Question: What runs a radiant snowmelt system?
At the heart of most radiant snowmelt systems is a boiler....
Answer: A boiler heats the water in most radiant snowmelt systems, and pumps circulate it through the tubing -- a form of radiant heating, but for the outdoors! The whole process is regulated by controls, so that heat won't be wasted. Control schemes vary in sophistication. At the low end are manually operated "on/off" controls, while the more sophisticated control schemes are automated.
Note that, while most radiant snowmelt systems run this way, not all do. The Webmaster for Heatizon Systems wrote in to inform me of a type of radiant snowmelt system that's not based on heated water. His company deals in radiant snowmelt systems that are based, instead, on "low voltage electric radiant heat technology."
