Propane Vs. Electric

When it comes to heating and thawing large outdoor areas, there are usually three or four methods to choose from. Gas (propane), Hydronic (glycol), Chemical (salts), or my personal favorite – Electric Heat (Powerblanket). Although all four methods may seem reasonable solutions for heating and thawing, closer examination concludes that the Powerblanket is a superior technology for delivering a barrier of heat to frozen ground and ice.  Let’s take a closer look by examining the other 3 first-

PROPANE GROUND THAWING HEATERS:  

Propane Ground Heaters are simple “open flame” systems that place propane gas flames directly to frozen ground and ice.  Bulky, difficult to move, and only work on small areas.  Trying to heat a large area with a flame would be cost prohibitive.  Fuel can also get very expensive.  Wouldn’t be our first choice for thawing or melting snow.

Two of the more popular systems are the “Bubba Burner” and  the “Thaw Dawg.

 

 

HYDRONIC GLYCOL THAWING SYSTEMS:

Portable hydronic heaters were originally introduced about 12 years ago to the construction market as ground thawing equipment. They were designed to help contractors stay busy through the frozen winter months by taking the frost out of the ground. But industrious contractors soon learned that hydronic heaters could be used to allow concrete pouring through winter as well.  As concrete cures, it puts out heat. The warmer the concrete, the faster it cures. When it’s frozen or very cold, concrete can stop curing altogether.

Park the trailer close to the area you want heated and start up the boiler to begin heating the glycol solution.  The boiler uses propane or diesel to eat the glycol and stores it in an insulated holding tank.  Lay out the hoses in a snake-like pattern with rows two to four fet apart depending on the amount of heat desired.  Attach both ends of the hose to the distribution manifold on the trailer to form a continuous loop. Cover the area with insulating blankets to maximize the heating effect and avoid heat loss. Open the valve and let the heated glycol solution start to flow.

THAWING WITH SALTS & CHEMICLAS:

When you add salt to water, you introduce dissolved foreign particles into the water. The freezing point of water becomes lower as more particles are added until the point where the salt stops dissolving. For a solution of table salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) in water, this temperature is -21°C (-6°F) under controlled lab conditions. In the real world, on a real sidewalk, sodium chloride can melt ice only down to about -9°C (15°F).  Also take into consideration what happens when you add all those chemicals into the water table, and you soon start to realize how ineffective and harmful salts can be. 

POWERBLANKET HEAT SPREADING TECHNOLOGY:

Powerblanket uses an internal heat spreading material to transfer heat to large areas of frozen ground and curing concrete.  Their patented designs allow low amounts of electric energy to be transfered into heat energy which is transfered to these heat spreading materials.  When applied to frozen ground or curing concrete, the results are phenomenal.  Roll it out, plug it in, and Powerblanket heats and thaws on contact – delivering a barrier of warmth to any surface.  Water & snow resistant, and now UL / CSA approved.  Powerblanket uses a standard 110V wall outlet and costs pennies a day to operate.  Powerblanket manufacturing plants are located in Salt Lake City and they can be reached by calling toll free 877-927-6432 or visit them online at www.powerblanket.com -

Call Powerblanket: 877-927-6432

Ground Thawing Tips

For those of us that work in cold winter climates, we basically have two options available… close down shop for the winter or figure out a way to thaw frozen ground.  Keeping a construction crew productive requires us to be ready for anything mother nature can throw at us.  When temperatures dip below zero (like they have been this winter season), the life of a construction contractor gets very interesting.  One of my favorite tools for winter construction is a new product called the Powerblanket.  The guys over at Powerblanket have figured out a way to build a heavy duty outdoor construction blanket that runs off a standard 20 amp / 120V plug.  Their Extra Hot models get upwards of 150° F and can thaw up to 18″ of hard frozen ground in a 24 hour period.  Roll it out, plug it in, and walk away.  Powerblanket’s unique heat spreading technology delivers a barrier of heat to tough frozen ground and traps the heat with a layer of insulation.  The end result is a faster more economical thawing solution.  As frozen ground, ice, and snow melt… the heated moisture continues working its way deeper and deeper into the soil until thawing reaches required depths allowing you to begin excavation or concrete work.  They also offer 70° concrete curing blankets and a complete line of Multi-Duty Thaw & Cure blankets that double as a ground thawing and concrete curing solution.

Powerblanket is a UL/CSA rated product and is built with a vinyl outer shell rated to -20°F.  They alo provide an optional blue vinyl that is rated to -60°F.   Discounts are available for quantity orders and resellers.  I have listed several of their most popular ground thawing and ice removal blankets below.  Powerblanket can be reached by calling 877-927-6432 and have several hundred distributors in the US & Canada who stock and/or resell their heated blankets.  Powerblanket is powered by Green Heat Technology.

	3′ x 25′ Multi-Duty HEAT, THAW, CURE
	11′ x 23′ Multi-Duty HEAT, THAW, CURE
	6′ x 12′ Extra-Hot MONSTER THAWER
	4′ x 9′ Extra-Hot HEAT & THAW
	4′ x 5′ Extra-Hot Engine Warmer

Find a Powerblanket Distributor near you