The homeowners in Elmhurst, IL, wanted to ensure their new rear walkway remained safe and accessible throughout the harsh Chicago winter, completely eliminating the labor of manual shoveling and the corrosive mess of salt. WarmlyYours designed and supplied a full-coverage Snow Melt Cable system, embedding it directly into the newly poured concrete. The solution provides hands-off snow removal, ensuring the path is always clear and reducing liability, all while being remarkably energy efficient compared to the cost of time and labor.
Project Details
- Location: Elmhurst, IL
- Heated Space Type: Rear Walkway (Outdoor, New Concrete)
- Square Footage: 101 sq. ft.
- System Wattage/Volts/Amps: 4,750 W, 240 V, 19 A
- Operating Cost Per Hour: $0.69
- $6.46 per day (assuming 8 hours of run time)
- $32.30 per month (based on 5 days of operation)
- Products Used: WarmlyYours Snow Melt Cable and In-Ground Junction Box
- Coverage: Full Coverage, 3.0-inch spacing
Automated Winter Safety for a New Walkway
The installation coincided with the construction of a new rear walkway, offering the ideal opportunity to integrate a permanent snow removal solution. The homeowners' primary challenge was winter maintenance—they wanted to protect their investment, avoid the back-breaking work of shoveling, and eliminate slip-and-fall hazards on a high-traffic area.
WarmlyYours addressed this by providing the Snow Melt Cable designed for embedding in concrete. The installation involved securing the cable at the optimal 3.0-inch spacing before the concrete was poured, ensuring full, even coverage across the 101 sq. ft. area. The system is controlled by the same unit governing the adjacent driveway, creating a completely integrated, automated winter safety solution. The outcome is an always-clear path, offering unmatched convenience and peace of mind all winter long.
Featured Products
- WarmlyYours Snow Melt Cable (240V): Durable, high-performance heating cable specifically designed for embedding in concrete, asphalt, or mortar. It is engineered to melt snow and ice quickly and efficiently.
- Outdoor Snow Melting Junction Box - Large (SM-JBOX-IG-L): A robust, in-ground rated junction box used to safely and securely splice the cold leads from the heating cables to the power line.
- SCA-DUAL Advanced Snow Melt Control: The central command unit for the system. This NEMA 4X weather-resistant control box automatically activates the system when it senses snow or ice and the temperature is below 38 ($3.3). It features an adjustable hold-on timer (up to 8 hours) to ensure the surface is completely dry after precipitation stops, minimizing operating costs.
- AIR-SS Aerial-Mounted Snow Sensor: A crucial component that detects both ambient air temperature and precipitation. Mounted in an unobstructed outdoor location, it sends a low-voltage signal to the SCA-DUAL control to activate the snow melting system only when snow or ice is actually accumulating, ensuring the system runs efficiently.
- RLY-8PL-CC Medium Relay Panel: Since the walkway system's amperage (19A) is high, a relay panel is used to safely manage the electrical load. This NEMA 1-rated indoor panel uses ultra-silent power relays to switch the high-voltage power to the heating elements, allowing a single control unit (SCA-DUAL) to safely manage a large or multi-zoned snow melting installation.
- SMP Snow Melt Mat (Optional for Simpler Areas): (Note: While a cable was used for the walkway, the mat is a common snow melting product.) The Snow Melt Mat features the same high-output cable pre-attached to a mesh backing. This format is ideal for fast and simple installation in rectangular areas like standard driveways or patios under concrete, asphalt, or pavers.
