 CCatWe're all quite mad here
MVM
join:2005-12-06
Wonderland |
CCat
MVM
2015-Feb-9 6:51 pm
[Environmental] Home Made Ice MelterWas looking around for how to get rid of ice in my driveway and I ran across this. I'm going to give it a try Wednesday. Thought it might be of interest for you northerners. And its really cheap and easy to make. » www.wyff4.com/news/how-t ··· 24464376 |
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 Willy
Premium Member
join:2000-09-24
USA |
Willy
Premium Member
2015-Feb-9 10:19 pm
[Environmental] Re: Home Made Ice MelterNothing on the link for me. |
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CCatWe're all quite mad here
MVM
join:2005-12-06
Wonderland |
CCat
MVM
2015-Feb-9 10:24 pm
I just tried it, it works for me.
Video shows up.
There are 3 ingredients for making this ice melt solution:
1. One quart of lukewarm water
2. Three drops of dish washing detergent
3. One ounce of rubbing alcohol
Just mix and pour into a spray container for easy application, or just dump it on. |
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The dish washing liquid is a surfactant and the alcohol is a freezing point suppressor. Because of the latter it's slightly better than plain hot water, but I'm not sure by how much. |
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CCatWe're all quite mad here
MVM
join:2005-12-06
Wonderland |
CCat
MVM
2015-Feb-10 12:19 am
I'll let you know how it works out.
I have about 2" of ice on the apron of my drive. |
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 Gbcue
Premium Member
join:2001-09-30
Santa Rosa, CA |
Gbcue
Premium Member
2015-Feb-10 12:26 am
Get a propane torch. They're quite cheap at Harbor Freight. » www.harborfreight.com/pr ··· 033.html |
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CCatWe're all quite mad here
MVM
join:2005-12-06
Wonderland |
CCat
MVM
2015-Feb-10 1:43 am
I looked at those also.
Have to see if the solution works first. |
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 PoloDude
Premium Member
join:2006-03-29
Aiken, SC |
to CCat
You are going to need much more than a quart to melt 2" of ice covering a driveway apron. |
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 norton
join:2005-08-03
Howard City, MI ·T-Mobile
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to CCat
We moved further north 2 winters ago and have a 3/4 mile gravel private road. When it ices up the best melt or friction additive is gravel dug from side of hill and spread on slick spots. This lasts over next several snow storms a n d passes by plow. |
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 SparkChaser
Premium Member
join:2000-06-06
Downingtown, PA |
to CCat
It's basically windshield ice remover. I'd have to get a barrel of C3H8O to do my drive. Of course, I could set it on fire. |
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to CCat
How big and how steep is your drive way? And what are the usual temperatures and amount of snow? Sand or gravel on the slick spots may be better and cheaper. |
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ke4pym
Premium Member
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC
4 recommendations |
to CCat
I hooked up a garden hose to my Rinnai tankless water heater and went to town on my drive way. |
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CCatWe're all quite mad here
MVM
join:2005-12-06
Wonderland |
to aurgathor
My drive is about 16' x 60' with a very slight incline.
I live about 20 miles SW of Cleveland, Ohio. Conditions here vary a lot because of the lake.
I have about 2' x 16' left that needs to be done. The rest of the drive is clear.
Its going up to about 39 degrees Wed or Thu, that should help.
The reason I want to clear it is so that the snow thrower (just got a new one) doesn't go bouncing all over the place.
I just need to get it softened up so that I can break it up and shovel it out. |
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 ·Consolidated Com..
·Republic Wireless
 ·Hollis Hosting
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to norton
said by norton: have a 3/4 mile gravel private road. We are in a similar situation with a 600 foot gravel driveway. We heat with cord wood so save the ash. It is amazing how much traction you get by spreading a little bit of ash on ice. Plus the ash is darker so when the sun comes out it speeds up melting and forms pits reducing slipperiness. Plus it is more environmentally friendly than salt. It does tend to track but we try to only use a little by entrance doors and we have a walkout basement so try to leave most of the dirt down there. /tom |
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 ptrowskiGot Helix?
Premium Member
join:2005-03-14
Woodstock, CT
2 recommendations |
to CCat
So you can make soapy ice? Sounds legit.  |
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CCatWe're all quite mad here
MVM
join:2005-12-06
Wonderland
1 recommendation |
CCat
MVM
2015-Feb-10 11:55 am
said by ptrowski:So you can make soapy ice? Sounds legit.  |
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 Msradell
Premium Member
join:2008-12-25
Louisville, KY |
to ke4pym
said by ke4pym:I hooked up a garden hose to my Rinnai tankless water heater and went to town on my drive way. $$$ If you driveway has any size to it at all that's going to cost you a fortune! |
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contsole
Premium Member
join:2003-12-30
Newington, CT |
to Gbcue
I got the 500,000 btu one from Northern Tool. Melts snow like crazy. On ice, well, it makes it wet - that's it. I couldn't believe it. I just wanted to clear some steps without using salt it it simply didn't work. |
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to CCat
TV reporters are the absolute dumbest of the dumb. So about a quart is going to clear about a 6-8" spot? |
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1 recommendation |
to CCat
Ice has a heat of fusion of 144 BTU per pound. The density of ice is about 60 pounds per cubic foot. Hence your 2' x 16' x 2" driveway apron of ice weighs about 2*16*(2/12)*60=320 pounds. Hence it will require 320*144=46080 BTU to melt. Propane is 21000 BTUs per pound. If you could get, say, 20% of the heat from the propane torch to work at melting the ice, then a small (20-lb) propane tank should be fine. |
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PoloDude
Premium Member
join:2006-03-29
Aiken, SC |
to CCat
Edit dup post by accident. |
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Willy
Premium Member
join:2000-09-24
USA |
Willy to CCat
Premium Member
2015-Feb-10 10:07 pm
to CCat
said by CCat:I just tried it, it works for me.
Video shows up. Yep, tried it again and it works. Not sure how many quarts the Bostonians need for their current situation |
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 Anonymous_Anonymous
Premium Member
join:2004-06-21
127.0.0.1 |
to CCat
Best Ice melter is to move to a area that is warmer I'm enjoying the upper 60s to low 70s here...
I might go swimming if it warms up any more |
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ke4pym
Premium Member
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC |
to Msradell
said by Msradell 
$$$ If you driveway has any size to it at all that's going to cost you a fortune!
[/bquote :It really didn't. No more so than a normal bill. Helps that that water heater is 96% efficent. |
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3 recommendations |
to CCat
Re: [Environmental] Home Made Ice MelterGasoline and matches.
"Hold my beer. Watch this!" |
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ptrowskiGot Helix?
Premium Member
join:2005-03-14
Woodstock, CT |
to Willy
Re: [Environmental] Re: Home Made Ice Melter5 bajillion gallons. Currently the snow is up past my waist. Awesome. |
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to capecoddah
Re: [Environmental] Home Made Ice Meltersaid by capecoddah:Gasoline and matches.
"Hold my beer. Watch this!" LOL. Go red neck, their solutions are always the quickest and easiest. Almost always a "Watch this moment". |
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CCatWe're all quite mad here
MVM
join:2005-12-06
Wonderland |
CCat
MVM
2015-Feb-11 6:34 pm
UpdateThis stuff is the greatest thing since........ NOTNot even close to what was shown in the video. Might give the beer and matches a try though...sounds like fun.  |
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icewut to ke4pym
Anon
2015-Feb-11 8:47 pm
to ke4pym
Re: [Environmental] Re: Home Made Ice MelterHot water freezes faster than cold... if you were in a cold climate not NC all you would do is make nice SMOOTH ice...
The roads are pounded with salt... using a little in your yard is not going to destroy the world...
Ash, sand, etc... as long as the sun hits can melt the snow right down. |
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rody_44
Premium Member
join:2004-02-20
Quakertown, PA |
to capecoddah
Re: [Environmental] Home Made Ice Melter Gasoline and matches is effective at mowing the lawn also. So your good for both winter and summer with that method. |
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