Heated Driveway Install Time Lapse in Buffalo NY - 5 Days in 4 Minutes! - Episode 8 [7-31-2019]

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Check out this video for the Top 5 Frequently Asked Questions about this system, including Electricity Usage, Surface and Glycol Temperatures, Water Runoff, Cost to Run & Cost to Install: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKeygoaHnsakitk For over 100 videos on how to do this yourself, check out the project playlist here: kzbin.info/aero/PLdWeMRuZcbQjekwiBk_uy39IS6JFWYORD Thanks for watching!

[@clshady3051]

Very nice. Hope you make a video showing it in action after first snowfall.

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

I've started to upload Snowmelt videos! kzbin.info/aero/PLdWeMRuZcbQjekwiBk_uy39IS6JFWYORD More to come! If your subscribed, hit the bell icon to be notified as I upload more. Thanks for watching!

[@malakaiseven2693]

We did a few heated driveways and floors for a school... It was a good experience...

[@bbearhug]

After watching your other, very long explanation videos(not complaining) of your setup, I almost cannot believe you were able to fit all the PEX into that pipe!

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

You and me both! :). Thanks for watching!

[@LostandFoundTravel]

The dream of every person in Wisconsin right now.

[@sdrammm696969]

I'm a concrete guy, and i have to say very clean and job from the beginning to end🫡

[@Jordan-ws6jy]

This is just wonderful to watch!

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Thanks Jordan!

[@tstahler5420]

The 16 year old kid in me is jealous AF! LOL I spent my teen years in Reading, PA and shoveled tons and tons of snow. Cost be damned, that is worth every penny. I guarantee you got a neighbor or two who secretly hate you. 😂🍻

[@Tim-Kaa]

Your channel is a gold mine. Keep it up!

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Thanks again Tim! Glad to have you as a subscriber!

[@boywonderrr71]

Kick ass man! Ill check out the FAQ video.

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Thanks!! Here’s a link to the FAQ video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKeygoaHnsakitksi=YDx15Ncmoxo_2CCL Thanks for watching!

[@lupowins]

The snow will melt and turn to water, won’t it create a lot of ice in the area’s where the water runoff is when the temps are below freezing?

[@vladtheimpala457]

Almost all of it turns to water vapor.

[@dodgeplow]

If the system is running correctly, it'll start warming the grid when temps reach 36 F, so it'll never accumulate from the start - all vapor.

[@protorhinocerator142]

I was going to say this. You need some sort of drainage system to control the runoff and make sure it doesn't just cause a secondary problem somewhere else. For instance if it all goes in the street, you won't be able to get out of the driveway. Buffalo is famous for its ridiculous amounts of snow. When that melts, where does the water go? It would be a colossal waste of time, money, effort, and emotional investment to get this thing all set up and still end up with a derp.

[@PvtParts]

Didn't you see where they have the drains in ground..watch again look for the words

[@johnhurd6243]

I have had one for ten tears... never a problem

[@bhepp344]

Amazing job! That’s so cool you did all this and shared it! What a great concrete company too! That came out awesome. Glad I found your Channel. I saw one like this installed on main st a few years ago. Pretty cool. Ps I live near UB.

[@Bear_83]

Told my wife I wanted a heated driveway here in Orange co NY. Moved here this year and our driveway is crappy pothole cracked blacktop. I couldn't DIY this wonder what this work would cost. My driveways is about 30 yards with a 15 degrees incline

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hi Bear! Our old driveway was also pothole cracked blacktop (well, the front part). Mine is 1,600 sq ft and I had quotes between $40k-$70k. I discuss that in a bit more detail in my FAQ video here if you're interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKeygoaHnsakitk If you want to learn more about what's involved and the entire process, check out this playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLdWeMRuZcbQjekwiBk_uy39IS6JFWYORD Hope that helps! Thanks for watching!

[@JulesUS8386]

How many times did you go out in that storm? My first thought was you’re gonna end up with a 12” layer of ice under some snow. Very smart to clear often through the night! Your system didn’t have to work so hard after the storm. I bet your neighbors envy that! The enclosed ice houses on the coast were surreal. Today it was about 52 degrees when I looked. What a temp swing😵‍💫 I love Snow!! Beautiful! 💙❄️💙❄️💙❄️💙❄️

[@Mattdog45]

Out of curiosity, can u do that for the sidewalk also so you don’t have to shovel it?

[@Dadpool5864]

I’m very interested to know how it handled the Buffalo snow this year

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hi Dadpool! You can find those video's at the end of this playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLdWeMRuZcbQjekwiBk_uy39IS6JFWYORD just scroll to the bottom. The crazy November storm is here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3e1dZ2AoLRgpKc and the more recent one here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gniphH2Qf5amgJo It is currently on and recording again during this "Blizzard" so look for that video soon too! 😊 Thanks for watching!

[@danieljanowiec1324]

Awesome video man very impressive. What percentage is glycol is in the system.

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Thanks Daniel! You can find pretty much every aspect of the install in over 100 videos on my channel here: kzbin.info/aero/PLdWeMRuZcbQjekwiBk_uy39IS6JFWYORD Regarding the glycol, it is cryotek -100 at an approximate 40% / 60% ratio. Should be good down to -60ºF. You can find a video of me filling and showing the percentage in the refractometer here if interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5i0modofrmgfac Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@danieljanowiec1324]

Thanks I will check it out

[@Grayarea321]

Looks great, the only issue I see is that your wire mesh is on the bottom of your concrete.

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hi Richard! In this particular install, the wire mesh was really just used to hold the pex in place. The concrete itself was mixed with buckeye fiber mesh, so I was told by my contractor that nothing else was necessary. I have a heated garage floor that was poured the same exact way 12 years ago and it has held up well, no issues. Time will tell I suppose!! 😉 Thanks for watching!!

[@Grayarea321]

@@DeckerChristopherJ ok awesome, your system is awesome, I wish I had that here lol in Colorado! Thanks for the reply!

[@SteveStowell]

Where would you put it. It is under the ceramic tile in my bathroom

[@Grayarea321]

@@SteveStowell you have wire re-mesh under your ceramic tile?

[@Trolltastically]

How do you handle when plows come through and make that annoying wall of snow at the end? Does the driveway melt it or do you shovel it?

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

That's gotta be shoveled. I stopped the heat at the sidewalk on purpose, because that's where my property ends. I explain it a bit more in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmXMqmmpeMxsfZo Great question and thanks for watching!

[@weswest8666]

How is the drainage situation with that pour looks too flat to me. Is it slopping away from the house?

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hi wes west! The angle of the camera does make it look flat, but it's pitched away from the house and towards the street. I get asked ALOT about the water runoff, and it really isn't an issue. I actually talk a bit more in depth about it in my FAQ video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKeygoaHnsakitk if you're interested. I also installed drains along the house, just in case any water ran back. The old driveway heaved every winter, and eventually the pitch changed so all of the water would run to the house. That's one of the reasons you saw the concrete part removed in this video. A positive of the foam board insulation under the slab now is that the frost can never keep deep enough under the slab to heave it anymore. With the occasional heating, it's no longer an issue. The slab hasn't moved an inch in 3.5 years and is all still pitched correctly. Thanks for your question and for watching, lots more here if interested: kzbin.info/aero/PLdWeMRuZcbQjekwiBk_uy39IS6JFWYORD

[@paulm8079]

how do you pour the drive way with out crushing the pipes?

[@925riv]

Is there any way we can see how it looks after three years

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Sure! I’ve been uploading videos for the past 2 winters, with the most recent in March of 2023. The slab pretty much looks the same. Any cracks I can see were there before I even purchased the heaters and turned the system on. The driveway is due for a good cleaning and re-seal which is on the to-do list for 2023. Thanks for watching!

[@dashcammer4322]

Mesh, not steel or composite rebar?

[@Danny-pi1xh]

So cool. What do you make them into individual squares?

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hi Danny! If you're referring to the concrete being split into square sections, those are called control joints. The idea is that concrete is going to crack, no matter what, even a 5" thick slab like this. By cutting, or in this case hand-tooling in joints, you can attempt to control where the concrete cracks by giving it a weak spot. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. In my driveway, most of the cracks are in the control joints, however there are a couple that are not (one big one right in front of the side door). Not much you can do about it other than replace it, and in my case with the pex embedded, that's not an option! Fortunately its just cosmetic! :). Thanks for watching!

[@jackvillan5151]

@@DeckerChristopherJ you’re extremely educated and it’s refreshing to see intelligent responses. As a innovative New Englander I’m wondering if I could use an outdoor furnace to heat my potential concrete driveway?

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

@Chevys Chevy Thanks for the compliments, I really appreciate it! Regarding the use of an outdoor furnace, I've never tried it but I don't see why it wouldn't work. Only thing I would caution is to be careful you're not dumping to much heat into the slab, to quickly. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think outdoor boilers and furnaces can reach really hot temps (180ºF+)? I would NOT want to be pumping that into an ice cold slab at full blast. Should be an easy fix though, just add a 3-way mixing valve and set it to 100-110º. Most snowmelt systems don't require a supply any hotter than that. Once the driveway was up to temperature, if you found it wasn't keeping up or a strong storm was approaching, you could just turn up the valve a bit to give it more heat. Just my $.02, use at your own risk. I have no epxoerice designing, building or operating such a system. Good luck, and let me know if I can be of further help!

[@jacquevanlopeznoroff8827]

How much does this cost to install? How much to use?

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hi Jacque! You will find the answer to all of those questions in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKeygoaHnsakitk Hope that helps! Thanks for watching!

[@Sashazur]

I would be worried about the following scenario after some years: some cracks develop in the concrete, the weight of a vehicle deforms the surface because the insulating foam base squashes down from the weight, leading to the tubes getting stressed and leaking.

[@vladtheimpala457]

The concrete has control joints added (4:00).

[@Lone_Star_Proud]

Does this work no matter the depth of the snow?

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hi William! No, I wouldn't say that. It was designed to keep up with a moderate snowfall (you can see the design specs here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/anPSf4GCbrCDgpo ). It does great for most events, but can easily get overwhelmed during some of our notorious lake effect snow events. It was completely overwhelmed during the recent blizzard and had to be turned off. You can find that video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3iQppx9mKloi7M For the lake effect events it will eventually melt off like you can see in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3e1dZ2AoLRgpKc I hope that answers your question. You can find several videos on how I built it and videos of it in action melting in this playlist if interested: kzbin.info/aero/PLdWeMRuZcbQjekwiBk_uy39IS6JFWYORD Thanks for watching!

[@Lone_Star_Proud]

I live in Texas and this is not an issue, but I find it Interesting nonetheless.

[@MidwestMotor]

I'm jealous! But my house/driveway faces South so even in the brutal cold the snow and ice melts thanks to mother nature! It's fun to laugh at my neighbors across the street whose driveways are completely snow / ice covered and mine is completely dry! LOL!

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Nothing better than FREE snow melting!! Unfortunately mine is on the north side of the house, and with the sun so low on the horizon in the winter, it barely gets through the trees to even hit the driveway, and behind the house forget about it 😊. If you want to see this system in action actually melting, check out the end of my playlist here: kzbin.info/aero/PLdWeMRuZcbQjekwiBk_uy39IS6JFWYORD Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment, I appreciate it!

[@michaelmaas5544]

What’s the point of the wire mesh if it’s just sitting on the bottom of the concrete?

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hi Michael! So the mesh is really just there to hold the pex loops in place during the pour. The concrete has buckeye fiber mesh in it for strength. There are other options like stapling the pex to the foam insulation board, but I idon'thave the fancy staple gun or staples. This was the way we did it in the garage and basement slabs without any issue so we stuck to that plan for the driveway. Hopefully that answers your question! Thanks for watching!

[@12jeeplover]

Damn that looks good but had to cost a pretty penny. When is it that you negate the cost of the work vs. paying or doing the plowing?

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hey 12jeeplover, thanks for the comment! Believe it or not, what you see in the video only cost approx $1,800 more than just replacing the driveway. The insulation and pex were the only added expense (my labor was free). The driveway was being replaced anyways, and I would’ve done it exactly the same, even without the snowmelt loops. Now once we start talking about the boiler setup, yea, it starts getting expensive. The issue for me here was more that I am on a smaller suburban lot, and literally have no place to put all of our wonderful Buffalo snow! Stay tuned for several more videos of the install, boiler setup, and it melting away! Thanks for watching!

[@BeeRich33]

How did she work for the recent feet of snow?

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

It worked great, although I was not in one of the harder hit areas. Here is a time lapse video of it melting during that storm: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3e1dZ2AoLRgpKc We received about 2 feet total over a few days, nowhere near what they got further south. I also made this FAQ video to answer a lot of the questions I get asked frequently if you're interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKeygoaHnsakitk Thanks for watching!!

[@ram64man]

I did the same thing but had it tied to a dedicated heat pump 5kwh so far s good , but wouldn’t recommend for heavy Vehicles exceeded 2 1/2 ton

[@percyfaith11]

Why did you have to demo the old driveway?

[@michaeldodd3563]

Awesome! I want to see it work.

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hi Michael! It's working! kzbin.info/aero/PLd...

[@michaeldodd3563]

Watched them all. Need estimate. I’ll call.

[@elephantgrass631]

Wow look at how much snow that melted!

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hi Elephant Grass! This was just the install, you can find all of the videos of it in action melting snow at the end of this playlist here: kzbin.info/aero/PLdWeMRuZcbQjekwiBk_uy39IS6JFWYORD A couple of the more recent ones are here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gniphH2Qf5amgJo and here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3e1dZ2AoLRgpKc Thanks for watching!

[@elephantgrass631]

@@DeckerChristopherJ I'll check that out right now, thanks.

[@danweaver345]

Very cool! Love the layout of the loops. Like headers on a race car. I can't believe how fast the actual pour and finishing went. Hire the pros for that!

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hey Dan! You read my mind with the concrete... There was no way I was even going to think about attempting to DIY that!

[@Buxtonphil]

what is ball park pricing for something like this?

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Depends on how much you can do yourself. I have about $10k into the setup, not including the driveway (that needed to be done anyways). If I had hired it all done and not lifted a finger, I think it would've easily been 3-4x that. Installing the pex is labor intensive, I I don't even want to think about how much time I spent soldering and working in the utility room. In the end, I found it extremely rewarding to have done it all myself. I know EXACTLY how everything works, because I designed and built it! Thanks for watching!

[@vmntuber]

Can you please share the resources you used to design the loop, flow rate, boiler size etc?

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Sure thing Vinay. Here is a video discussing how I designed the loop layout: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKaUaoCdrZtrnLM Here is a video on how I sized the Heaters and determined system temperatures: kzbin.info/www/bejne/anPSf4GCbrCDgpo and Here is a video on my piping layout: kzbin.info/www/bejne/anPSf4GCbrCDgpo Hope you find those useful. If you have any additional questions, just ask! Thanks for watching!

[@imwade3]

could you use this in a bridge? could you use solar to heat the driveway?

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Sure, you could use solar to do it in a couple of ways. If you used hydronic solar panels to heat the glycol and circulate it through the slab that would work (temp wise), the only problem is that the suns not usually out when its snowing. You could also make this system electric instead of hydronic like mine, and use Solar Panels to produce the electricity. Again only problem there is that is normally not sunny during heavy snow, and once the panels are covered they produce nothing. See goes for at night, so you would need large batteries to store the electricity for later use. Is it possible, sure, but I don't think its currently cost efficient. Maybe some day? Thanks for watching!

[@jeanyongbleek829]

How much to do this in a driveway like an estimate

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

@Jean Yong Bleek, Approx $12,500, including the pex, insulation and everything in the mechanical room. I don't count the cost of the concrete, other driveway materials and labor in that since it needed to be done regardless of adding the snowmelt. I have several other videos posted that you might find helpful. Thanks for watching!

[@jeanyongbleek829]

@

[@jeanyongbleek829]

@ christopher Decker do you guys do work in the long island ny area?

[@littlehuey5679]

Every time I have seen tubing affixed to wire it leaks in a few years , because of vibrations of the liquid flowing thru the tubing and the rust buildup!

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

😬 I hope not! The garage pex was zip tied down to the wire mesh about 10 years ago and still seems ok, but it never had fluid in it until a month ago. Same with the basement. If this is true, I will be very disappointed in a few years! 😕

[@littlehuey5679]

@@DeckerChristopherJ hope your lucky !

[@mattjarchow4965]

@@DeckerChristopherJ you will be fine. I've installed miles of tubing tied to wire in the past 30 years. Not to worry!!

[@patrickjames3321]

How much this little project cost?

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hey Patrick! I’ve got about $10k invested in the boiler room. That doesn’t include the driveway as I was going to replace that anyways. The 2” foam board for under the driveway was around $1,200 and the pex around $800 if I remember correctly. I built the system up slowly over a 2-3 year period so it definitely didn’t seem like that much at the time, but it does add up. So far I’ve been very happy with it! Thanks for watching!

[@BOOMSTICK-PRODUCTIONS]

Any snow vids?

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Snow vids are HERE!! :). I've uploaded a couple so far! kzbin.info/aero/PLdWeMRuZcbQjekwiBk_uy39IS6JFWYORD More to come! If your subscribed, hit the bell icon to be notified as I upload more. Thanks for watching!

[@LeoMoPacCrypto]

How much did this cost exactly? Very interested in doing it

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hi Molly! I have just under $10k invested, not including the concrete. I DIY'd the entire thing, and documented it on my channel here: kzbin.info/aero/PLdWeMRuZcbQjekwiBk_uy39IS6JFWYORD As for a cost to operate / run, check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKDXe3iHnsyHodk Thanks for watching!

[@1029zsz]

I’ve always wondered what this costs to run after the install? Seems like it’d be expensive when utilized

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hi Braxton! I have several videos of it melting, and I put the cost to run at the end of just about every one. You can find them all here: kzbin.info/aero/PLdWeMRuZcbQjekwiBk_uy39IS6JFWYORD For an even more detailed break down, this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKDXe3iHnsyHodk goes into detail of an entire months worth of cost and run time. It is typically between $0.50 and $1.00 USD per hour to operate. It is hydronic, and not electric like most assume. Thanks for watching!

[@jaredyoung5353]

Cost per square foot?

[@docdrs]

What are you using to heat the glycol mixture? What temperature are you going to send the mixture out to the slab at? Are you going to use a thermostatic mixing valve? I am in the process of plumbing my 1900 sq ft drive. Curious as to what you are using.

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hi docdrs, sorry I missed your comment until now! I will be using (2) Takagi T-H3-DV-N Condensing Tankless Water Heaters as my heat source. They are linked together to provide a modulation of 15,000 - 400,000 BTU's. I am using a 100-plate SS flat plate heat exchanger to keep the glycol and heating side of things separate from the domestic. I am planning on sending glycol to the slab at 90º-120º, and I will be using aquastats on the return to control the primary loop pumps. The heaters are installed and working great, but I am still finishing the plumbing on the glycol side of things. I have taken several videos of the setup and process with detailed explanations, and I will try to post them once everything is finalized. They will answer a lot of your questions.. :)

[@Darknamja]

Outstanding! 👍😃

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Thank you! 👍

[@adolphusbarkor2388]

Very nice video.. I am going to get my drive way done this summer do you of a reputable company I can hire to install the Radiant heat for my driveway? I live in the buffalo area.Thank you

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hi Adolphus. I can't recommend an installer for the radiant based on experience since I installed mine myself, but I would try contacting Jeff Bryk at H.W Bryk & Sons. or Jim Frey at HK Frey & Sons. They can recommend a concrete contractor they work well with. I used Mark Warsaw at Crete Construction by Design for my flat work, however he is not an HVAC guy or plumber, so you would most likely need to find someone to work with him that would do the snowmelt part of it if you're hiring it all out. Thanks for watching!

[@ThePoeticsoulja]

How much was this?

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hi HaitianMuslimah. I have about $10,000 into the boiler room, about $1,200 in insulation and maybe another $1,000 in PEX. No cost for labor as I did everything myself. I do not count the cost of the driveway / concrete as we were doing that anyways. Hope that answers your question! Thanks for watching!

[@SFefy]

Funny to see the concrete pouring. The wire mesh is not lifted up so it's basically not part of the concrete.

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hey Ferenc! You are absolutely correct, the concrete has fiber mesh in it, so the wire mesh is basically just there to hold the pex. Thanks for watching!

[@hopehunterrider]

like to see what's results on snow ...

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

I've started to upload Snowmelt videos! kzbin.info/aero/PLdWeMRuZcbQjekwiBk_uy39IS6JFWYORD More to come! If your subscribed, hit the bell icon to be notified as I upload more. Thanks for watching!

[@bgrady24]

Seems crazy to rip out the old driveway it was in great condition

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hi Baba! It might look like that in the video, however the base beneath was improperly installed back in 2010. After 10+ years of frost heaving, it was now permanently heaved and pitched towards the house. Even a minor rainfall would send a flood of water to the foundation / sill / basement. It was also cracked in several places from the heaving as well. With the new slab being insulated beneath and occasionally heated, the frost can't get deep enough to heave it anymore. It's been 3+ years and it hasn't moved a cm. I also installed drains along the house to stop any water from ever reaching the foundation / basement again. Thanks for watching!

[@bgrady24]

@@DeckerChristopherJ ahh, makes sense. I’m from Buffalo too, so I’ve seen my share of bad driveways. Well done!

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

The frost kills them, especially during those really long colder winters. That original slab was poured in 2010 and was pitched perfectly, away from the house and garage. It’s amazing that 10 years later you could put a level on it and it was 2-3” higher in the middle and pitched towards the house! Frost is a powerful thing! 😊

[@tomhallberg1285]

Have you done installs like this with pavers as the finished surface? Wondering how they would do over the rigid foam? I am assuming standard paver install with base, foam, wire/pex, setting sand, and pavers.

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hi Tom, thanks for watching. Personally, I have not used pavers before, and this is my only experience installing a system like this. I am the homeowner and not a contractor, but I did install pex in the concrete slab of my detached garage about 10 years ago, and in my basement slab a year later. I would *think* the method you have described would work (base, foam, wire, pex, sand, pavers), but unfortunately I don't have any experience to speak from. Sorry!

[@AdamCarbone1]

Here is a good video => kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWO1eIGDZqtsm5Y&feature=emb_rel_pause

[@JustinSmithPYRO]

Nice job 🤘🤘 as a New Englander, the wife and I could use this for our driveway. If you don't mind me asking, roughly around what price does something like this cost? I'm sick of shoveling and snow blowing our driveway. And ours is a little bit smaller then yours. We can fit 5 cars in our driveway, it looks similar to yours. Oh and I saw in another comment you are from buffalo. Go Bills 🤘🤘 coming from a lifelong Pats fan of 40 plus years

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Thanks for the comment! Price is a tough one! It all depends on how much of the labor you are willing to do yourself, and how "fast" you want the system to work. In my case, I needed a new driveway, so I don't consider the cost of the concrete and prepwork a part of this project, as it needed to be done regardless. Adding the snowmelt included the extra cost of the 2" rigid foam and (7) 500' rolls of O2 barrier 5/8" pex. Approx $1,800. I had a great concrete contractor who worked with me, and I installed all of the pex myself (with the help of some young neighbors I hired for a few hours), so my labor was pretty much free. I also designed the system myself after hours of research online. Where it can really get expensive is in the boiler room. I received quotes over $50,000. For me, this was meant to be a fun side project I could DIY in my free time, not something I needed a second mortgage for. My driveway is not an emergency helipad or ER entrance at the hospital. If it doesn't work as expected or as well as I designed / planned, no-ones life is at stake, I will just need to shovel! To answer your question, if your handy enough to do most of the work yourself, I bet you could do this for $5-6k or less. If you need to hire it done, expect to pay 3-4x that. I am hoping to fire the system up for the first time this weekend, and we are expecting snow. I will be sure to make several videos of it in action, as that has been frequently requested. I also have several videos of the boiler / heater setup, as well as slower time-lapse videos of the driveway install, and walk-throughs I did at the end of each day. I wasn't sure if there was any interest in those, so I did not upload them. Thanks again for your kind comments, and thanks for watching!

[@JustinSmithPYRO]

@@DeckerChristopherJ thank you for the info. Definitely gonna look into this. We need something like this for us. Hope it all works out for you, especially with the lake effect snow y'all get out there.

[@bertveldhuizen8699]

Nice!

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Thanks Bert!! If you want to see it in action melting snow, or how I installed everything in the utility room, check out this playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLdWeMRuZcbQjekwiBk_uy39IS6JFWYORD Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a positive comment!

[@chrisdiegel8916]

What’s something like that cost?

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hi Chris! Cost depends on a lot of things. What you see in this video cost about $1,800. That's for the PEX and Insulation. My labor was free. That does not include the concrete work which I needed done anyways. Now if your talking about the system as a whole, it can get expensive when you get into the boiler room, but it all depends on what equipment you choose, and if you hire it done or are capable of DIY'ing it. I've started to upload videos of it in action, and there will be many more to come. I will also post videos of the heaters and how I have everything setup. If your subscribed, hit the bell icon to get notified as I upload them. Thanks for watching!

[@michaeljay4213]

@@DeckerChristopherJ what would it cost in total if i had someone do the entire system your size. if its pex then its heated by water right?

[@mikemike1071]

How much?

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hi mike mike! You'll find more info on cost to install and cost to operate in my FAQ video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKeygoaHnsakitk If that video still doesn't answer your questions just ask I'll I'll try to respond in more detail. Thanks for watching!

[@nitink.a567]

Winter never came is it? 🙃

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Winter came, but I wasn't ready yet :) . Since I'm DIY'ing the entire setup, its taken me a bit longer than intended to get the heater side of things finished. Originally I thought it would be several years before I actually got it running, I just wanted to get the pex in the slab while I had the chance.. I'm happy to say I'm now almost 95% complete! I should have I it up and running this month, and I will be posting several more videos of it melting, as well as the setup in the boiler room! Stay tuned, and thanks for watching!

[@eprofessio]

Genius

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Thanks for watching Shawn!

[@MattNis1]

What?? No rebar at the garage foundation? That’s so super bad. It will sink by the garage.

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hi Matt. The existing concrete slab which was removed in the video was in place for over 10 years and had no movement. The new slab has been in place for over 15 months now with regular vehicle traffic and has not sunk at all. To be honest, the thought of it sinking was / is simply not a concern here. More of a concern was the slab lifting from frost heave, but with the 2" insulation board and with the driveway being occasionally heated, the frost never stands a chance on getting deep enough to heave. Every section of this slab is still at the height it was on the day it was poured. Even if we thought it was necessary to rebar into the garage slab, it has radiant heat tubes embedded into it as well, so it would not be worth the risk. Thanks for watching!

[@imwade3]

love to see it in action?

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Sure thing! Tons of videos of it in action on my channel here: kzbin.info/aero/PLdWeMRuZcbQjekwiBk_uy39IS6JFWYORD Thanks for watching!

[@laneboucher509]

I shut the video off when I didn't see any re bar

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hi Lane! Instead of rebar, we used fiber mesh concrete and poured 5” instead of 4”. So far it’s held up well with no issues. Thanks for watching (until you shut the video off) 😊.

[@kxewws7681]

So fast! Like about four minutes! 😳

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hi Kxe Wws, thanks for watching! The Time Lapse I took for each day was actually much longer. With all 4 days the video would've been over 40 minutes, so I sped it up 3x! This video seems to be generating a lot of interest and questions, so I still may upload those videos individually at some point with some commentary to explain more of that I'm doing. Check back later!

[@bluellamaslearnbeyondthele2456]

Well, it's not my money but ain't this overkill? Just letting some hot water do the job in certain spots would get to touch less critical areas and promote melting even there. I bet there's a way to repeat the job if some ice formed. Maybe just flood some areas with infrared light? There has to be an easier way to defeat snow.

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hi Sam Sung. The most efficient ways I am aware of are using geothermal (the earths heat) to warm up the slab, or using waste heat from another process such as a large commercial or industrial application to heat the slab. Unfortunately I am on a small suburb lot so geothermal is not really an option, not to mention it would cost me 5x or more than what this project did. I am also not running any large manufacturing equipment or systems that put off excess waste heat or steam that I could use, so that's out. I could've used electric, but Natural Gas is much more efficient and reasonably priced in my area. Is it over-kill? Depends on how you look at it. We get a lot of snow in Buffalo. As you can see from my melting videos, I have very limited space to put it. This means spending a lot of time and physical effort moving it all to the front of my driveway. I could hire a plow service, sure, however they will then scrape a blade across the surface of my concrete, tear up the lawn, and won't get around or underneath the cars or anything else they can't reach with the truck. They will most likely not have come yet by the time I leave, or will wake me up at 2 AM. A plow service in my area costs $20 each time they come, or you can sign an annual contract for $300-$400. Most of my snow events cost me less than $10 to melt for the entire event, without all of the hassle. I flip a switch and go to sleep or go to work. No gasoline, maintenance and storage of a snowblower, no back pain, no risk of heart attack, no spending hours in the cold moving snow around, no damage to my property, no risk of slipping and falling. I was able to DIY this system completely myself, so for me, it was not overkill, it was completely worth it. For you? Maybe not. I would do it again in an instant! With regards to hot water or infrared light, the problem is that as soon as you remove the heat from either of those scenarios, the water / snow will re-freeze and turn to shear ice unless you completely dry it. If you've watched my other videos, you'll notice that I run the system until the slab is pretty much COMPLETELY dry. If I don't, and I turn it off to early, all of that melted snow (water) turns to ice within an hour as the slab cools below 32º, and now I've created a bigger problem than just leaving the snow. Throwing hot water on the driveway will melt the snow, yes, but I promise you it will not evaporate or dry before all of that water re-freezes. An infrared heat lamp might work, but it would need to big a big heat lamp, using a lot of electricity, and it would need to be pretty close to the slab. I can't even begin to think of how I would rig something like that up! So far, this system works great! It's efficient to run, requires little to no maintenance or effort on my part, and was the best solution I could come up with at the time. Thanks for watching!!

[@bluellamaslearnbeyondthele2456]

@@DeckerChristopherJ thanks for the longest answer I've ever got on anything on youtube. Much appreciated!

[@joshstone9411]

Sub'd lets see the rest man c'mon I'm thinking about adding this to my list of things we do for clients.

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Hi Josh! You can find the playlist containing al of my videos for this project, including those of the mechanical room here: kzbin.info/aero/PLdWeMRuZcbQjekwiBk_uy39IS6JFWYORD Thanks for Watching!

[@Plague_Rat778]

Once I get my own place I am 100% having the drive way ripped up and a similar system installed

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Thanks for watching, Richard! Before you start your project, you might find my channel useful: kzbin.info/aero/PLdWeMRuZcbQjekwiBk_uy39IS6JFWYORD there are over 100 videos on how I designed and installed all of this, and lots of time lapse of it in action melting snow. Thanks again for taking the time to comment!

[@Plague_Rat778]

@@DeckerChristopherJ thanks for letting me know, I’ll definitely be binge watching that playlist soon and save it to my watch later.

[@siddhanthbhat6136]

Prretty good. I think the wire layout could have been more efficient. Lost a lot of money there pal.

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

Thanks for the comment! The “wire” is actually pex, as this is a hydronic system, not electric. The layout was per a detailed drawing, as each loop must be +/- 20’ of each other in length. It came out perfect. I will agree that I could’ve gone with fewer loops, and spaced the tubing further apart, however pex is cheap and you only have 1 chance to do this (you obviously can’t go back and add more tubing later). It is possible to not have enough tubing, however there is no such thing as having to much! Thanks for watching!

[@BIGGELATO]

Siddhanth Bhat it’ll also cost over a grand a month in electricity lol

[@rileyjosephpierce]

@@BIGGELATO Who said they would be using it every single day? Its only for snow.

[@DeckerChristopherJ]

@@kim0755 Hi Kim, thanks for watching. The standard rule in the industry is you want to keep your loop lengths +/- 10% so you can easily balance the flow through them. In my case, I designed for a loop length of 220’, so I technically needed to keep the loops between 198’ and 244’. While I tried to keep every loop at exactly 220’, it becomes difficult to keep things exact when your dealing with real world conditions. In the end, all of mine ended up between 215 and 228’. While you should strive to keep them close, you don’t need to be as close as 22”. The flow adjusters on your manifolds will help you balance everything out in the end. Hope that helps!

[@Mattdog45]

Can you do the sidewalk also so you don’t have to shovel it or does the city own it?