This flexible plastic chute and ducting attaches to the output chute of a snowblower. The duct leads to a drum on wheels that trails behind/beside said snowblower. An on-board heater inside the drum extracts the heat (in radiator fashion) from the snowblower engine and melts the snow (1/10 the volume in h20 form). Snow is melted and collected to be dumped later in the city sewer. Voila -- no more nasty piles to drive around / fall on, and clear driveways and sidewalks. Obviously this would void the snowblower warranty... :)
-- ruxpin76, Feb 11 2004

Welcome to the halfbakery.
-- neelandan, Feb 11 2004


If the blower is built for this it wouldn't void the warranty. The heat from the engine probably wouldn't be enough for a major blizzard (unless you took the engine from an SUV), but it could come in handy for a few inches.
-- kbecker, Feb 11 2004


Time saving tip: Skip the snowblower - spray gasoline directly on the snow and light it.</kiddies, do not try this at home>
-- Worldgineer, Feb 11 2004


The problem is the water would freeze on running across the cold bare concrete. Now instead of snow you have black ice.

But it is not too late for this idea. The water simply must not be allowed to freeze on the concrete. The snowblower should spurt a coarse mist of water high, high into the air. It will freeze before landing, whereupon the snowblower converts to a sweeper to sweep the iceballs up.
-- bungston, Feb 11 2004



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