How It Works-THAWING |
The versatile Ground Heater® - solves cold weather construction problems! Ground Heaters®' dry, radiant, hydronic heat is economical and easy to use!
- Thaw frozen ground for excavation and concrete placements
- Thaw up to 1 foot deep per day!
- Accurately quote winter construction jobs
- Deliver projects on time
- Keep crews and equipment working all winter
- Protect exposed footings from frost heaving
- No need to build temporary roads.. adjacent ground stays frozen
Problem:
Ice in the soil!
Know Your Dirt! Ice Content of Frozen Soils
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Gravel 5 to 7 lbs. in 1 cu. ft. |
Sand 14 to 18 lbs. in 1 cu. ft. |
Clay 16 to 22 lbs. in 1 cu. ft. |
Silt 15 to 52 lbs. in 1 cu. ft. |
| Up to 1,001 Btu's required to melt ice |
Up to 2,574 Btu's required to melt ice |
Up to 3,146 Btu's required to melt ice |
Up to 7,436 Btu's required to melt ice |
| Melting ice requires 143 Btu's per pound! |
Frost Facts
- Soil does not freeze
- Water in soil freezes
- Ice binds soil
- Melting ice requires 143 Btu's per pound!
Ground Heater® System
| 94% of the heat is conducted into frozen ground! |
- Thaws at a fast rate - typically 1 ft. deep per day
- Achieves up to 10' thaw depth per application
- No temporary enclosure to build
- Uses fuel efficiently; fuel costs per cu. ft. thawed:
= less than 1¢
= 37¢ - Requires minimal supervision
- Utilizes BTU's efficiently with minimal heat loss
Hot Air System
| Only 15% of the heat is conducted into the frozen ground! |
- Limited thaw depth
- Requires building costly temporary enclosures
- Requires noisy propane heaters
- Creates outrageous propane bills
- Emits noxious fumes into enclosure
- Requires constant supervision
Thawing 6,000 sq. ft., 3 ft. deep
| System | Hot Air |
Ground Heater | |
| Time | 25 days | OWN 3 Days |
RENT 3 Days |
| Equipment/labor/ materials cost |
$2,877 | $530 | $1,436 |
| Fuel Cost | $6,600 | $132 | $132 |
| Total Job cost | $9,477 | $662 | $1,568 |
| Cost/cu. ft. | 52.7¢ | 3.7¢ | 8.7¢ |
NOTE: Figures above are based on average rates/costs. Actual rates/cost incurred may vary depending upon geographical location.
Ground Heater® out-performs hot air!
Thawing 6,000 sq. ft., 3 ft. deep
Time 8:1
Fuel Cost 50:1
Overall Cost 14:1
- Prepare Site Scrape snow and ice from thaw site.
- Position Heat Transfer Hose Space hose 2 feet on center over thaw site area. A closed system, only heat goes into ground.
- Lay Poly Vapor Barrier Place minimum 3 mil poly vapor barrier to contain water vapor.
- Prevents loss of heat
- Keeps soil moist for better heat conduction
- Keeps hoses and blankets clean
- Place Insulation Blankets
- Prevent heat loss and direct heat into ground. Requires 2 to 3 layers of high R value blankets.
- Thaw fast - typically 1 foot deep/ day!
- Thaw cheap - as low as 3.7¢/cu. ft.
- Thaw deep - up to 10 feet/application
- Thaw easy - no enclosures to build; set up is simple
- Thaw large areas - up to 12,000 sq. ft./application
- Thaw safe - certified in the US and Canada