Living in an area that’s known as the “snow-belt” is a challenge.
- Our winter season often lingers for eight months or more.
The temperature remains below freezing the majority of the time and can even dip down to twenty-five below zero. The wind chill is actually dangerous. Most years, we accumulate an average of twelve feet of snow. It can snow several inches overnight. Along with constant shoveling and plowing, it’s difficult to figure out where to put all that snow. There’s a lot of time and effort involved in snow removal. It takes an extremely powerful heating system to keep the inside of the house nice and warm. I’m fortunate to have a boiler installed in my home that links to radiant floor heating. The equipment is entirely concealed under the floor and the heat is spread evenly from corner to corner. The heat rises slowly and avoids any cold spots or drafts. One of the best features of the boiler is that it also powers a snowmelt system. Very much like the radiant floor system inside, there are pipes concealed beneath the cement of the driveway, walkways and front steps. It starts up automatically in response to temperature drop and moisture. The heat spreads across the surface of the pavement and melts away the snow and ice. There’s no fear of slipping and falling. We don’t get wet feet and nobody needs to shovel or worry about where to put all the snow. The boiler handles the workload easily and operates very efficiently. It requires only annual maintenance and is wonderfully reliable.