Entry Door Freezing to Floor...Solution?

[bigleo48]

All,

When I built my wash, I installed floor heat. I have three zones, one in the mechanical room, one in the wash bay and deicing on the exterior pads. The entry door on the wet side of the building will freeze to the floor when it's really cold (and if not used for a while). Unfortunately, there is a cold spot at the bottom of the door between the bay floor and the entry pad that does not have a heat loop...so it's a little colder just under the door seal. So far I have been salting that spot to prevent the freezing. But if I don't and it gets really cold, the door may not open when someone buys a wash.

Any idea of a permanent solution? Like a heated strip or something?

Thanks in advance...BigLeo

 

[Waxman]

I'm interested in this, too.

What about some type of heat strip built into a sleeve that gets glued to the floor directly under the door?

You could attach a heat tape strip to the door bottom, but then you've gotta devise a way it will not interfere with door operation.

I'll ask my overhead door guy if he has any ideas.

 

[Warrior Wash]

I'll be watching this post, I have the exact same problem. I am also salting and using an ice spud to keep the ice away.

 

[Jeff_L]

Possibly run some type of metal pipe or conduit along the floor with heat tape inside? Fill the pipe with antifreeze and then insert the heat tape?

Just a couple of thoughts.

 

[Reds]

I have had this exact same problem too. I just bought and installed a "Waterguard Threshold" from Airlift Door Co. It has a set of grooves in the base of it so you can install heat tape if you want. It is about 1" thick. I am hoping that by installing the threshold (you have to adjust your door to close correctly on it) the door will be held 1" off of the floor and not freeze down. As a fallback position i can put heat tape in the grooves on the bottom of it. You have to anchor it down, so you need to watch that you don't puncture your pex tubing if you drill in anchors. I took pictures of my pex tube layout before the floors were poured so I was able to determine where my pex (hot water) lines were located. I won't know how it works or if I will need heat tape until it gets cold.

 

[soapy]

Many companies have a rubber threshold that you can install under the door. It has 2 chanels in the bottom that you can run a heat cable in. WHen the door is resting on the threshold the heat cable will keep it from freezing. Try american garage door or ultimate products. They both carry this.

 

[ted mcmeekin]

We set our doors to stop closure about 3/4 inch above floor. That size openeing has seemed insignificant to needed bay heat but we are in WV and may not have the challenges colder areas have. Don't get me wrong it freezes here alot but floor heat and bay tube heat keep it operable and with failrly low cost. We also installed 9 inches of insulation above bay ceiling. Good luck,. We had porblems with tracks but someone on forum gave us input on heat strips which we RTV'ed to outside of tracks and never again had that problem.

Ted
Ted

 

[AdamA]

This drove me crazy too, so I finally did two things that solved it:

1) Set the doors 1/2 inch up off of the floor, and,
2) Glued small wood blocks into the tracks on each side to keep the doors off of the floor if 1) doesn't work (cables stretch etc.)

Airlift and others also sell raised strips, as posted. Airlift suggested spraying plastic with Pam as a short term solution. Emphasis on short term

Good luck...hope this helps..Adam

BTW, my new wash has NO DOORS! YIPPEE!

 

[bigleo48]

Airlift and others also sell raised strips, as posted. Airlift suggested spraying plastic with Pam as a short term solution. Emphasis on short term

PAM might not work for long, but white lithium grease will last much longer!

BigLeo

 

[Waxman]

Hey Bigleo

Look in the Griots Garage catalog. They have a threshhold strip that is raised in the middle and tapers down from there. That way, the door comes down on the taper so I'm guessing it will not freeze.

Dunno...worth a look.

 

[bigleo48]

I was talking with my tech and he came up with what he feels is the only proper solution. Cut a groove in the floor and install a pexs line connected to the same manifold the outdoor pads are connected to. That would solve it once and for all!

BigLeo

 

[Reds]

I have pex heat lines under all my doors. But when it's zero or below, and there is a wind coming out of the north/northwest my entry doors will sometimes freeze shut. I have had customers call me (my cell phone # is posted on the Unitec) and I had them give the door a kick at the bottom and they popped open. It is generally a problem when the door has been sitting in a closed position for several hours. I am hoping that the Airlift threshold, which holds the door off of the floor and drains the water away from it will eliminate this problem.

 

[dogwasher]

Many companies have a rubber threshold that you can install under the door. It has 2 chanels in the bottom that you can run a heat cable in. WHen the door is resting on the threshold the heat cable will keep it from freezing. Try american garage door or ultimate products. They both carry this.

This is a interesting post as Im looking for that threshold that holds the heat tape. I just looked at the american garage door or ultimate products web sites and couldnt find the product? I spoke with a dealer the other day and got a price on the air (whatever there name was) strip that your all talking about and the price was $541.00 for 4 10' lengths! Sound High?

 

[Reds]

I bought mine in Oct. '07 - one year ago. I bought them direct from Airlift, over the phone, and paid $258. for two 10' lengths. They had to cut them in 5' pieces to ship them via UPS. I think that's outrageous for a couple pieces of plastic. But to the best of my knowledge they are the only company that makes these thresholds, so they have you by the short hairs. My only consolation is that I think they will cure my problem without the heat tape installed. They hold the door up and have enough pitch on them that the part where the door rests does not hold any water. If I have to I will install the heat tape. When you install them watch out for pex tubing that may be running under your door.

 

[mjwalsh]

deicer response with a drain option twist

I was talking with my tech and he came up with what he feels is the only proper solution. Cut a groove in the floor and install a pexs line connected to the same manifold the outdoor pads are connected to. That would solve it once and for all!

BigLeo

BigLeo,

About 10 years ago when we changed to our polycarbonate overhead doors the water drip down created much more ice & threshold freezeups. We tied into our deicer system & it was one of the better long term solutions we have ever done.

For our "still in construction" dogwash we checked into a high efficiency low voltage deicer system for small areas to protect the drains. I was quoted verbally one thing over the phone from the company but I insisted upon a written estimate & I found out that the amount of money they required was way more than the impression they gave over the phone. We haven't tested those 2 tiny areas yet but it should work. We actually finally used some hydraulic hose with the smallest bend radius that we could find instead of pex because we were not familiar with the pex fittings etc. I really don't think we will have a problem with the choice of hydraulic hose instead of tubing but time will tell. I know the hydraulic hose has a 4,000 psi rating so I it seems like it would be more fail safe than pex. From experience, the crimps should be tested & verified as having been done properly though...just in case.

Out of curiosity-----anybody ever fish waterproof heat tape through a drain pipe that passes through the outdoors----seems like an option? The heat tape would be accessible to re-run in case of a tough but very infrequent plug up.

 

[bigleo48]

I have purchased the threshold strips from Airlift. I will install these and see how it goes. If need be, I'll install the heat strip.

Thanks all for your comments!
BigLeo

 

[dogwasher]

Leo, did you purchase them direct from AirLift? What was the cost?
Thanks

 

[whitebirch]

Interesting about leaving the doors up a small amount. But, I have lots of ice that forms at the top of the door that prevents it from opening even when they are closed all the way. Has anyone put a strip of heat tape across the top of the doors?

Thanks