APOLLO Wi-Fi Snow Melt Controller

A snow melt controller manages a snow-melting system in a driveway, walkway, ramp, or garage apron so it warms the surface enough to melt snow and ice. It reads slab and outdoor temperature through a sensor and, when conditions call for melting, switches the heat source and modulates flow to the melt zone. The APOLLO Wi-Fi Snow Melt Controller ships with a 20 ft external sensor for slab, outdoor, or pipe temperature, drives a 5A relay plus a 0-10VDC output and 6-way valve modulation, and shows status on a 3.5-inch color touchscreen with Wi-Fi app access.

Yes — it controls both. For a hydronic snow melt system, the controller calls the boiler or heat pump and modulates the mixing valve (0-10VDC and 6-way valve control) to send warm fluid through the slab tubing. For an electric snow melt system, the relay switches the heating circuit. Because the relay is rated 5A maximum, electric snow-melt cable or mat loads that draw more than 5A are switched through a contactor, with the controller driving the contactor coil.

Automatic operation pairs the controller with a snow and ice detection sensor (available as the APOLLO Snow Melt Sensor accessory). The detector watches for the combination of low temperature and moisture that means snow or freezing rain is falling, and signals the controller to start melting only when it is actually needed — then hold until the surface is clear. This avoids both a frozen driveway and the wasted energy of running the system on dry, cold days.

Yes. The controller connects to a 2.4GHz network using IEEE 802.11 b/g/n with WPA/WPA2 security. From the companion app you can start or stop a melt cycle, check slab and outdoor temperature, and manage schedules from anywhere — handy for triggering the driveway before you leave work. For automation and building systems it also supports wired BACnet MSTP, BACnet/IP, MQTT, and Control4 integration.

Snow melting uses a lot of energy, so runtime control matters. The most efficient approach is to melt only when snow is actually falling — which is what the automatic snow & ice detection sensor enables — rather than running on a timer through every cold hour. The APOLLO also supports an idle/hold setpoint that keeps the slab just below melting between storms so the system doesn't start from cold, plus 5/2, 7-day, and 24-hour scheduling to limit operation to the hours you need (for example, a garage apron only on weekday mornings).

The controller provides a 5A SPST relay for on/off calls (heat source, circulator, or contactor), a 0-10VDC output, and 6-way valve modulation for proportional control of a mixing valve on hydronic systems. Wiring involves the supply power (12-24VAC/DC or 110-240VAC), the 20 ft slab/outdoor sensor, and the output to your heat source or heating circuit. The full wiring diagram is in the product manual, downloadable in the documents section of this page. For line-voltage snow-melt circuits or contactor wiring, have a licensed electrician make the connections.

A hydronic snow melt loop needs a heat source that can supply warm fluid to the slab — typically a boiler or an air-to-water heat pump, often with a mixing valve to protect the slab and antifreeze in the loop. The snow melt controller is part of the APOLLO Wi-Fi thermostat platform, which also includes models for fan coil units, radiant floor heating, boiler room-thermostat control, boiler aquastat, and pool and spa aquastat control. Select the model that matches your system from the dropdown at the top of this page.