Best alternatives to salt for the snow

"dogisbadob" (dogisbadob) 01/23/2016 at 10:20 • Filed to: None

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Salt makes everything rust, from our cars to the roads and other vital shit. So what are some better alternatives?

Installing some heated rods underneath the rpads would be a good idea.

How about spraying rubbing alcohol instead of salt? Freezing point is -128 F, and there are plenty of videos of ice melting alcohol in action. But would it cause any damage if sprayed in a manner or quantity needed to melt the roads and sidewalks?

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > dogisbadob 01/23/2016 at 10:23

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Alcohol wouldn’t work.

Salt doesn’t even work as well as imagined. You can freeze salt water.

Keeping the surface just above freezing (35-ish) is sufficient to keep snow from collecting and the water flowing, as long as drains are working.

Needmoargarage > dogisbadob 01/23/2016 at 10:24

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Some states use sand. It’s not as corrosive but doesn’t do much to change freezing temperatures...just helps with traction.

djmt1 > dogisbadob 01/23/2016 at 10:25

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No joke, my football (soccer) team has a bunch of flamethrowers they use to de-ice the area around the stadium on match day.

Birddog > dogisbadob 01/23/2016 at 10:27

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Salt or some form of it (like Beet juice and Brine) will always win because of cost.

jkm7680 > dogisbadob 01/23/2016 at 10:30

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weeeed

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > dogisbadob 01/23/2016 at 10:33

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Either a water-alcohol mix, or be smart and run piping in the concrete which holds a heated water-alcohol mix to keep the surface warm enough to prevent icing.

Berang > dogisbadob 01/23/2016 at 10:33

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If you put enough alcohol on the road to melt ice, you’d create one hell of a fire hazard.

Laserijk > dogisbadob 01/23/2016 at 10:45

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The truth is, there aren’t really any better alternatives. It’s instructive that many of the countries/states/provinces with the most snow don’t bother. Plow the snow as best you can, use snow tires, and drive with caution.

TheHondaBro > dogisbadob 01/23/2016 at 10:54

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Grit.

Oregon uses volcanic rock.

Twinpowermeansoneturbo > Berang 01/23/2016 at 10:58

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But if the roads catch fire, there definitely wouldnt be any problems with snow. Mission accomplished.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Needmoargarage 01/23/2016 at 11:30

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The issue is with cities. Come spring, it clogs up the sewers.

leicester > dogisbadob 01/23/2016 at 11:44

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Beet juice.

http://www.deeproot.com/blog/blog-entr…

gin-san - shitpost specialist > jkm7680 01/23/2016 at 11:54

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Nah that's for when you stay in on a snow day.

gin-san - shitpost specialist > TheHondaBro 01/23/2016 at 11:55

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This is really the only other option that I see used around here.

Rico > dogisbadob 01/23/2016 at 14:03

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It comes down to cost and there isn't anything cheaper than salt. It's easy to manufacture, easy to store and the equipment already exists. In a perfect futuristic world a heating element with proper drainage would work but it would take A LOT of energy to power a heating element of that size. Maybe have it solar charge a bank of batteries year round storing it until the winter.

dogisbadob > leicester 01/23/2016 at 14:18

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Doug Funnie approves!

dogisbadob > djmt1 01/23/2016 at 14:20

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hehehe match day, I see what you did there

Needmoargarage > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 01/23/2016 at 18:43

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Yup. And then everyone complains when their basement floods. I think if there was a cost effective solution that was less harmful to roads and vehicles than salt, it would be in use by now.

Agrajag > Berang 01/23/2016 at 20:28

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Not to mention all the hobos that would be licking the road.

Wait a minute... I’ll get some matches.