Orland Park, Illinois, experiences especially long and difficult winters. We see an average snow accumulation of thirty inches per year, which is higher than the national average. We can expect to see snow every month from October through April. In January, we get more than fourteen inches. The snow creates some problems. Shoveling and plowing are time-consuming, labor-intensive jobs that often need to be repeated multiple times in a single day. If snow removal is neglected, the driveway quickly becomes impassable. There is also the issue of where to put all the snow. Plowing it into gigantic piles takes up a great deal of space and blocks access to the garage. With temperatures regularly dropping below freezing or even below zero, spending any length of time outdoors is both unpleasant and dangerous. I’ve solved all of these concerns by installing a snow melt system. I have a boiler heating system for my home. The boiler works by heating up water and sending it through a system of pipes concealed beneath the floors. The snow melt system operates much the same way. There is a network of tubes hidden under the pavement of the driveway, walkways and front step. When the snow melt system senses the combination of moisture and temperature drop, it automatically starts up. As hot water flows through the pipes, the pavement warms up and snow and ice melts away. There is no work involved. There is no more worry over slipping and falling on icy pavement. Because the boiler is especially energy efficient, operating the snow melt system isn’t overly expensive.