Professional ice melter with different ways to melt ice such as anti-icing systems and deicers

Anti-Icing is the application of a liquid de-icer prior to the onset of snow. There is a lot of misinformation in the marketplace about anti-icing, what it does, and what to expect.

What is Anti-Icing?
Anti-icing, when done properly, will melt the first centimeter or two of snow; no more. It is intended to only prevent the bond of snow and ice freezing to the road surface. That in turn reduces the opportunity for “hard-pack” to develop.

Why is Anti-Icing a good thing?
The benefit of anti-icing is that it takes a quantum leap towards preventing hard-packed snow in most cases, and it gives the snow-fighter a jump on effectiveness because when a surface has an anti-icing treatment, the first pass of the plow will usually yield black and wet pavement beneath the cutting edge. Normally, a fine slick icy glaze is what is left behind under the cutting edge of the plow in the initial stages of snow-fighting. Friction coefficients are dramatically improved with black and wet pavement when compared to icy and glazed pavement. These benefits are obvious.

Will Anti-Icing melt the first few inches of snow as if falls?
Only if you believe in the Easter Bunny. The claims by some companies that their product will melt the first few inches of snow are pretty bold. If the snow is a light, low moisture content, high elevation fluff of two inches of “Utah Diamonds” than maybe anti-icing can put a pretty good dent in it, but our experience is one centimeter. That’s less than a half an inch. Our experience is more with the snows of the Northeast – what we like to call “New England Bulletproof Powder Snow”. It’s very similar to concrete before it sets up, and if not attacked with the right tools and chemicals, it IS concrete when it DOES set up. Our anti-icing strategies will help you get the most bang for your buck.

Can we stop using salt and just use liquid to control our snow and ice?
No. Not in our experience. Liquids are just another tool in the arsenal of snow-fighting tools. They are not the end all and they cannot provide the same level and effectiveness of snow and ice control as dry products in our experience. Perhaps in arid high altitude areas, liquids could work alone, but in the weather conditions of areas where the population is, liquids are only another tool in the snow-fighter’s tool box.

How is Meltsnow.com different from everyone else?
We are different because we are not pushing any one product. We offer just about every chemical that is used in snow-fighting, and accordingly, we try to tailor our suggestions to your specific situation. For example, if you want to perform anti-icing applications in your watershed district, then we will work with you to understand your limitations and design a strategy that will work to minimize any negative impact while providing effective treatment; sodium intrusion into your watershed may be problematic for people with hypertension so we would recommend a non-sodium anti-icing product and strategy.

We will not sell an anti-icing product to anyone that is trying to apply it without ground speed controllers on the application equipment. Performing anti-icing applications with a tank and pump and no ground speed control is a formula for disaster. You must carefully apply our products at very specific application rates. That can only be accomplished with ground speed controls on your application equipment. Think of it in this context: if you set up a tank, pump and “dribble bar” to dispense liquid for anti-icing, and you plan to treat at a rate of 25 gallons per lane mile, then what speed do you need to drive that truck to achieve the desired delivery at the rate your system is pumping? What happens if you travel at 30% slower speed due to traffic conditions? If you reduce your speed by 30% off your theoretical target speed, and you don’t reduce your application rate accordingly to match the slower speed, then you will over-treat! That could mean the difference between a safe driving surface and a virtual skating rink. What about approaches, stop signs, and lights? Does your anti-icing equipment control the flow to the spray bar when the truck stops and slows down? If not, then you are likely going to make a far more dangerous slippery condition at these critical points from over treatment, than if you had done nothing at all.

We have been involved in liquid de-icing systems for over 25 years. While many think that this is a new technology, it’s not. We sold the first liquid system ever used in New England to the City of Haverhill, Mass in 1981, and since then we’ve sold thousands of systems both on-board and stationary. We understand how these systems work, we can integrate them with RWIS technologies, and we can help you to develop an effective snow and ice strategy that employs liquid de-icers.

We carefully evaluate each customer’s needs, and then make suggestions as to which products will work best for their particular environment. Speaking of the environment, we have and entire line of environmentally friendly ice melt products which are state approved for use in zone one watershed areas as well as areas adjacent to wetlands and fragile ecosystems. Safe for pets and your well water, our products deliver performance where you need it. Snow and ice management is a balancing act and we can help you to balance your liquid de-icer use with the precision of a high wire performer.