Installation – ‘Heatizon’ Snow Melt System
The snowmelt system can be installed during construction or can be retrofitted to an existing deck installation.
The only basic requirements are the availability of a nearby electrical outlet, a suitable for the control panel, and a clearance of at least 1.75″ from the underside of the pavers to the substrate to accommodate the insulation layer and ensure good drainage under the pavers.
Each ‘Heatizon’ under deck snowmelt heating system is custom designed based on the site configuration. Details drawings are provided to show the layout of the heating cables. It is essential to follow the installation layout design provided for your specific project.
A typical paver and cable layout design will look like the drawing on the left.
Installation Guidelines
Lay out the pedestals in the approximate final location. Note that pavers need to be installed one row at a time to allow adequate access for work.
Place the 4” wide aluminum brackets to support the insulation sheet and tray between adjacent pedestals and resting on the pedestal heads. Brackets are laid perpendicular to the cable runs.
Pedestals with brackets in place
Once the first two rows of brackets are in place, lay the polyurethane insulation sheet over the brackets.
Place the aluminum trays with V shaped channels for the heating element over the insulation sheet with the channels for the heating element all aligned in the same direction. The tray should be slightly smaller than a paver to allow for expansion and contraction of the metal.
Insulation and aluminum tray in place
Start the cable run where specified on the layout provided, following the Hott-Wire MI Cable instructions when laying. Cables are laid along each channel and taped in place with heavy duty aluminum tape, running the cables the full length of the area to be heated and looping back the cable at the end of the paved area via the adjacent channel.
Electrical cables taped in place
When running cables from one channel to the next or when a boundary wall is reached, bend the cables in an arc to make a return. Do not allow the heating element to touch any roofing materials if installed on a roof deck.
Where heating cable turns must be made against a wall or where a partial paver is used, the tray must be cut 5” shorter than the paver to allow for heating element turns to be made.
Cable return bends at wall
Attach PVC jacketed copper sheath cold leads to exit the final tray and run to the power source, ensuring all local building codes are followed when running cold leads.
Carefully place the pavers on top of the tray, ensuring all cables are tightly secured within the channels of the tray.
Pavers placed over tray
Install the required controllers, timer or aerial snow switch. Typically the snow melt system will be operated by a controller which activates heating when moisture is detected and the temperature is below a selectable set point in the range 34° – 44° F. The controller will typically provide an adjustable delay off cycle, either 30-90 minutes or 2-6 hours.