Heat source
Diesel fuel
The most widely used type of snowmelters. Due to availability of fuel, possibility to achieve high capacity and provide mobility of snowmelters
Capacity range | Fuel consumption | Melting costs | Advantages | Drawbacks |
10 to 300 m3/h | 2.5 to 3 l per 1 m3 of snow | 70 to 90 rubles per 1 m3 of snow | Mobility, high capacity, safety and short payback period | Noisiness, availability of exhaust gases |
Natural gas
Design and operating principle is same as for the diesel snowmelter. A multifuel burner operating both on diesel fuel and gas can be installed. When using main natural gas, costs on melting are much less compared to use of diesel fuel. However, in this case only stationary snowmelter can be fitted.
Use of liquefied gas has no economic effect compared to main gas and requires large tanks for fuel storage.
Capacity range | Fuel consumption | Melting costs | Advantages | Drawbacks |
100 to 1000 m3/h | 1 m3 of gas per m3 of snow | 22 rubles per 1 m3 of snow | High capacity, low cost of melting | Absence of mobility, complicity of coordination, high level of danger, noisiness, availability of exhaust gases |
Heat supply systems (hot water supply, central heating, individual boiler room)
Heat exchanger of such snowmelter is cut in hot water supply or heating system of the building and part of energy is spent on melting snow. It is effective if temperature of heat carrier is higher than 80C.
Capacity range | Fuel consumption | Melting costs | Advantages | Drawbacks |
1 to 30 m3/h | 0.025 Gcal per m3 of snow | 20 to 30 rubles per 1 m3 of snow | Cheap source of energy, easy maintenance, noise-free | Low capacity, absence of mobility |
Electricity
Electric energy is converted to heat with the help of tubular electric heaters.Capacity range | Fuel consumption | Melting costs | Advantages | Drawbacks |
0.5 to 4 m3/h | 25 to 30 kW*h per 1 m3 of snow | 70 to 120 rubles per 1 m3 of snow | Easy maintenance, mobility, portability, noiselessness | High cost of melting, low capacity, requirement for free capacities |