating & Cooling is an HVAC company Chicago that also installs and repairs snow-melt systems.  Learn more about this service online. You can also call up (773) 801-3734 for snow melt system installation Chicago.