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