Learning how to choose the right ice dam removal equipment is very important if you are hiring a company, or, if you are considering starting an ice dam removal company. Using low pressure steam is the safest and best way to remove ice dams with no damage. Using a hot pressure washer on a roof is NEVER a good idea! Please study the graph below to learn how to choose the right ice dam removal equipment. Hot pressure washers are good for their intended uses (impact cleaning) but not for ice dam removal. Hot pressure washers cannot generally produce and maintain steam temperatures or low enough pressure to be considered safe for ice dam removal. Pressure washers can easily cut through roofing materials! (The graph below is used with permission from its owner)
Note; There are many brands of steamers and pressure washers so you must read the entire graph to learn how to choose correctly. Hot water pressure washers can look very similar to certain brands of steamers. With that being said it is important to know how to identify the differences.
Tips: (these statements are the opinion of IDSAFE)
1) A low pressure steamer should never have a trigger on the gun!
2) A low pressure steamer will never need to be connected to hot water!
3) A low pressure steamer should never have a colored plastic tip on the gun!
Pressure washers usually do not have enough feet of coil inside or enough BTUs (British Thermal Units) to convert the water into steam and this makes them bad for ice dam removal. Please do not let any slick talkers convince you that a hot pressure washer is safe for ice dam removal. If you still have questions after studying this graph please call IDSAFE # 612-460-0474 or contact us for clarification. We eagerly await the opportunity to educate, after all that is what we designed this association to do, educate!
Check out this new video showing why colored plastic tips are not safe for removing ice dams from a roof.
Please examine the image below after watching the video. The picture is a cross section or cut view of two types of nozzles. The pipe nozzle expands the spray and retains the heat and makes it gentle while the other nozzle compresses the spray, dissipates the heat and becomes dangerous.