warm up

External ways to defrost plastic pipes

There are several options outside. Before proceeding with the elimination of the accident, you need to find out where the ice plug formed. This is done by touch, where the coldest area is the problem. To prevent excess pressure from damaging the pipes and to ensure the release of melted water, it is imperative to open the tap before starting defrosting. It is easiest to heat the water supply with hot water, steam, or electricity:

• With the help of boiling water. The pipe is wrapped in a rag and poured with hot water. At the same time, the temperature is increased gradually so that the pipe does not crack. A good way for open areas, of the minuses, only a large amount of dirt at the accident site. On the street it does not matter, but indoors it can cause some inconvenience.
• Heating with warm air. Use a building hair dryer, or supply warm air in another way. It is well suited for metal pipes, a plastic pipe can melt with this option for eliminating an accident, you must carefully monitor the air temperature. The thermal conductivity of a plastic pipe is lower than that of a metal one, so this method is far from ideal.
• Electric heating, using a cable from the "warm floor" system. The area where the water supply is frozen is wrapped with foil, with a wire on top. A layer of insulation is wound on top, all this is fixed with adhesive tape, defrosting occurs in 2-4 hours. For plastic pipes, this method is optimal, but requires additional equipment.

This method is common for various types of defrosting, but fire is fatal for plastic. The material from which the pipe is made melts very easily.

Causes of system freezing

With a sharp onset of frost, supplemented by strong winds, cases of freezing of autonomous water supply systems with the formation of ice plugs inside them are not uncommon.

Frozen water as a result of improper laying or operation of the pipeline will, at best, make it impossible to use the system, and at worst, force the breakthrough to be eliminated.

The problem of pipe freezing is more relevant for owners of cottages and private sector houses, whose water supply inlets pass along the street

There can be several reasons for freezing water in the plumbing.

The most basic among them:

• extremely low temperatures outside;
• laying pipes to a shallower depth than the level of soil freezing;
• insufficient insulation of the pipeline;
• low or even zero water consumption.

At night or for a longer period when the owners do not use the water supply, the water in the pipes remains still. At sub-zero temperatures, it freezes quickly.

Not only pipelines can freeze, but also taps that are not shut off in a timely manner, which supply water, both to an unheated basement and to the yard

The pipe, located in the frozen ground, after passing warm streams, begins to cool down, and after a short period it acquires a low temperature. Small portions of water, as they advance, begin to freeze and crystallize, at some point completely clogging the entire section of the pipe.

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How to defrost pipes

It should be noted that the water supply network consists of two sections: external (external), it is also most often underground and internal. As for the latter, the main part of the route is laid inside heated premises, so the question of whether the water has frozen in a private house - what to do, is not appropriate here. But partly the internal water supply also passes through unheated premises. For example, in the basement and in the attic. This is where pipes can freeze. How to defrost them?

There are several options.We will take into account that plastic pipes were laid inside the house.

• You can use hot water to defrost. To do this, first wrap the pipe with a rag, and only then pour boiling water on it. The process can take several hours, everything will depend on the length of the frozen area. Hot water defrosting
• You can use a hair dryer (construction or household). A very effective option, but requiring a certain approach to the process itself. The thing is, especially with a building hair dryer, that the air from the device comes out at a high enough temperature that can melt the plastic. Therefore, it is necessary to accurately set the distance from the nozzle of the hair dryer to the surface of the pipe. We use a hair dryer
• You can use a heating cable for defrosting, which fits into the electric floor heating system or a special cable for plumbing systems. They are wrapped around a frozen section of the track and plugged into an outlet. This is the fastest option. Usually in this way it is possible to defrost a sufficiently long water supply in 2-3 hours.

Unfreezing pipes underground

It is clear that water pipes located in the ground are more difficult to defrost. The easiest of all options is to dig out the place where they were laid, get to the track and apply one of the methods described above. But there are several problems here.

1. Digging frozen ground is not easy. It will take a lot of time, effort and labor. In any case, the owner of the house cannot do this on his own.
2. There is always a chance that when digging a trench, you can damage the plastic pipe. And this is another problem that will have to be solved immediately.

Therefore, it is better to use alternative options. One effective defrosting method is using hot water. True, for this you have to prepare. First, you need a supply of the water itself, which must be heated. The easiest way to do this without spending a lot of money is to set up a barrel under which to build a fire. Secondly, it is necessary to somehow organize the supply of water into the plumbing system. To do this, it is best to install a small electric pump at the inlet. It is even better if hot water is poured into a hose of a smaller diameter than the route, which will need to be pushed into the pipeline.

Defrosting a water pipe with hot water

That is, the hose is pushed to the ice plug, then hot water is pumped into it. It quickly melts the ice, and the hose must be moved further as the track thaws. As soon as water flows out of the tap with great pressure, that's it - the ice plug has melted. It should be noted that this option for defrosting the water supply is one of the most effective. True, you prepare for it longer than you produce the process itself.

Methods for defrosting pipelines

Of no small importance when defrosting pipes is the material from which it is made. It depends on how the pipeline is affected.

Defrosting metal pipes

Consider how to defrost metal water pipes in a private house. Usually they pass underground, so there are certain difficulties in digging a trench in winter, although their location in open areas is also possible. After the pipeline is exposed, it is affected in the following ways:

• Use an open flame. For example, from a gas burner or blowtorch. You can also make a fire on a frozen section of the pipe;
• Use a welding transformer. One wire from it is connected to one frozen section of the pipe, and the second wire to the second. The ice plug melts very quickly;
• Pipes are poured with boiling water, after wrapping them with rags.

It is easier to defrost a sewer pipe, since all the melted ice will go into the drain, and the situation is reversed with the water supply.The freed water will have nowhere to go, so it is advisable to disconnect the pipe from the taps or at least open the taps.

How to defrost plastic pipes

Plastic pipes require a more careful attitude due to the lower strength of the material. Let's figure out how to defrost water in a plastic pipe that is in plain sight:

We considered the heating of an open section of the pipeline. And how to defrost a water plastic pipe underground? There are also several ways to do this:

1. Hot water supply. The plastic pipe is disconnected from the tap. In some large container, for example, a barrel, water is heated. A smaller diameter hose is used that freely enters the pipe. It is pushed inside the pipe until it reaches the frozen area. After that, hot water is supplied to the pipeline. This can be done with a pressure pump.

The melted water will gradually flow out of the pipe along with the hot water supplied. The end of the hose should be pushed further and further until the entire ice plug is eliminated. After that, water will flow under strong pressure.

2. The use of a steam generator. The plastic pipe is disconnected from the taps. A special sleeve from the steam generator with a special nozzle at the end is introduced into it. It is injected until it reaches the frozen area. Steam is fed through the sleeve into the pipe, quickly melting the ice. As the frozen plug melts, the sleeve moves deeper into the pipe. With such a device, there is no question of how to defrost a pipe located in a wall or underground.

3. Use of electricity. This method works on the principle of heating water with a boiler. To do this, stock up on a thick two-wire wire of sufficient length. The veins are separated. Each of them is released from insulation, and then twisted. Two thick twists are obtained, located at a distance of 1-2 cm from each other. It is impossible to allow the possibility of their connection with each other in order to avoid the occurrence of a short circuit.

The wire is pushed inside the pipe to the place of the plug. After that, the end of the wire is connected to the mains. The melting of ice occurs due to its heating by electric current. At the same time, the plastic walls do not heat up, since only the conductive water is heated. As the ice melts, the wire moves further along the pipeline.

4. Hydrodynamic cleaning. With the help of a hydrodynamic machine, any ice plug in the pipe can be eliminated. Hot water is supplied to it under pressure through a special nozzle, which contributes to the destruction of ice in a very short time. As the plug breaks, the hose with the nozzle moves further along the pipe. It should be noted that such equipment is mainly in the hands of specialists due to its high cost.

5. Another way to defrost the water supply is shown in the photo.

Defrosting water and sewer pipes

In order to substantively consider this issue, this article will describe several ways to combat this dangerous phenomenon, used using common household tools and affordable household chemicals.

In addition, the reader will be provided with detailed instructions and useful recommendations for the installation of water pipes, the implementation of which will avoid the occurrence of unpleasant consequences.

Thermal insulation of supply pipes

What to do so that the pipes do not freeze

Most often, the main reason for the freezing of water in pipes is a violation of the technology for laying an external or underground pipeline and non-compliance with the rules for using water pipes in the winter. In order not to have to face the solution of such a problem in the future, it is enough to follow the simple rules for the installation and operation of the supply or drain pipeline in the cold season.

1. The bottom of the trench for laying the pipeline should be located below the maximum depth of soil freezing for this region, in accordance with the requirements of SNiP II-G.3-62 “Water supply. Design standards".
2. It is not allowed to lay pipes in the ground near structures made of monolithic reinforced concrete, since its thermal conductivity is significantly higher than the thermal conductivity of the soil. I advise you to read about how to insulate concrete walls in a previous article on our website.
3. When the pipeline passes through the foundation, walls and other building structures, it is necessary to provide thermal insulation from monolithic concrete using a thick layer of mineral wool.

The photo shows split cylinders made of mineral wool

1. For laying underground or external water supply lines, pipes with a diameter of at least 50 mm should be used, since a decrease in the diameter of the pipe contributes to faster freezing.
2. If possible, pipes made of polymeric materials should be used for these purposes, since they have moderate elasticity and do not collapse when an ice plug forms, but only slightly increase in volume.
3. For guaranteed protection against freezing, one or two lines of heating cable should be laid parallel to the pipe, which, regardless of frost, will constantly maintain a positive temperature.
4. In unheated residential buildings of seasonal residence, before the onset of the cold season, it is necessary to completely drain the water from all water supply networks, including water supply, heating and sewage.

In any case, when installing an external or underground water supply system, it should be remembered that the price of thorough thermal insulation will be much lower than the cost of repair work to replace a damaged section of the pipeline in the winter.

Insulated pipeline with electric heating cable

Note!

Advice! For complete removal of water from all engineering communications, their pipes should be located at an inclination of 1-2 ° to the horizon, towards the lowest point of the plumbing, sewer or heating system.

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What to do if the hose in the well is frozen

Consider how to warm a flexible hose in a well. You can prepare for such situations if the hose for the water well has already been frozen.

It is necessary to solve such problems immediately so that by winter the water supply system does not become unusable at all. If the water in the well is frozen, then there are effective methods on how to warm up or how to defrost the water.

If the water in the well freezes, first of all you need to look at the ice film. If it is dark and has cobwebs, then the coating of water from frost is thin and breaks with a crowbar. It is necessary to act very carefully so as not to break anything, but only to break the ice on the hose leading to the mine. Water must be gently stirred with a bucket to mix all the particles of the ice crust.

Considering that such a situation may recur, it is necessary to insulate the shaft and the hose connection. It is recommended to replace it with frost-resistant. It is necessary to buy a reinforced one and replace the previous one with this hose.

You need to purchase and install it in the spring-summer period. You can use other types of such devices, but for this you need to consult with a specialist. Only he knows exactly what should be the hose for pumping water from the well.

In the event that the ice crust has become very thick, it is necessary to melt the water through a touch with heat. How to warm up in this way? You will need a special building hair dryer, you can use a heating element or other similar devices. It is recommended to cover the defrosted surface with something from above - boards or film.

It is necessary to connect the device so that it works without interruptions and can cope with the task in a short period of time. A purchased and connected hair dryer or heating element can be put on autonomous power.

You need to find out more about this in the store at the time of purchasing the product. All this will speed up the process of thawing ice, which will then turn into water flowing down into the well.

In order not to suffer every autumn and winter over the question of how to defrost the hose from the well and the water in it, you need to take care of the water equipment even in the warm season.

First, it is necessary to insulate the mine from the outside. This means that you will have to wrap the well on all sides with materials such as sawdust, polystyrene foam, glass wool.
Secondly, build a house of boards over the well. The base of the building must be driven deep into the ground, and the base between the concrete ring and the ground should be filled with sawdust. The house must be equipped with a door that will be closed after getting water. The roof of the structure is usually made of bituminous tiles or covered with a cap, which is impregnated with compounds from moisture and freezing. As a result, water will be protected from frost and debris, and equipment from freezing.
Thirdly, you can additionally put a special hatch cover on the shaft. Most often it is made of wood, and then impregnated with special moisture-resistant solutions.

It is important that the diameter of the cover fits exactly under the shaft ring.

Water structures in adverse weather conditions require additional protection. You need to protect the well near the base of the soil and from all sides.

It is best to use a material called polystyrene foam, it is perfectly cut into pieces. This allows you to make the required number of sheets and plates, wrapping them around the well completely. But before installation, the expanded polystyrene must be given to the workshop or independently coated with oil paint, then wrapped in foil.

From the sheets obtained, you need to make protection by digging a trench around the perimeter of the well. It is necessary to insert material into it, and then bury it. The earth needs to be regularly rammed, this will create additional protection. Additionally, you can wrap the pipes and hose with special heat-insulating substances.

How to find a problem area

The most difficult moment in this matter is to determine the place of freezing in the open area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe water supply system. Experienced craftsmen advise, when examining and probing the accessible part of the route, to focus on temperature sensations.

It is not difficult to determine the location of the ice plug in a plastic pipeline when probing: within the blocked area, when trying to slightly bend the pipe, a characteristic crunch is heard

Water pipes usually freeze in areas where the pipes come close to the ground. Vulnerable to frost are also technical wells, unheated basements.

It is noticed that concrete freezes faster than soil layers. Therefore, if the basement was unreliably insulated or ajar during severe frosts, it is quite natural that the pipeline lying in it froze.

If the freezing area cannot be determined, it is better to immediately abandon the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bbreaking through the ice jam by mechanical means

If it is not possible to “calculate” a specific area, use the available methods at once on several of the most probable freezing places.

What causes freezing

Common causes:

1. Insufficient slope of sewer pipes. In this case, the speed of movement of effluents is low, which is why the liquid freezes faster.
2. Small diameter sewer pipes from the inside. At the same time, the movement of water slows down.
3. A leak has formed. In this area, the liquid freezes more intensively, ice contributes to an increase in the area of ​​deformation of communications.
4. A small amount of water flows through the pipes.Due to the low speed of advancement, the drains freeze.
5. Lack of insulation, which is especially dangerous in areas with a harsh climate.
6. Violation of installation requirements. At the same time, communications are not laid deep enough - above the level of soil freezing.
7. Blockage formation.

If the liquid in the sewer pipes is frozen from the inside, consider different methods based on the use of heat sources. It can be a soldering iron, hot water. An effective option is based on the use of wires for heating pipes.

Defrosting from the inside

If the pipe is frozen underground, or it is problematic to get to the emergency area from the outside, you will have to use heating "from the inside". To do this, they also use steam, hot water, electricity:

• Warming with steam occurs through a heat-resistant tube inserted into the water supply. Its diameter is selected in such a way that the flow of melt water is ensured. One end of the tube is mounted on a steam generator or pressure cooker, the inner end is inserted into the water supply until it stops. If there is no steam source in the house, hot water can be used. It is advisable to fill it through a pressure pump. If there is no pump, use a funnel, but it is more difficult to warm the frozen area in this way.
• Unlike metal, plastic plumbing can be heated using a homemade electric boiler. For this, a wire is taken, its ends are cleaned. Bare wires are fixed at a distance of 1 to 3 cm, the distance depends on the width of the pipe. The resulting structure is inserted into the pipe until it stops, up to the plug. After that, current is applied, as the ice thaws, the wire moves forward. When carrying out work, it is necessary to ensure the pumping out of melt water, otherwise it may freeze again.

In most cases, you can solve the problem of frozen pipes on your own. However, sometimes it cannot be overcome without the help of specialists. A hydrodynamic machine, an autoclave, a powerful steam generator - these expensive mechanisms are hardly required for everyone, but the presence of such equipment among professionals helps to quickly cope with a difficult situation.

Peculiarities

For plumbing in a private house, both metal and plastic pipes can be used, but that one and the other are not protected from freezing in winter if the process of laying them was done incorrectly. The main reason that water freezes in a pipe underground in frost is insufficient deepening of the water supply. If the laying technology is performed correctly, then the entire system is located at a level where frost does not reach.

Due to the fact that the main pipelines have a large diameter, even in winter they do not freeze, because water flows in them all the time. Home systems are laid using pipes with a diameter of 20 mm or more - 32 mm

It is important to deepen such thin elements well so that frost does not reach them, but this is not always possible, therefore you need to know how pipes can be insulated to protect them from the cold

In the event that all the recommendations have been met, and the water is still freezing, then in this case it is necessary to keep the system turned on all the time so that the water always flows through the pipes at least in a thin stream. This is quite expensive, given the cost of water, but it will not be necessary to spend time, effort and money on defrosting the entire system.

During installation, it is important to observe the following rules:

The depth of the trench should be greater than the level of soil freezing, which is typical for this region

There are relevant SNiP standards that will help to properly design a water supply system.
When choosing the location of the pipes, it is important not to lay them next to reinforced concrete products, because their thermal conductivity is greater than that of the soil.
If the laying is carried out under the foundation, then the pipes are isolated from reinforced concrete using a large layer of thermal insulation, which is best used as mineral wool.
When planning a water supply system underground and on its surface, it is best to use pipes with a diameter of 50 mm, because thinner products freeze much faster.
When choosing a material for pipes, it is worth giving preference to polymer products, which can increase the size by several millimeters, which saves them from cracking during freezing and freezing.
In order to ensure a calm winter for yourself, it is worth laying a heating cable near the pipes, which will maintain the optimum temperature and prevent the system from freezing.
If the house is used only in summer and is empty in winter, then it is important to drain all the water from the system so that there is nothing in the pipes in frosts. This will keep them from freezing.

Do-it-yourself heating of plastic pipes

If the pipe to be heated is underground, and the pipeline itself has turns or a bend, then the methods of heating the structure described above will not help. In this case, it will not be possible to break through the ice plug with the help of a wire, because the length of the frozen pipe section is unknown.

One of the methods suitable for solving such a problem is a folk remedy: the welding machine is connected to the two ends of the pipe and started. There is another effective way to heat pipes, which is to supply hot water directly to the area where it cannot get on its own.

The sequence of actions required to heat the pipe with hot water is as follows:

• First you need to take a high-rigidity hose or a metal-plastic pipe with a smaller diameter;
• The hose or pipe is pushed into the frozen pipeline until it hits resistance in the form of an ice plug;
• Hot water or strong brine is poured into the pipe;
• Melting water will gradually flow out of the pipe, so you need to take care of the container in which it will be collected in advance;
• When the ice plug resolves, it is necessary to run running hot water in order to completely eliminate the effects of freezing.

Heating pipes from the inside

To get rid of the plug in the sewer pipes, you will have to take into account a number of features. Firstly, such communications, as a rule, have a rather large diameter, which allows for better heating from the outside and from the inside. However, the amount of accumulated ice in them will be significantly greater, so that more heat will be required by the heating devices.

To defrost plastic pipes, you need one simple device. We take a board with rounded edges and attach a heating element to it in the shape of the letter U. Only the heater loop should protrude beyond the board. All other parts must not come into contact with the walls of the heater.

Having determined the thickness of the plug and the distance to it, we fix the wires of the appropriate length to the ends of the heating element, and we attach the entire structure to a piece of metal-plastic pipe, with which we will push our device into the sewer.

It is necessary to introduce the structure into the sewer pipe from the side of the receiver, where the melted liquid will drain. First, the heating element is fully promoted to the place of work, after which it is connected to the network. Moving the device forward as the cork thaws, the device is periodically turned off.

Ways to thaw frozen pipes with water

Russian winter is known to be severe. Frosts can not only be an unpleasant factor on a personal level. They also often lead to the disabling of equipment and other things of this kind. Sub-zero temperatures often contribute to the freezing of pipes with water.It is easier to warm up the sewer system, because the liquid formed after the ice melts flows into the pit. The situation is more complicated with pipes with water, since they are often located underground and there is nowhere for the liquid to drain.

How to heat the water supply?

What to do if the plumbing system is frozen? There are many ways to warm up. The choice of a particular one depends on where the pipes are located, on the length of the system and the material from which the structure is made. Before you start heating, you need to turn off the water supply and turn on the tap located close to the area where the ice has accumulated. Consider the most popular methods of bringing the system into action.

Heating the structure with hot water

This method is used when easy access to the pipe can be provided. For example, it is located in a building. So you can warm the system of steel. To carry out work, the area with accumulated ice should be wrapped with rags. Then the area is watered with hot water. This method allows you to warm the structure in a relatively short time. It should be borne in mind that the execution of work makes sense only when other sections of the pipe are covered with thermal insulation. Otherwise, ice may form in another area of ​​the structure.

How to warm up the system with an open flame

The method is only suitable for pipes made of metal. In order to warm the system, you will need a gas burner or a blowtorch. In addition, you can melt the ice in the structure at the stake. Before starting work, it is necessary to put a sheet of metal under the system. It will allow you to conduct heating more efficiently, since the metal sheet reflects heat.

The area that is frozen is warmed by an open flame. It should be remembered that the flame should not be large, as this can lead to deformation of the pipes.

Heating with a hair dryer

This method allows you to quickly and safely de-ice the system. However, there are exceptions for it too. A building hair dryer is used only when a section of the structure that is easy to reach is frozen. It is not used for plastic pipes, as they can be seriously deformed under the influence of high temperatures.

The design can simply be warmed up, but the work will turn out to be long. To facilitate it, you can use a special polyethylene sleeve. It should be fixed in the area that is frozen. Then the hot air from the hair dryer is directed in the hands, as a result of which a large area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe structure warms up.

Heating by means of a welding unit

The principle of this method is that the structure is exposed to current from the welding unit. For this, the wires of the unit are fixed to the pipe by means of a wire. Then it starts for half a minute. The unit turns off and then on again.

The current level can be adjusted. If the area does not warm up well, it is recommended to increase the current supply. Defrosting takes place quite quickly: on average, in an hour. If the diameter of the structure is large, the work should be carried out separately, in sections.

Heating with a heating cable

How to eliminate the ice plug in plastic structures? The best option is a heating cable. To carry out work on the structure, a metal foil is fixed. Then a heating cable is attached on top of it. The distance between the turns should not be less than 9-10 cm.

There is a special sensor on the heating cable. When the required temperature is reached, it stops heating. The cable itself is powered by the mains.

How to warm up a pipe ways that work

The consequences of low temperatures for open water supply

Hello dear readers. This time I will tell you about how to warm the pipe in the ground, using improvised means for this.

There are many passive and active anti-freeze measures that are carried out during the laying of the supply pipeline. For example, a pipeline is laid well below the freezing level of the ground, lined with thermal insulation materials, wrapped in a special thermal cable, etc.

These methods allow you to maintain the health of the water supply and sewerage system during the cold season. But what to do if the frost protection was not implemented in a timely manner and an ice plug formed in the water supply?

How to restore the health of the water supply or sewerage

Methods for removing ice plugs are based on thermal action and subsequent mechanical punching.

When starting to warm the supply water supply, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the liquid medium in the pipes does not freeze completely, but in certain areas. Therefore, before proceeding with the removal of the plug, you need to find out in which part of the pipe the plug is located.

How to determine the location of the cork?

The pipeline, depending on the location, is divided into two types:

• buried - located in the ground below the level of freezing,
• surface (non-buried) - located above the ground.

The greatest threat of freezing is exposed to pipelines in the surface section. If there are problems with water during the cold season, you need to act as quickly as possible so that the ice plug does not spread underground.

You can find the location of the cork in two ways:

• bending the pipe - relevant if the pipeline components are plastic and do not exceed 50 mm in diameter,
• tapping the pipe and determining the presence of a solid body by the tone of the sound.

When bending plastic pipes in the freezing area, you can hear a characteristic crunch. If we hear a crunch, then the ice is cracking, and, therefore, a cork has been found.

We start tapping the pipe from the area where the water has not frozen. We do this with a metal object, for example, a medium-sized wrench will do. Gradually moving towards the cork, you will notice that the sound from the blows will become more deaf.

To bend a polypropylene pipe to detect an ice plug, you need to manually, carefully and not much. The maximum bending angle should not exceed 170 degrees on the basis that a straight pipe cut is 180 degrees. Plastic at low temperatures loses its original elasticity, so excessive deformation can lead to cracking.

So, a frozen section of the pipeline was found, what is the instruction to fix the problem?

Ways to eliminate the ice plug

Traditional methods of defrosting household plumbing

The problem of a frozen pipeline has been relevant since the beginning of the operation of closed communications for transporting a liquid medium. Since then, many effective methods have been invented that can be implemented with your own hands using available tools and devices.

The most popular ways to eliminate an ice block are listed in this diagram.