FAQ’s – Frequently Asked Questions

Products

• How much snow do SAH™ snowmakers make?
• What else is Required to operate the snowmakers?
• Is a SNOWatHOME™ snowmaking system easy to set up?
• Can I purchase a SNOWatHOME™ snowmaker locally?
• Is the SG4-LED UBuild Kit easy to assemble?
• What is the cost of adding a 220V outdoor power supply for the large pumps?
• What does it cost to run the SG7 Snowmaking System?
• Why doesn’t the spray coming out of the bottom nozzle look like the others?

Weather

• What weather conditions do I need to make snow?
• I live in a warm climate and want to make snow. What are my options?
• What is “Wet Bulb” temperature?
• Does water temperature matter?

General

• What is going on with compressor ratings in the industry?
• What is the difference between internal and external mix snowmakers? Which makes more snow?
• Why can’t you make snow by just spraying water in the air?
• What is different between making snow at home and making snow at ski resorts?

Shipping

• What is “Freight” Shipping?
• Can I get my order Faster?
• Does UPS Deliver on Saturday or Sunday?
• Do you ship outside the US?
• Am I responsible for duties and taxes or other fees?

I want to sell SNOWatHOME products

• If I had a dollar for every person I told about your snowmakers…
• I own a retail store
• I want to become a Distributor

Products

How much snow do SAH™ snowmakers make?

The volume of snow produced depends on many variables. The two largest contributors however are the water volume and weather conditions. The only one you can control though is the volume of water you are pushing through your snowmaker. The higher the flow (GPM – gallons per minute) of your pressure washer the more snow you will make. With that in mind the SG4 works with pressure washers rated from 1.3gpm to 2.1gpm. The SG6 works with pressure washers rated from 1.3-2.5gpm and the SG7 is fully adjustable from 1.3gpm to 8.0gpm. Under good snowmaking weather conditions the SG4 combined with a 2.1gpm pressure washer can produce up to 60 cubic feet per hour, the SG6 with a 2.5gpm pump will make up to 80 cubic feet per hour and the SG7 with a 7.5gpm pump will make up to 225 cubic feet per hour. The best example we can give on how much snow can be made comes from photos our customers provided from past contests. Most entries show the result of one night of snowmaking. Buying Viewing the quick compare of the available SAH packages, you can evaluate which snowmaker and pump combination best suits your needs.

What else is required to operate the snowmakers?

You will need a small, continuous duty, compressor for all three models. A compressor with the rating of 5.4CFM @ 90PSI will work with all our snowmakers. (See Compressor Ratings below) The SG4 works with pressure washers with a GPM (gallons per minute) rating of 1.3 to 2.1gpm. The SG6 works with pressure washers with a GPM (gallons per minute) rating of 1.3 to 2.5gpm. The SG7 is adjustable from 1.3 to 8.0gpm for high volume snow making.

Is a SNOWatHOME™ snowmaking system easy to set up?

Absolutely! Click here to watch our demonstration video to see how easy it is to set up a SAH™ snowmaking system.

Can I purchase a SNOWatHOME™ snowmaker locally?

Yes! We have several SNOWatHOME™ dealers located across the country and in Germany. You can find them here or on the dealer locator link located at the bottom of every page.

Is the SG4-LED UBuild Kit easy to assemble?

Yes, the kit requires some plumbing assembly and soldering for the LED wiring. The kit can be fully assembled in 1 to 4 hours depending on your skills.

What is the cost of adding 220V outdoor power supply for the larger pumps?

Because the electric pumps are much quieter than the gas pumps, most customers want to purchase the electric option. However, many people don’t have a 220V power supply available where they would like to hook up their pump. To add one is as simple as a quick phone to your local electrician and have him perform the wiring for you. This is a relatively easy task and should run between $100-$150. A cost most will find to be nominal for the noise reduction benefit when running their snowmaker all night. If you are concerned that you will not be able to run your snowmaker far enough away from your house, consider adding a high pressure extension hose (available in 50′ and 100′ lengths).

What does it cost to operate the SG7 Snowmaking System?

If you are utilizing all electrical components for both the Pump and Air Compressor, the average cost is about $0.78 per hour. To break it down for you, both the 6gpm and 7.5gpm High Volume Pressure Washers require approximately 5.29kWh. The air compressor requires 1.8kWh. Figuring the average cost per kWh in the US as of January 2011 was 11 cents per kWh we have the following equation: (5.29kWh + 1.8kWh) x $0.11 = $0.78 per hour. If you know what your current electrical costs are you can plug it into the same equation for a more personal estimate.

Why doesn’t the spray coming out of the bottom nozzle look like the others?

The upper nozzles are the higher volume spray, the bottom nozzle is low volume high pressure, this spray intersects with the compressed air stream which creates the nucleation for the top mist.

Weather

What weather conditions do I need to make snow?

In order to make snow you need freezing weather conditions, there is no way around this. Click Here to view our snowmaking weather chart and weather tool to determine if snowmaking is possible where you live.

I live in a warm climate area and want to make snow, what are my options?

Many warm areas still experience a few nights of freezing temperatures. As we say here at SAH, “It only takes one cold night to make a big pile of snow at home.” We recommend using our SAH Weather Tool to determine how many nights you could have made snow in the past to see if it is possible to make snow in your area. Unfortunately any snow maker we talk about on the web site will not work when the temperature is above freezing. There are very few options when it comes to making real snow in warm weather. The only method we know of is basically a process of shaving ice. Click here to see a company that does this process.

What is Wet Bulb Temperature?

The numbers in our snowmaking chart are wet bulb numbers. Web bulb is the lowest temperature that can be obtained by evaporating water into the air at a constant pressure. The term comes from the technique of wrapping a wet cloth around a mercury bulb thermometer and blowing air over the cloth until the water evaporates. The wet bulb temperature is always lower than the dry bulb temperature (temperature measured without a wet cloth) in the same surroundings. The wet bulb and dry bulb temperatures can be used to calculate dew point or relative humidity.

When using the chart it is important to take into account not just the temperature but the humidity as well. We offer a weather station that shows both outdoor temp and outdoor humidity.

Does water temperature matter?

Yes. Snowmaking is a heat exchange process. When making snow water is atomized under pressure thru nozzles into freezing temperatures and a nucleation (seed) is introduced to aid in the freezing process. Most ski resorts that make snow pre cool the water by pumping it into sallow ponds or use cooling towers. Our home snowmakers are designed to operate with average home cold water temperatures 50 to 58deg. Any effort to pre-cool the water helps the snowmaking process which results in better snow quality (drier snow) and better results in marginal conditions. The snowmaking chart we display is based on average home cold water temperature 50 to 58deg.

General

What is going on with Compressor Ratings?

Compressor Ratings have gotten very confusing lately with a shift in the industry trying to standardize market. With that in mind we don’t feel we could explain it any better than this article by Richard J Kinch. Click here to read his article.

What is the difference between internal and external mix snow makers, and which one makes more snow?

Internal mix snow makers operate by mixing compressed air and water inside the plumbing of the snow maker. This design does work but it has its drawbacks. One of the issues with this design is maintaining the air and water pressure balance to keep an even flow of water coming out of the snowmaker. This issue causes a reduction in efficiency. Another problem is the likelihood of having water flow back into the airline and doing permanent damage to your air compressor. Internal mix free plan designs can be found here.

External mix snow makers mix air and water outside the body of the snowmaker. This design eliminates most of the problems associated with internal mixing. External mixing completely eliminates the issue of water entering the air line because they are not connected. External mixing also utilizes the water and air more efficiently (less energy). The SNOWatHOME™ line of snowmakers and E-Type free plan design are all external mix designs.

Why can’t you make snow by just spraying water in the air?

In order for water droplets to freeze in the air the droplets need something for ice crystals to cling to known as a “nuclei”. When water is sprayed into a frozen environment typically you will find the water will not freeze until it makes contact with the ground. When a nuclei is added to the water droplet this creates the “trigger” or “seed” for the water to freeze before it hits the ground. The SG6 and SG7 snowmakers are equipped with their own nucleation producer. The bottom nozzle in conjunction with the compressed air creates the nuclei for the upper misting nozzles. It is possible however to make snow with water alone. Some very cold weather ski areas use a method of making snow with high pressure water and a nuclei additive to the water. These specialized snowmakers need conditions that are very cold, and the snow maker is kept high above the ground.

What is different about making snow at home from what is done at ski areas?

Making snow at home is more difficult for two reasons. The water supply that ski areas draw from is typically a shallow pond that is around 34 to 36deg. Simply put, the lower your water temperature the closer your water is to freezing. Home water temperature can be anywhere from 40 to 68deg. The SG line of snowmakers are specifically designed to operate with these higher temperatures. Second are the resources ski areas operate with. Air water guns use anywhere from 15 to 80 gallons per minute and require massive amounts of compressed air per snow gun to operate. The standard outdoor water spigot on a home produces under 10 gallons per minute and most homes do not have industrial compressors available. The SG line of snowmakers are specifically designed to operate with standard home water supply, small compressor and small and commercial sized pressure washers.

Shipping

What is “Freight” Shipping

Large Pumps and Air Compressors will ship via “Freight”. Due to their weight exceeding UPS ground regulations, these items are shipped on a large truck separate from the rest of your order and each other. The delivery company will call to schedule your delivery to ensure that someone is there to receive the shipment. Please make sure to add lift gate service if you feel it is needed. Freight deliveries generally take 7-10 business days from the time of order to the time of delivery, but around the holidays, this wait time can be longer.

Can I get my order faster?

Many Items that we have offer 2nd Day and Overnight shipping options. Packages and large compressors and pressure washers that ship freight can not be expedited however. All orders with expedited shipping will ship out on the same business day if the order is received before 12pm EST. Orders received after this time will ship the following business day.

Will I receive a delivery on Saturday or Sunday?

No shipping companies that we utilize offer a Sunday delivery Option. Items that ship priority mail (US Postal service) may be received on a Saturday. For items that ship UPS (Ground, 2nd Day, or Overnight) Saturday is not considered a business day and is not taken into consideration for shipping transit times. Items will not be delivered on a Saturday unless special arrangements are made with SNOWatHOME by placing the order by phone. There is an additional Surcharge for Saturday Delivery that will be displayed on your invoice. If you are unsure if you requested Saturday delivery, please check your invoice for this line item.

Do you ship outside the US?

Yes, SNOWatHOME ships most products all over the world every day. By adding the item to the shopping cart, you can change the destination to reflect your country. Your shipping charges will then be displayed. Pressure washers and Air compressors (and therefore snowmaking packages) do not generally ship outside the US for two reasons:

1. The electrical requirements and plug configurations may not meet the requirements of the other country.
2. The weight of the pump and compressor make shipping expensive and more cost effective to purchase the snowmaker by itself and source these components locally. You can find the requirements for operation listed on the individual snowmaker pages.

Am I responsible for duties, taxes or other shipping fees?

Yes, import duties and/or taxes (for orders shipped to non-U.S. destinations) may be imposed by your local government on shipments from outside your country. These charges are separate from SNOWatHOME’s charges and are beyond our control or ability to predict. These charges (if any) are made payable to your government.

You are responsible for paying any taxes, duties and/or customs fees charged by your government. Please check with your local post office for more information. Canadian residents may be charged a brokerage fee by UPS.

I am interested in selling SAH Products

If I had a dollar for every person I told about your snowmakers…

If you own our snowmaking equipment, no doubt someone has asked you where you bought it. No one can represent our products better than the people who actually use them. SAH has implemented an affiliate program as our way of saying Thank You. You can earn a commission on everyone you send to the web site to purchase our products not to mention save them money in the process!

Do you love making snow? Your attitude, just like the SNOWatHOME phenomenon is contagious. Visit your town offices. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a town sledding hill for the kids over winter vacation? How about local businesses who may want to purchase one for promotional events. Are your local schools or Parks and Rec department interested in running a “Learn to Ski/Snowboard” program? Community Centers, Youth Organizations, Boys and Girls Clubs… the more you think about it, the more applications and potential customers you can find.

I own a retail store and would like to sell SAH products.

If you own retail outlet and would like to carry SNOWatHOME products, we have two options available.

• If you are unable to stock inventory, we have Affiliate programs structured just for retailers. View more information on our SAH Affiliate program here.
• If you would like to maximize your profit potential, we offer low minimum order quantities to get you started. Email affiliate@snowathome.com for a dealer application and more information.

I would like to become a distributor.

Please contact affiliate@snowathome.com for more information.