Hydronic Heater Rental for Ground Thawing & Industrial Heating Solutions

Using a ground thaw heater involves several steps:

• Preparing the site – Remove any debris or snow from the frozen ground.
• Place the hose or panels – Lay down the hydronic heating hoses or heat transfer panels directly on the area to be thawed.
• Circulate heat – The heater will pump heated glycol-based fluid through the hoses or panels, transferring warmth to the frozen ground.
• Monitor and adjust – Depending on soil conditions and frost depth, it may take some adjustment to thaw the ground optimally.
• Begin construction – Once the ground reaches the required temperature, construction work can start.

Hydronic ground thaw heaters are significantly more efficient than traditional heating methods, such as direct-fired heaters or steam-based thawing. For example, hydronic heaters:

• Operate at up to 83% efficiency compared to indirect air heaters, which run at about 70% efficiency.
• Increase fuel savings by 15-20% due to their increased efficiency.
• Provide even, controlled heating, preventing overheating in some areas while leaving others frozen.
• Emit clean, dry heat, avoiding moisture-related issues common with direct-fired, open-flame heaters.

The time required to fully thaw an area depends on environmental conditions, as well as the scalability of the heating solution. Customized heating plans can be tailored to specific project needs, considering factors such as:

• Size of the area – More units can be added as needed.
• Frost depth – Units can be configured for deeper penetration if required.
• Project timeline – Heating intensity and distribution can be adjusted to accelerate thawing where necessary.
• Energy efficiency goals – Rightsized solutions prevent overuse of fuel while maintaining optimal performance.

Our hydronic ground thaw heaters can cover a wide area. The actual coverage depends on the number of units deployed and the ground conditions.

Multiple units can be deployed together to cover larger areas or speed up thawing times when using modular and scalable units. This means that instead of waiting for one unit to complete a job, multiple heaters can be arranged to operate in parallel, significantly reducing the overall time needed for large-scale ground thawing.

The fastest and most efficient way to thaw frozen ground is to use a hydronic ground thaw heater. This heater circulates heated glycol through hoses or panels placed on the surface or into drilled holes, allowing the heat to penetrate deep into the frozen soil.

This not only delivers consistent heating, working faster than alternatives like direct-fired heaters or salt-based thawing, but it can also be scaled up for large surface areas.

The exact duration depends on the depth of frost and weather conditions. However, on average, light frost (under six inches) can thaw in just a few hours, while heavy frost (over four feet) can take several days to a week.

Using a hydronic ground thaw heater speeds up this process compared to natural thawing, which can take several weeks.

Aggreko provides hydronic ground thaw heaters that use a closed-loop system to deliver consistent, efficient heat across surfaces. Our solutions:

• Operate at up to 83% efficiency, reducing fuel consumption.
• Offer scalable heating solutions for both small-scale and larger projects.
• Support various fuel options to align with your sustainability goals.
• Can be used for ground thawing, concrete curing, and temporary heating in cold environments.

We offer hydronic and ground thaw heaters in multiple sizes to suit your project – choose from the 400,000 or 900,000 BTU ground thaw heaters or the 900,000 or 1,200,000 BTU hydronic heaters.