Free checklist
Snow melt system annual maintenance checklist
The annual snow melt system service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 6
- Photos required
- 10
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The hydronic service tech or the licensed electrician on the annual service, matched to whether the slab is fluid-heated or electric.
When in the schedule
Once a year in the off-season, when the fluid can be tested and topped or the electric circuits can be de-energized for insulation and ground-fault testing.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo that proves it
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.
Hydronic fluid and pump
- 2 photos
Glycol concentration and condition tested
Freeze protection of the mix measured against the design low temperature, fluid checked for pH or inhibitor breakdown and topped with the correct glycol, not water.
- 2 photos
Circulator pump and manifold zone flow serviced
Pump running without cavitation or seal weep, system purged of air, each manifold loop set and confirmed for balanced flow.
- 1 photo
Heat source and heat exchanger checked
Boiler or heat exchanger reaching supply temperature under load, no scaling or fouling starving the snow-melt loop, expansion and make-up in order.
Electric circuits and protection
- 2 photos
Slab heating circuits tested for continuity and insulation
Each mat or cable circuit read for continuity and insulation resistance against the manufacturer's expected values, no branch open or leaking to ground.
- 2 photos
Ground-fault equipment protection functionally tripped and reset
GFEP device tripped with its test function and confirmed to reset, contactors and connections checked for heat with the slab energized.
Freeze protection and integrity
- 1 photo
Freeze protection and drainage verified before winter
Exposed piping, sensors and drains protected, hydronic loops holding pressure or electric slab megger clean, whole system left ready for an automatic call.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Glycol never tested, so a diluted or degraded mix leaves the buried slab loops exposed the first hard freeze after a top-off with plain water.
- GFEP on an electric system never functionally tripped, so a nuisance-tripping or dead branch is only found when that stretch of slab won't clear.
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 10 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.
Submission state
The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.
Common questions
- What does this snow melt system annual checklist cover?
- 6 items across 3 sections, covering hydronic fluid and pump, electric circuits and protection, freeze protection and integrity. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The hydronic service tech or the licensed electrician on the annual service, matched to whether the slab is fluid-heated or electric.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Once a year in the off-season, when the fluid can be tested and topped or the electric circuits can be de-energized for insulation and ground-fault testing.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 10 of the 6 items call for photo evidence. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails a snow melt system annual inspection?
- Glycol never tested, so a diluted or degraded mix leaves the buried slab loops exposed the first hard freeze after a top-off with plain water. GFEP on an electric system never functionally tripped, so a nuisance-tripping or dead branch is only found when that stretch of slab won't clear.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident audit trail.
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