Thanks for your compliments! I designed and built the entire setup myself, and documented all of it right here on my channel: th-cam.com/play/PLdWeMRuZcbQjekwiBk_uy39IS6JFWYORD.html&si=UJbV2-QnCJxyK_Zg Thanks for watching!
Just when you're starting to get bored with TH-cam, the ole algorithm kicks in and gives you 26 minutes and 12 seconds of joy. I can spend a good 10 minutes, just staring at the setup.
Same. There’s gotta be 16 grand hanging on that wall. What is this dude some type of mad scientist plumber? Bored engineer? Maybe he works for Parker? My question is how in the hell is there not sharpie instructions all over that wood, and no masking tape labels on components.
No joke even the solder joints on the copper are immaculate I wonder who did all that. They definitely had experience (installing that system specifically I mean) and a ton of planning.
My jaw literally dropped when I saw your utility closet. I instantly knew you did it all yourself too, no builders would ever do it like that. Great work I can tell how proud you are
The issue people run into is no matter how much you spend, there’s always the contractor that asks for a lot and appears knowledgeable at the surface, but they are hiring a team of methheads to fufill the work for cheap. It’s a coin toss with some businesses.
@@madjackgamingandfitness498 That's why you cover your ass by having a clear plan agreed on and a list of all necessary requirements from a contractor. Diagrams, engineering designs, etc. If they refuse this, avoid. Also you have every right to observe any and all construction or work that is being done; obviously this isn't possible in a lot of cases, hence why people hire contractors in the first place, but if you can be there while they're doing the work, and you know what shoddy work looks like, it's the best way you can be sure they don't do a crappy job, leave, and then ghost you about any follow-up fixes without having to go through legal channels. Biggest problem these days is people saying they are plumbers or electricians but they are really just "handymen" found on Facebook or something. Naturally, they are the cheapest option, so a significant number of people are hiring what they think are electricians or plumbers but in reality they are not licensed nor professionally trained, don't have insurance, etc. In a case like OP's radiant heating system not a single pipe or circuit would be run before the entire proposed installation is laid out on paper, and good contractors will have a guarantee that any work not up to standards is free to repair. I have shelled out money for more expensive contractors in the past and most of the time, there were issues they had to come out to fix; typically just cosmetic, but since it was in their contract they made no fuss about coming out and doing several more hours of extra work to fix it properly. The difference is they are larger businesses that budget this kind of contingency in, whereas your local neighborhood hackjob handyman does not. I would not call finding contractors a coin toss if you do your due diligence, although I understand this is harder for the average person with no trade knowledge.
@@madjackgamingandfitness498 yea if you want something done right, gotta do it yourself. I’m guessing the original uploader is an engineer of some sort. I think it would be neat to buy this house after the fact, i am willing to bet the uploader would type up a PDF of it’s functionality and how to use/maintain/monitor it. As an engineer myself this is something i’d definitely geek out over lol
Holy mother! You're not kidding. I read your comment before I saw that part of the video and it was even more beautiful than I dreamed. I wish I had the skills to do this kind of thing around my house
Even as a numbnut who understood very little about your setup, I can't help but be amazed by it. It seems very robust, efficient, secure, and my personal favorite... aesthetically pleasing!
i am from california; lived in chicago 2 years, so i told my family there, kiddingly, you guys should have heater system under the side walk; mind you, i did not know about heating systems in slabs, or they it was possible, them i returned to california and learned all the trades; indeed, slabs can be heated, i found out; and yes, i am very impressed as well; he is so well orginized ... i envy him, i mean admire him... hahah
Im sure that works great if you get the sun for more than an hour a day. The Buffalo region is finally coming out of a more than a month long period of no sun. Not so easy to melt that lovely block of ice when that happens
I do this for a living and I 110% approve of the installation. Installation, materials, layout etc! Looks a bit crowded but you work with the space you’ve got and that’s how you do it man. Nice work. New subscriber EARNED right here!
Commenting as I’m watching through the video, I LOVE USING THE BOILER SIDE OF THE STORAGE TANK ALMOST LIKE A BUFFER TABK FOR THE REST OF THE SYSTEM! I was like why on earth did he shut it down, and then I realized while watching the overview of the system! Impressive theory implementation!l and the proof, well that’s just in the puddin’!
@estamnar6092 Hi! I was actually able to build this myself for less than $10k in materials. It not only melts the driveway, but provides radiant heat to my garage and basement, floor warming to my bathrooms, kitchen, shower and entryway, as well as all of my hot water. I talk about pricing in this video if interested: th-cam.com/video/zvOQSQiaqTw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=gB2sMk8ofbRYLU59 Thanks for watching!
I discovered this video by chance. I have not seen any of your others so forgive me if my question has already been answered. Why did you choose a water based system rather than electric heating cables in the driveway? (I live in Canada so hip replacement is 100% covered by insurance.)
I used to install these systems that is beautiful clean work. You can put an outdoor reset sensor in that automatically turns it on if the temp is below 32 and enough moisture to snow.
I have to replace my driveway. What kind of setup is this called? What kind of company (industry name) do I look for? Or is it something I have to draw up and hire an eccentric handyman to assist? I am terrible at sweating pipes so I doubt I have the skill to do it all.
Look up Tekmar controls. They have a sensor that is embedded in the driveway that senses the temperature and humidity, so the system will automatically turn on when required avoiding the time it takes to clear the driveway after the fact. It also takes less energy this way. Very neat installation.
Yep. Air is horrible at transferring heat compared to liquids or solids, so any air pockets that form between the slab and the ice actually insulate the ice from the heat of the slab. Even moreso if the ice you did melt manages to evaporate and escape, as _dry_ air is an even better insulator.
I enjoy watching how you have used your brain to make your life easier. I grew up in Chicago, lived in Wisconsin and Ohio, currently in CA. I've been through my fair share of snow events and ice storms. YOur system is awesome.
This setup is insane!! Not sure why your video popped up on my feed but glad it did! This is sooo cool to see someone did this themselves! Cool use of smart things and those smart outlets! Keep it up!!
Thank you 😊. If you’re interested in seeing more of it, stay tuned. I have some projects I am currently filming that will show more of the inside. I’ve also debated on making photo videos showing our 15+ years of renovations and projects that led to its current state, but I wasn’t sure if there would be any interest. Thanks again for your kind words, I appreciate having people like you as subscribers!
Holy moly ... I'm an IT specialist and I'm in awe of your beautiful setup! It's so common to see bad setups that "normal" ones become the exception, so seeing something like this was a true delight! I'm not sure why, but the TH-cam gods have put you on my homepage (and from the comments, many others also) and you have my subscription. This is my kind of content, I was shocked to see you're under 200k subs minimum, I know you'll blow up soon - *_theoretically!_*
I'm a retired plumbing contractor with 48 years of hands-on field experience and I totally approve of this installation 😮! Put you some rubbing alcohol into a pump sprayer and spray thicker accumulations. Isopropyl alcohol is "miscible" with water and lowers the phase-change temperature. I'm subscribing! Never too old (75) to learn new tricks.😅
That is artwork! A house about 2 miles down the road did this. They have about a 200 yards driveway and when they were doing the construction everyone was curious what they were doing but, as soon as I seen pallets of foam sheets, I knew. That driveway hasn't seen snow in 3 years and this is above Buffalo's line of longitude.
Just found your video, thank you for sharing your experience. WOW!!! I am from Southern California and I have become fascinated with weather events. Your information about the “ice bridge” is new and amazing to me. Thank you so much
As a contractor, I just want to personally complement whoever did your hot water on demand system. They obviously take very much pride in their work. That is an absolute work of art. Whoever did that work you have my respect that some great work
I had a mental picture of the utility room when you put that piece of ice on the bin back in its spot. -just saw the manabloc, I put one in my house and love it
😂 A few others have commented on that. I don’t even remember doing it, I had to go back and watch myself! My OCD I guess…. I also love the manabloc! Thanks for your comment and for watching!
Thanks! As a DIY’r it definitely took me a lot longer than it would’ve a professional, but I saved a ton in labor and learned how to solder. Another benefit is that having designed and built it all myself, I know exactly how it all works, and if something breaks I know how to diagnose and fix it! Thanks for watching!
When my great-great grandparents emigrated from England, they "landed" in Erie County, NY. They didn't waste much time moving south, first to Tennessee, then to Florida, where most of my family still lives.
I watched your video when you took on the blizzard several years ago. This is another Interesting contest by taking on an ice storm. Love this type of 'head on' challenge ! Disappointed that you had to shovel since I have a bad back. I agree, the horse got out of the barn while you were away. I wonder if you could beat 'thermal bridging' if you pretreated the surface ?? Possibly using calcium chloride or the liquid spray that the highway departments use now so as not to damage the concrete. I pretreat my driveway and it works great. I have seen your operation before but still marvel at the plumbing and electrical setup. You are my hero. 🙂
I so wish we could have something like this for the roads. They have it in some parts of Europe. Imagine how many crash injuries and fatalities could be prevented, not to mention the salt and ice damage to the highways. Imagine being able to go over Donner Pass in California without chaining, or through Wyoming or North/South Dakota and Montana without getting stuck in 20 feet of snow.
It sounds cool and all till one does a bit of math and then the idea just doesn't work, at 50w a sq ft for a two lane road you would need almost 8mega watts per mile, in states like ND,SD,MT,MN when its -30 out you would need more it just isn't going to work on a large scale.
I wouldn't call the air pocket a "Thermal Bridge," it's more of an "Air Gap." A Thermal Bridge transfers heat through conduction by physical contact. An air gap is an air pocket that help insulates 2 objects like such in a double pane window.
I ran across this channel by accident and was I impressed... I'd assume some call this an obsession, but I'm going to say it's the very useful hobby of an intelligent person with a bit of extra time and some extra money... No doubt if someone is as capable as yourself there is no reason not to hold off Mother Nature if they can... By the way, the setup, the equipment, the installation is just fantastic. Wonderful job, neat, clean, well thought out.. I'm a new subscriber, yes from the deep South, Texas i fact.. Now the snow melting driveway isn't a thing for me but I will use your expertise to slightly cool a concrete floor on those 105 degree days, right up but below the point where the floor sweats, and air movement to make a large shop more comfortalbe in the summer and warm it during the winter without a forced air closed system. Again, I'm very happy to have found your channel and congrats on making your home safer for your family and obviously thinking far far far ahead for any possible issues with the house systems as well.... I could have used a Solar addition to the water heater on multiple occasions over the years... Thank you very much... Oh, just 1 question... Did you make any special adjustment for the ice/snow melt when the driveway system is on? Or do you need to do that at all?
That is quite the setup. I have never seen anything like it. Reading the comments it seems that you've built it, and it shows. Very cool. It's also absolutely insane. Good work!
Yeah bridging is a real thing. Happen to me the last snow fall. I turned the system off to early. As you know the slab holds temp for quite a while and melts and then dries. I turned it off before it stop snowing and it got windy and cooled the surface to fast and woke up to a sheet of ice. Turned back on the snow melt. Worked pretty good but like you said had to break it up to to come back in contact with surface again. But yeah the concrete was 100% dry.
Have you considered applying a black IR emissive coating on top of the concrete? This could help with the ice bridging effect as the coating would use the energy from your heated glycol to emit infrared radiation that would continue inputting thermal energy into the ice regardless of airflow under the ice bridge. Worth a try and would make an interesting video
I have friend that has electric radiant heat for the driveway. It stays on standby and when it snows, the sensors pick it up and activate the heating cables.
Pretty amazing. Funny I was working on installing a snow melt system today and this popped up in my feed. We use a snow sensor 90 from Tekmar to automatically turn the system on. I’m sure you have some kind of snow detection system but didn’t see it mentioned in the video.
So I did install the Tekmar socket in the slab, and ran the conduit back to the utility room for future installation, but I haven’t brought myself to spend the $2k+ for the sensor or controls yet. So far it works great turning it on / off in person or from my phone. This storm was unique in that we were in an area with no cell coverage for a few days so I had no access to the cameras or SmartThings to see what was happening and turn it on until it was to late. Maybe I’ll install the Tekmar controls at some point. Thanks for watching!
I’m from NY and moved to Texas back in 2019. So so glad I got away from the snow and such but I’m mad that no one in my family thought about installing the set up you have. Would’ve saved so much time and energy and our driveway wasn’t even as big as yours
I've never seen a more beautiful setup for anything like this, not server racks, other driveway heaters, radiant floor systems, or carwash systems. Everything just flows and runs exactly how it should.
I am impressed! That doesn't happen very often. I wish I were your friend or neighbor, I can tell we would get a long well. I love this kind of stuff - organized, glycol systems, hot water systems, all your stuff is neat, etc. . . . . I could go on and on. I love cement style siding too, your home looks so well done and kept. I dislike vinyl or aluminum siding. You have so much order in how you do things. I love order, I dislike chaos.
Very cool. Always interesting to see the home systems people install to make life easier and to see the region-specific needs that lead to those installations. Here in Southern California, my side yard consists of the various pool / spa / waterfall pumps, pool heater, as well as the solar control boxes etc. Here, we’re trying to stay cool. There, you’re trying to stay warm.
Chris we really have been getting lots of crazy weather this winter. I think we have been hit with just about everything here. I love watching your videos and wondered how this was working out for you with the ice. Your driveway has been worth having for sure!
Hey carezee! It has been wild this year hasn't it? I forgot to mention the EARTHQUAKE we had in early February too! th-cam.com/users/shortsypDO77RSArM?feature=share The driveway has been pushed to the limit this winter, but I have been happy with it's performance. It has worked as designed. Thanks for being a subscriber and for taking the time to watch! I really appreciate that! 😊
We are in North Alabama. A few weeks ago we were iced in all over town with single digit temps for a several days. Sure could have used this. Awesome system.
In MN I've seen many heated sidewalk system and the concrete never seems to last long. Perhaps if they were left on low all winter it might help. You're basically forcing the concrete through many years worth of freeze-thaw cycles in a short time.
You just popped up on my feed, first vid I've seen. I'm also in Buffalo, so the title caught my attention right away. You have a pretty sweet set up there. I've been in residential construction and plumbing all my working life. That plumbing is A1👍🏻👌🏻 (ESPECIALLY for not being a plumber!)Nice job. I subbed & I'll check out some more vids in the future 👍🏻🛠️🔧🔩⚡🔌⚠️💨🔥👨🏼🔧
A bit offtopic but I love the little soffit lights you have on your house and garage. It provides some nice looking ambient light without being a large point source that blinds you. Very nice style.
Thank you! 😊 I thought about doing some videos on the house, including things like the rain screen siding, oak trim work, and the lighting, etc. I am currently working on installing a 80+ year old fireplace mantle. I wasn't sure if any of my subscribers would be interested in that stuff. I still have some soffit lights to install on the sides of the garage, and I wired a separate switch to turn them off when not needed. I will do a video for sure when I install them. Thanks again for the compliment, I appreciate it!
If he is selling his house and tries to explain it to a novice prospective buyer, he'll get brain lock. Someone familiar with circulation heating will be thrilled.
Good stuff man! I wish that my siblings would have saw this before they had my parent’s new driveway poured. They’re in their 80’s and this is a quality of life home feature for those seniors 26:13 who can afford it and live in snowy conditions.
Excellent video. I will be watching the others. Living over in Western Massachusetts. See the same. Kind of bad ice stormy type of stuff. Might I suggest a remote turn on that you can access with your iPhone so that while you’re away, you could turn the driveway remotely
Christopher, did you put down a 4" thick layer of XPS foam before laying the PEX so that the heat cannot go into the soil it can only up through the concrete driveway to melt snow or ice?
Hey Chris! So I used 2” XPS foam for a total of R-10. You can see where I did that in these videos: th-cam.com/video/gxF1TouS5Hs/w-d-xo.htmlsi=2Tf-mkaizoPHeXy5 th-cam.com/video/uxzPfGXPpRk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=xsT6qAKN1Kt9WaJR and th-cam.com/video/lMb4JjBGurA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=M_O-xgGdJE7dPqQ0 If you have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to ask and I’ll try to answer! Thanks for watching!
I want to get this done when we rebuilt our house. I wish there was a parts list and a comparison about the cost differences to install and run a gas system versus an electric system. Also, how many therms did this use - much more accurate to display that so others can calculate the real cost at their location.
I have an electric heated driveway and bridging is a real thing. I have tried a few different methods throughout the years. I mostly drive my car over it to crush it down when it's more snow than ice but in your case when it's solid ice I found that thinly spread ice melt, a tamper, a good shovel and of course some muscle do the trick. As a plumber on long island i can really appreciate the work you did. I had to go with electric because I didn't have the room to do a hydronic system. None of these systems are perfect but they sure do help a lot. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for your compliments D L. They mean a lot to me coming from a professional plumber. You're absolutely correct in that none of these systems are perfect, but they do help a lot! I'm curious how big of a driveway you're heating with your electric system, and how much power is needed? I am installing Solar Panels on the house this spring, and I've been thinking about adding electric loops to my front steps. I would love and feedback you have on the system your using, good or bad! Thanks!!
Kinda like watching grass growing.... After seeing that demonstration and you still need to shovel the "bridged ice" that remains after several hours. Your system looks great. Beautiful workmanship. Very neat and well organized. I'm just glad I'm in south Texas. Snow shovels are an unknown thing here. No retail stores have them. We just wait it out here. Normally it melts within a few hours.
I’m a new subscriber. I’m looking forward to learning more about the systems you have installed in your home. We might be building a new home and I want to get as much done during construction as I can.
I have a Noritz with a outdoor sensor that will kick on that zone when it gets below 32. I know you were away, but you've got to trust your system, it looks fantastic.my advice would be to heat that slab all winter, once it comes to temp it doesn't use that much gas to keep it there. Thanks
![Answering the Top 5 Most Frequently Asked Questions About my Buffalo NY Heated Driveway - [12-3-22]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/zvOQSQiaqTw/mqdefault.jpg)
![Answering the Top 5 Most Frequently Asked Questions About my Buffalo NY Heated Driveway - [12-3-22]](/img/tr.png)
The plumbing on that system is a work of art. Seriously, much respect to you or whoever installed it.
Thanks for your compliments! I designed and built the entire setup myself, and documented all of it right here on my channel: th-cam.com/play/PLdWeMRuZcbQjekwiBk_uy39IS6JFWYORD.html&si=UJbV2-QnCJxyK_Zg Thanks for watching!
Was just about to say the same thing!
Pure beauty I knew I would find this comment 👍🏿
Was going to post the same! You can really see the quality here.
Also was going to say the same, absolutely beautiful design and install. What do you do for a living?
Just when you're starting to get bored with TH-cam, the ole algorithm kicks in and gives you 26 minutes and 12 seconds of joy. I can spend a good 10 minutes, just staring at the setup.
Same. There’s gotta be 16 grand hanging on that wall. What is this dude some type of mad scientist plumber? Bored engineer? Maybe he works for Parker?
My question is how in the hell is there not sharpie instructions all over that wood, and no masking tape labels on components.
its so pretty isnt it? I want someone that would do a work that nice whenever i build
Hi
Until TH-cam decided to wreck the experience with advertising for over 30 seconds.
@@pauljensen5699 So, I'm not going crazy. I'm searching for the skip button and realizing it's not there for most ads.
As a plumbing and heating engineer from the UK I feel I must complement you on the quality and neatness of your installation. A job well done
Thank you sir! I appreciate your compliments, especially coming from a professional. 😊
I agree. That’s the first thing that I noticed too!
No joke even the solder joints on the copper are immaculate I wonder who did all that. They definitely had experience (installing that system specifically I mean) and a ton of planning.
My jaw literally dropped when I saw your utility closet. I instantly knew you did it all yourself too, no builders would ever do it like that. Great work I can tell how proud you are
No builder would do that unless given a blank check, and it’s got quadruple redundancy I guess?
The issue people run into is no matter how much you spend, there’s always the contractor that asks for a lot and appears knowledgeable at the surface, but they are hiring a team of methheads to fufill the work for cheap. It’s a coin toss with some businesses.
@@madjackgamingandfitness498 That's why you cover your ass by having a clear plan agreed on and a list of all necessary requirements from a contractor. Diagrams, engineering designs, etc. If they refuse this, avoid. Also you have every right to observe any and all construction or work that is being done; obviously this isn't possible in a lot of cases, hence why people hire contractors in the first place, but if you can be there while they're doing the work, and you know what shoddy work looks like, it's the best way you can be sure they don't do a crappy job, leave, and then ghost you about any follow-up fixes without having to go through legal channels.
Biggest problem these days is people saying they are plumbers or electricians but they are really just "handymen" found on Facebook or something. Naturally, they are the cheapest option, so a significant number of people are hiring what they think are electricians or plumbers but in reality they are not licensed nor professionally trained, don't have insurance, etc.
In a case like OP's radiant heating system not a single pipe or circuit would be run before the entire proposed installation is laid out on paper, and good contractors will have a guarantee that any work not up to standards is free to repair.
I have shelled out money for more expensive contractors in the past and most of the time, there were issues they had to come out to fix; typically just cosmetic, but since it was in their contract they made no fuss about coming out and doing several more hours of extra work to fix it properly. The difference is they are larger businesses that budget this kind of contingency in, whereas your local neighborhood hackjob handyman does not. I would not call finding contractors a coin toss if you do your due diligence, although I understand this is harder for the average person with no trade knowledge.
@@madjackgamingandfitness498 yea if you want something done right, gotta do it yourself. I’m guessing the original uploader is an engineer of some sort. I think it would be neat to buy this house after the fact, i am willing to bet the uploader would type up a PDF of it’s functionality and how to use/maintain/monitor it. As an engineer myself this is something i’d definitely geek out over lol
Holy mother! You're not kidding. I read your comment before I saw that part of the video and it was even more beautiful than I dreamed.
I wish I had the skills to do this kind of thing around my house
An old heat and air man here.. .your trade skills and engineering knowlege are out of this world. I have the highest respect for you.
Even as a numbnut who understood very little about your setup, I can't help but be amazed by it. It seems very robust, efficient, secure, and my personal favorite... aesthetically pleasing!
I’m a retired builder from California. Completely impressed with your whole set up. Great job both in what you’ve done and the video.
i am from california; lived in chicago 2 years, so i told my family there, kiddingly, you guys should have heater system under the side walk; mind you, i did not know about heating systems in slabs, or they it was possible, them i returned to california and learned all the trades; indeed, slabs can be heated, i found out; and yes, i am very impressed as well; he is so well orginized ... i envy him, i mean admire him... hahah
we have a system down here. Its a two part system consisting of sun and tomorrow. haha. beautiful setup. (tennessee master plumber here).
No sun for 4 mths up here. Well, if you don’t count the 3-4 days in that period. Not enough snow to snowmobile or ski. Terrible area
This system works great, until the HOA Karen shows up.
...and a $20 pair of those rubber-banded crampons.
Im sure that works great if you get the sun for more than an hour a day. The Buffalo region is finally coming out of a more than a month long period of no sun. Not so easy to melt that lovely block of ice when that happens
I do this for a living and I 110% approve of the installation. Installation, materials, layout etc! Looks a bit crowded but you work with the space you’ve got and that’s how you do it man. Nice work. New subscriber EARNED right here!
Commenting as I’m watching through the video, I LOVE USING THE BOILER SIDE OF THE STORAGE TANK ALMOST LIKE A BUFFER TABK FOR THE REST OF THE SYSTEM! I was like why on earth did he shut it down, and then I realized while watching the overview of the system! Impressive theory implementation!l and the proof, well that’s just in the puddin’!
The water eventually becomes an insulator between the concrete and the ice. Amazing. It’s like a massively cool science project. Bravo.
A few dollars to clean the driveway.... $25,000 for a hip replacement. The math is pretty simple. I wish I had this.
Uses of 4:24 the home hot water heating system to melt your drive way is cool ideal
That hydronic system costs like $25,000 *installed
@estamnar6092 Hi! I was actually able to build this myself for less than $10k in materials. It not only melts the driveway, but provides radiant heat to my garage and basement, floor warming to my bathrooms, kitchen, shower and entryway, as well as all of my hot water. I talk about pricing in this video if interested: th-cam.com/video/zvOQSQiaqTw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=gB2sMk8ofbRYLU59 Thanks for watching!
I discovered this video by chance. I have not seen any of your others so forgive me if my question has already been answered. Why did you choose a water based system rather than electric heating cables in the driveway? (I live in Canada so hip replacement is 100% covered by insurance.)
I'm guessing this was built a few years ago, at least if the material was 10k or less. Material is outrageous now in 2024.
I used to install these systems that is beautiful clean work. You can put an outdoor reset sensor in that automatically turns it on if the temp is below 32 and enough moisture to snow.
What kind of sensor would figure out if there was moisture?
@@jeffa847hygrometer
@@jeffa847 Hygrometers for moisture in the atmosphere would be one.
I have to replace my driveway.
What kind of setup is this called? What kind of company (industry name) do I look for?
Or is it something I have to draw up and hire an eccentric handyman to assist? I am terrible at sweating pipes so I doubt I have the skill to do it all.
Look up Tekmar controls. They have a sensor that is embedded in the driveway that senses the temperature and humidity, so the system will automatically turn on when required avoiding the time it takes to clear the driveway after the fact. It also takes less energy this way. Very neat installation.
Very cool. I just kept thinking about your wife, rolling her eyes and being grateful at the same time!! Loved this video!
Neat set up….And here I’m heating my pool and hot tub, while you’re heating your driveway . Greetings from Palm Springs, CA.😎🌴
Thermal bridging is the reason you can cook sleep and survive a winter storm in an igloo. Very interesting and enjoyable video thanks for sharing
Yep. Air is horrible at transferring heat compared to liquids or solids, so any air pockets that form between the slab and the ice actually insulate the ice from the heat of the slab. Even moreso if the ice you did melt manages to evaporate and escape, as _dry_ air is an even better insulator.
I enjoy watching how you have used your brain to make your life easier. I grew up in Chicago, lived in Wisconsin and Ohio, currently in CA. I've been through my fair share of snow events and ice storms. YOur system is awesome.
This setup is insane!! Not sure why your video popped up on my feed but glad it did! This is sooo cool to see someone did this themselves! Cool use of smart things and those smart outlets! Keep it up!!
“Turn the driveway on”. Living in TX that’s an expression I never thought I’d hear.
I love your house. It looks so well thought out, I've mentioned this before, but it's really something so aspire to.
Thank you 😊. If you’re interested in seeing more of it, stay tuned. I have some projects I am currently filming that will show more of the inside. I’ve also debated on making photo videos showing our 15+ years of renovations and projects that led to its current state, but I wasn’t sure if there would be any interest. Thanks again for your kind words, I appreciate having people like you as subscribers!
Holy moly ... I'm an IT specialist and I'm in awe of your beautiful setup! It's so common to see bad setups that "normal" ones become the exception, so seeing something like this was a true delight! I'm not sure why, but the TH-cam gods have put you on my homepage (and from the comments, many others also) and you have my subscription. This is my kind of content, I was shocked to see you're under 200k subs minimum, I know you'll blow up soon - *_theoretically!_*
Geeking out over your home built system and sharing with all of us. Awesome! Thanks for uploading :)
Thank you for watching!! 😊
Your equipment room is like a printed circuit board ❤
Right, it’s flawless
I'm a retired plumbing contractor with 48 years of hands-on field experience and I totally approve of this installation 😮!
Put you some rubbing alcohol into a pump sprayer and spray thicker accumulations. Isopropyl alcohol is "miscible" with water and lowers the phase-change temperature.
I'm subscribing! Never too old (75) to learn new tricks.😅
I love when I see older folks comment on TH-cam about hobbies or without a condescending tone. It’s heartwarming to see
Amazing piping job the neatest joint solder I have ever seen a marvelous work of art
this is badass
Brilliant job of explaining the system and bridging. Made good sense.
Your family is lucky to have you keeping them safe and comfortable.
That is artwork!
A house about 2 miles down the road did this. They have about a 200 yards driveway and when they were doing the construction everyone was curious what they were doing but, as soon as I seen pallets of foam sheets, I knew. That driveway hasn't seen snow in 3 years and this is above Buffalo's line of longitude.
Your utility closet is a work of art absolutely beautiful work.
You have a beautiful home. Thank you for sharing this.
Just found your video, thank you for sharing your experience. WOW!!! I am from Southern California and I have become fascinated with weather events. Your information about the “ice bridge” is new and amazing to me. Thank you so much
As a contractor, I just want to personally complement whoever did your hot water on demand system. They obviously take very much pride in their work. That is an absolute work of art. Whoever did that work you have my respect that some great work
Excellent system Chris I have to hand it it to you, an awesome set up!
Thanks! I really appreciate that!
Your system is a thing of beauty.And your soldiering is perfect.
This is an awesome system. I’m saving my money for when I do my driveway over. Just south of Albany
Respect to the good man of the house. Great job! Clean organized, and well maintained! KUDOS!
Dude, I love how clean and organized that setup looks.
Had no idea how complex a heated driveway system was. Fascinating video and very impressed with your work
Dude. That utility closet looks like the inside of a submarine lol. Awesome video.
I had a mental picture of the utility room when you put that piece of ice on the bin back in its spot.
-just saw the manabloc, I put one in my house and love it
😂 A few others have commented on that. I don’t even remember doing it, I had to go back and watch myself! My OCD I guess…. I also love the manabloc! Thanks for your comment and for watching!
What an amazing installation! WOW!
I like watching winter on youtube from Florida. Its so pretty. Cool that you have a heated driveway.
Very nice install, just looks super professional. All installs should look this neat.🔥🔥
Thanks! As a DIY’r it definitely took me a lot longer than it would’ve a professional, but I saved a ton in labor and learned how to solder. Another benefit is that having designed and built it all myself, I know exactly how it all works, and if something breaks I know how to diagnose and fix it! Thanks for watching!
When my great-great grandparents emigrated from England, they "landed" in Erie County, NY. They didn't waste much time moving south, first to Tennessee, then to Florida, where most of my family still lives.
That install is beautiful. Whoever did that hands off to them. True craftsmanship.
A true work of beauty and genius😊
I watched your video when you took on the blizzard several years ago.
This is another Interesting contest by taking on an ice storm. Love this type of 'head on' challenge !
Disappointed that you had to shovel since I have a bad back. I agree, the horse got out of the barn while you were away.
I wonder if you could beat 'thermal bridging' if you pretreated the surface ??
Possibly using calcium chloride or the liquid spray that the highway departments use now so as not to damage the concrete.
I pretreat my driveway and it works great.
I have seen your operation before but still marvel at the plumbing and electrical setup.
You are my hero. 🙂
Love the time lapse videos!
I so wish we could have something like this for the roads. They have it in some parts of Europe. Imagine how many crash injuries and fatalities could be prevented, not to mention the salt and ice damage to the highways. Imagine being able to go over Donner Pass in California without chaining, or through Wyoming or North/South Dakota and Montana without getting stuck in 20 feet of snow.
It sounds cool and all till one does a bit of math and then the idea just doesn't work, at 50w a sq ft for a two lane road you would need almost 8mega watts per mile, in states like ND,SD,MT,MN when its -30 out you would need more it just isn't going to work on a large scale.
Yep
@@vinces8209 It wouldn't even be feasible for my 90 ft. driveway.
Very nice clean and tidy installation. Kudos!
your utility room looks wild. Great cable management, very clean!
I wouldn't call the air pocket a "Thermal Bridge," it's more of an "Air Gap." A Thermal Bridge transfers heat through conduction by physical contact. An air gap is an air pocket that help insulates 2 objects like such in a double pane window.
I ran across this channel by accident and was I impressed... I'd assume some call this an obsession, but I'm going to say it's the very useful hobby of an intelligent person with a bit of extra time and some extra money... No doubt if someone is as capable as yourself there is no reason not to hold off Mother Nature if they can... By the way, the setup, the equipment, the installation is just fantastic. Wonderful job, neat, clean, well thought out.. I'm a new subscriber, yes from the deep South, Texas i fact.. Now the snow melting driveway isn't a thing for me but I will use your expertise to slightly cool a concrete floor on those 105 degree days, right up but below the point where the floor sweats, and air movement to make a large shop more comfortalbe in the summer and warm it during the winter without a forced air closed system. Again, I'm very happy to have found your channel and congrats on making your home safer for your family and obviously thinking far far far ahead for any possible issues with the house systems as well.... I could have used a Solar addition to the water heater on multiple occasions over the years... Thank you very much... Oh, just 1 question... Did you make any special adjustment for the ice/snow melt when the driveway system is on? Or do you need to do that at all?
You seem like one of the nicest people in the world man. Would love to have ya as a buddy! Great video!
I know I’m late to the game but man what a cool system!! I want to do this in my house
That system is a thing of beauty.
Thanks! 😊
That is quite the setup. I have never seen anything like it. Reading the comments it seems that you've built it, and it shows. Very cool. It's also absolutely insane. Good work!
Yeah bridging is a real thing. Happen to me the last snow fall. I turned the system off to early. As you know the slab holds temp for quite a while and melts and then dries. I turned it off before it stop snowing and it got windy and cooled the surface to fast and woke up to a sheet of ice. Turned back on the snow melt. Worked pretty good but like you said had to break it up to to come back in contact with surface again. But yeah the concrete was 100% dry.
Have you considered applying a black IR emissive coating on top of the concrete? This could help with the ice bridging effect as the coating would use the energy from your heated glycol to emit infrared radiation that would continue inputting thermal energy into the ice regardless of airflow under the ice bridge. Worth a try and would make an interesting video
I have friend that has electric radiant heat for the driveway. It stays on standby and when it snows, the sensors pick it up and activate the heating cables.
WOW....! Who did your Mechanical Room?! A Master piece of work there!
Pretty amazing. Funny I was working on installing a snow melt system today and this popped up in my feed. We use a snow sensor 90 from Tekmar to automatically turn the system on. I’m sure you have some kind of snow detection system but didn’t see it mentioned in the video.
So I did install the Tekmar socket in the slab, and ran the conduit back to the utility room for future installation, but I haven’t brought myself to spend the $2k+ for the sensor or controls yet. So far it works great turning it on / off in person or from my phone. This storm was unique in that we were in an area with no cell coverage for a few days so I had no access to the cameras or SmartThings to see what was happening and turn it on until it was to late. Maybe I’ll install the Tekmar controls at some point. Thanks for watching!
I’m from NY and moved to Texas back in 2019. So so glad I got away from the snow and such but I’m mad that no one in my family thought about installing the set up you have. Would’ve saved so much time and energy and our driveway wasn’t even as big as yours
I've never seen a more beautiful setup for anything like this, not server racks, other driveway heaters, radiant floor systems, or carwash systems. Everything just flows and runs exactly how it should.
I am impressed! That doesn't happen very often. I wish I were your friend or neighbor, I can tell we would get a long well. I love this kind of stuff - organized, glycol systems, hot water systems, all your stuff is neat, etc. . . . . I could go on and on. I love cement style siding too, your home looks so well done and kept. I dislike vinyl or aluminum siding. You have so much order in how you do things. I love order, I dislike chaos.
As licensed boiler operator i appreciate the setup you have in the basement. looks similar to my work environment
Very cool. Always interesting to see the home systems people install to make life easier and to see the region-specific needs that lead to those installations. Here in Southern California, my side yard consists of the various pool / spa / waterfall pumps, pool heater, as well as the solar control boxes etc. Here, we’re trying to stay cool. There, you’re trying to stay warm.
as a lic plumber omg u did a great job on the install !!!! hello from eddie leak master plumbing in ct
Chris we really have been getting lots of crazy weather this winter. I think we have been hit with just about everything here. I love watching your videos and wondered how this was working out for you with the ice. Your driveway has been worth having for sure!
Hey carezee! It has been wild this year hasn't it? I forgot to mention the EARTHQUAKE we had in early February too! th-cam.com/users/shortsypDO77RSArM?feature=share The driveway has been pushed to the limit this winter, but I have been happy with it's performance. It has worked as designed. Thanks for being a subscriber and for taking the time to watch! I really appreciate that! 😊
We are in North Alabama. A few weeks ago we were iced in all over town with single digit temps for a several days. Sure could have used this. Awesome system.
That is an absolutely beautiful setup
Wow, that system is badass. So clean.
In MN I've seen many heated sidewalk system and the concrete never seems to last long. Perhaps if they were left on low all winter it might help. You're basically forcing the concrete through many years worth of freeze-thaw cycles in a short time.
That is a cool setup!
Wow artwork.
loved seeing the ice sliding across the lawns. ty what i couldnt see i could hear it slide across
Nice rig! The key is to have it up to temp when the snow starts to fall.
So the snow melts then re solidifies in to proper clear ice?
Fantastic Utility Closet! I'm here for the duration. Subscribed
You just popped up on my feed, first vid I've seen. I'm also in Buffalo, so the title caught my attention right away. You have a pretty sweet set up there. I've been in residential construction and plumbing all my working life. That plumbing is A1👍🏻👌🏻 (ESPECIALLY for not being a plumber!)Nice job. I subbed & I'll check out some more vids in the future 👍🏻🛠️🔧🔩⚡🔌⚠️💨🔥👨🏼🔧
A bit offtopic but I love the little soffit lights you have on your house and garage. It provides some nice looking ambient light without being a large point source that blinds you. Very nice style.
Thank you! 😊 I thought about doing some videos on the house, including things like the rain screen siding, oak trim work, and the lighting, etc. I am currently working on installing a 80+ year old fireplace mantle. I wasn't sure if any of my subscribers would be interested in that stuff. I still have some soffit lights to install on the sides of the garage, and I wired a separate switch to turn them off when not needed. I will do a video for sure when I install them. Thanks again for the compliment, I appreciate it!
You did a fantastic job with that mechanical room! Wow!
If he is selling his house and tries to explain it to a novice prospective buyer, he'll get brain lock. Someone familiar with circulation heating will be thrilled.
just your everyday run of the mill plumbing closet. Is that all ya got?? LOL..this is awesome
😂. Thanks for your compliments and for watching!
Good stuff man! I wish that my siblings would have saw this before they had my parent’s new driveway poured. They’re in their 80’s and this is a quality of life home feature for those seniors 26:13 who can afford it and live in snowy conditions.
As a person who has plumbing experience for over a decade, your basement is a plumber’s wet dream. Beautiful work.
Wow! Incredible plumbing and idea! Genius
that is a very beautiful driveway ,thank you for this review
Excellent video. I will be watching the others. Living over in Western Massachusetts. See the same. Kind of bad ice stormy type of stuff. Might I suggest a remote turn on that you can access with your iPhone so that while you’re away, you could turn the driveway remotely
Christopher, did you put down a 4" thick layer of XPS foam before laying the PEX so that the heat cannot go into the soil it can only up through the concrete driveway to melt snow or ice?
Hey Chris! So I used 2” XPS foam for a total of R-10. You can see where I did that in these videos: th-cam.com/video/gxF1TouS5Hs/w-d-xo.htmlsi=2Tf-mkaizoPHeXy5 th-cam.com/video/uxzPfGXPpRk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=xsT6qAKN1Kt9WaJR and th-cam.com/video/lMb4JjBGurA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=M_O-xgGdJE7dPqQ0
If you have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to ask and I’ll try to answer! Thanks for watching!
Its a nice system for sure. Here in Canada, dealing with the water runoff that freezes is a challenge. Good slope and drainage is key.
Stay gold.
Thanks for the vid abroad now, will turn mine on remotely tonight
Cool tech - beautiful home
Thanks!
Chris... Another great video!
Thanks Laszlo! 😊 Got another one coming out tomorrow morning at 8!
Love these videos
Thanks man, appreciate you watching!
I want to get this done when we rebuilt our house. I wish there was a parts list and a comparison about the cost differences to install and run a gas system versus an electric system. Also, how many therms did this use - much more accurate to display that so others can calculate the real cost at their location.
I wish I had the skills to install something like this. Great job
Holy wow brother, good for you. You kept my attention for the video.
I like your channel and your high quality install 👍
I have an electric heated driveway and bridging is a real thing. I have tried a few different methods throughout the years. I mostly drive my car over it to crush it down when it's more snow than ice but in your case when it's solid ice I found that thinly spread ice melt, a tamper, a good shovel and of course some muscle do the trick. As a plumber on long island i can really appreciate the work you did. I had to go with electric because I didn't have the room to do a hydronic system. None of these systems are perfect but they sure do help a lot. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for your compliments D L. They mean a lot to me coming from a professional plumber. You're absolutely correct in that none of these systems are perfect, but they do help a lot! I'm curious how big of a driveway you're heating with your electric system, and how much power is needed? I am installing Solar Panels on the house this spring, and I've been thinking about adding electric loops to my front steps. I would love and feedback you have on the system your using, good or bad! Thanks!!
Kinda like watching grass growing.... After seeing that demonstration and you still need to shovel the "bridged ice" that remains after several hours. Your system looks great. Beautiful workmanship. Very neat and well organized. I'm just glad I'm in south Texas. Snow shovels are an unknown thing here. No retail stores have them. We just wait it out here. Normally it melts within a few hours.
you wouldn't have the bridging if you turned it on before the storm...but he was out of town.
I’m a new subscriber. I’m looking forward to learning more about the systems you have installed in your home. We might be building a new home and I want to get as much done during construction as I can.
I have a Noritz with a outdoor sensor that will kick on that zone when it gets below 32. I know you were away, but you've got to trust your system, it looks fantastic.my advice would be to heat that slab all winter, once it comes to temp it doesn't use that much gas to keep it there. Thanks
This looks like a great system
I’m going to get stuck in and binge watch all the install videos