How to defrost plastic plumbing in a private house. How to defrost a plastic pipe: an overview of options and some important nuances. Causes of freezing water in pipelines

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How to defrost a water pipe - 11 simple and effective ways to deal with ice

With the onset of winter and the onset of severe prolonged frosts, the risk of such an unpleasant phenomenon as freezing of water in pipelines of water heating, cold and hot water supply or in the domestic sewerage system increases significantly.

This problem is especially relevant for residents of private houses, since their communications are less protected from frost, but, despite this, not every owner of suburban housing knows how to defrost a pipe underground, inside walls or other hidden cavities, without having to her approach and direct access.

For those who are not in the know, I must remind you that the resulting ice plug leads to a complete blockage of the internal lumen of the pipe, and thereby prevents the passage and free circulation of fluid. However, the main danger of such a phenomenon lies in the fact that during the formation of ice, in the process of crystallization, water slightly increases in volume, which, in conditions of limited space, often leads to ruptures and cracks in the outer walls of pipelines.

How to prevent pipes from freezing

The preventive solution to this problem is to initially prevent the formation of ice plugs throughout the water pipelines. For this, during laying and installation engineering communications, I advise you not to ignore the requirements building codes and the Rules, and follow the elementary advice and recommendations set out in the regulatory and technical documents and prompted by experienced builders.

The minimum depth for laying a water or sewer pipeline should be located below the greatest depth of soil freezing for your region, in accordance with the requirements of SNiP II-G.3-62 “Water supply. Design standards”;

When laying outdoor or underground utilities, water pipes with a diameter of 48 mm or more should be usedbecause thinner pipes are subject to rapid freezing throughout their entire thickness;
If possible, I advise using pipes and fittings from polymer materials(polyethylene, polypropylene), because they are more elastic, which allows them to stretch slightly in case of deformation, and in addition, these materials have a lower thermal conductivity;
Also, I do not recommend laying the pipeline in the ground, close to building structures from brick and monolithic, since their thermal conductivity is much higher than the thermal conductivity of dry soil;

To protect outdoor and underground pipelines from cold, it is necessary to use heat-insulating sleeves or segmental linings made of polypropylene foam, polyurethane foam or pressed mineral wool, and in those places where the pipe passes through concrete foundation or brick wall, it is necessary to impose a double layer of heat-insulating material on it;
In unheated private houses of seasonal residence, it is impossible to leave water for the winter inside pipelines and other communications, therefore, with the onset of the first cold weather, it must be completely drained.

If these measures were not enough, or they were taken out of time, and the water in the pipes still froze to minimize the likelihood of unpleasant consequences in the form of burst pipes, shut-off valves or fittings, then the reader will be offered a simple instruction in which I offer several simple ways to eliminate ice plugs in pipes with water.

To ensure guaranteed protection against freezing, in regions with a cold climate, I advise you to use an electric heating cable, which must be laid along the entire length along the pipe and valves, under the heat-insulating lining.

How to defrost an open pipeline

If the frozen section of the water pipe is located on open space, in the zone of direct reach, the solution of the problem of thawing the ice plug is greatly simplified, since external heating of the pipe can be used for this.

As a heat source for external heating of metal-plastic, polyethylene or polypropylene pipes, it is allowed to use only electric heating devices, for example, a building or household hair dryer, an electric heating pad or a heating cable. To warm up bare metal pipes without external heat and waterproofing, in addition to the devices presented, you can also use an open flame from a gas burner, a blowtorch, or a home-made makeshift torch.

First of all, you need to determine the location of the icy area of \u200b\u200bthe water supply, and open the tap of the nearest plumbing fixture halfway to ensure the free discharge of thawed water;

Before defrosting the heating pipes, you need to turn off the heating boiler, make sure that there is no water pressure in the system, start circulation pump and slightly open the tap for draining the coolant from the heating circuit;
Connect a heating device to the network, or light a gas burner flame, and from a safe distance begin to warm the frozen section of the pipe, gradually moving the tool from the drain tap towards the supply riser;

When using an electric heating pad or heating cable, wrap it evenly around the frozen section of the pipe and plug it into the network. To enhance the effect, I advise you to wrap a thick fabric or an old blanket over it;
After some time, as the temperature rises, a thin stream of water will appear from the half-open tap, which indicates a gradual thawing of ice, and after the pressure increases sharply, you can turn off the heating devices.

If the icy area is located in the apartment, you can use hot water to warm it up, pouring water on a pipe or battery from a kettle, after wrapping it with a thick cloth, and substituting a wide bowl or basin under it. Also in the house, instead of a hair dryer, you can use a medical lamp with a deflector, or a household electric heater.

How to remove an ice blockage in the sewer

In private houses permanent residence, freezing of sewer pipes is a rather rare phenomenon, since with the continuous use of sewage, a positive temperature is naturally maintained in the drain system, due to the own heat of the wastewater.

However, if for some reason this nevertheless happened, then I will talk about how to defrost a sewer pipe in a private house using simple and affordable, but at the same time effective methods.

In cases where the drain collector lies at a shallow depth, if conditions on the ground allow personal plot, over the alleged place of freezing of the soil, you need to light a fire, and keep the fire going until this piece of land is completely warmed up;
If the ice plug is located near a sink or toilet drain, I recommend pouring a saturated hot solution down the drain table salt(1 kg of salt per 10 liters of water). The resulting brine has a fairly low melting point (below -22°C), so the ice, upon contact with it, reacts and begins to actively melt;

If the cork is far away, you can take plumbing cable, and attach a flexible rubber hose to it with electrical tape in several places. After that, bring the free end of the cable with the hose into the sewer pipe until it hits the ice blockage, and then, using a wide funnel, pour hot salt water into the hose;
With a significant removal of the septic tank from the house, an ice plug can form at the end of the drain manifold. In this case, you need to open the inspection hatch of the receiving chamber of the septic tank, insert a flexible rubber hose all the way into the sewer pipe, and supply water from the hot water supply system to it until the ice is completely melted.

If a piece of electric heating cable of sufficient length remains in the house, it should, as far as possible, be brought into the drain hole of the sink or toilet bowl, and connected to the electrical network ( drain system must be filled with water).

Defrosting hidden plastic pipes

Currently, pipes made of polymeric materials (polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC, metal-plastic) are widely used for supplying cold water to the house from a well or a centralized water supply, as well as to perform intra-house wiring. Freezing of intra-apartment communications is rare, however, if a pipe with water is laid underground, laid inside a wall, or passes through an uninsulated underground space, it may freeze during prolonged severe frosts.

The methods described above will not work in this case, so next I will tell you how to defrost polypropylene pipes in the event that they are not in sight, and there is no direct access to them.

First of all, you need to purchase a bay of a two-core electric cable of sufficient length, with monolithic copper conductors. At one time I used a power installation cable NYM 2x1.5 mm² for these purposes, costing 20-35 rubles / m.p., but you can take its domestic analogue VVG 2x1.5 mm², the price of which is 16-25 rubles per linear meter;

One of the free ends of the cable must be cut as shown in the figure below. On a section 80-100 mm long, you need to completely remove the top insulation, then completely strip one copper core. Strip the second core to half, bend it back, and make a few turns of the bare wire around;
Also turn the completely stripped core back, and, trying not to damage the insulation, wind it with several turns at the very end of the cable;

Lead the prepared end of the cable into a plastic pipe, and push it forward until it rests on the ice plug. After that, connect the free end of the cable to the electrical network;
When passing electric current between two copper windings at the end of the cable through the water in the pipe, it will begin to heat up and gradually melt the ice;
At the same time, the shut-off valve at the entrance to the house must be kept half-open, and a bucket or bowl should be placed under the free end of the pipe, because after a while thawed water will begin to flow out of it.

Once again I want to remind you that this method can only be used on plastic pipelines with plastic valves, because even if a steel pipe or metal fitting is installed in some area, this can lead to short circuit.

Defrosting a hidden metal pipeline

Despite the widespread use of polymeric materials in modern construction, metal pipes are currently no less popular. Since the technology described in the previous section cannot be used to thaw metal pipes, I invite the reader to familiarize themselves with two more similar methods that can be used to thaw metal utilities hidden underground or in a wall.

The first of these methods resembles the previous one, however, instead of an electric cable, in this case a thin flexible hose is used, into which hot water or saline solution directly to the place of formation of an ice plug;

In order for the hose not to break, not get stuck or bend as it moves inside the pipe, it must be wrapped with electrical tape to a thin but rigid steel wire in several places, approximately every 600-800 mm, and so that the wire does not cling to bends and turns , it needs to be bent with a small hook inside the hose;
After one end of the hose reaches the ice plug, any suitable container should be attached to the other end, preferably with a tap, into which brine or clean hot water should be gradually poured;
As a container for water, I advise you to use Esmarch's medical mug, or, more simply, a regular enema. All other actions must be performed similarly to the previous method using an electrical cable;

The second method, in my opinion, is much simpler, since it does not require partial disassembly of the pipeline and dismantling of stop valves with your own hands, moreover, it can be performed without further human intervention, but it is quite energy-intensive, and besides, a welding machine is required for operation.

First of all, you need to approximately determine the section of the pipe on which the ice jam has formed, after which, on both sides of this section, remove a small part of the thermal insulation and clean the metal of the pipe to a shine;

Attach to cleared places electrical cables connected to the secondary winding welding transformer, while it is important to ensure a high-quality electrical connection;
Set the welding machine to the minimum value of the working current, and connect it to the mains. When passing low voltage with high current through metal pipes, they will begin to heat up along the entire length of the connected section, which will lead to gradual thawing of ice;
Heating can take up to several hours, and during this time it is important that the water tap of the nearest plumbing fixture is open in the house.

When working with welding machine, it should be borne in mind that it is allowed to connect and disconnect the electric cables of the secondary winding to the pipe only when the power of the transformer is turned off, otherwise, at the moment of breaking the circuit, electric arc, which can cause burns to hands and eyes, and even burn through the walls of a steel pipe.

Conclusion

Summing up, from my own experience, I can say that each of the methods described here, in one case or another, is quite effective, however, in any case, you need to understand that the process of defrosting pipes can take a lot of time and effort. Therefore, I believe that it is always better to warn any problem in advance than later in winter, suddenly being left for an indefinite period without water supply, heating or sewerage.

In more detail, all the described pipe defrosting methods can be viewed in the attached video in this article, and if the reader has questions after watching, I will always be happy to answer them in the comments below.

July 22, 2016

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It is carried out with violations, that in winter time leads to freezing of pipes and inability to use water.

Leads to disruptions in the water supply:

the location of the pipeline outside the house above the ground or above the level of freezing in the ground;
lack of insulation of the water supply;
errors in the installation of the water supply system.

Note! Before defrosting water pipe, you need to take into account what material it is made of, and where exactly the frozen area is located: indoors or outdoors. Depending on this, the methods of defrosting the pipe and, accordingly, the tools used will vary.

plastic plumbing

To defrost a water pipe from plastic pipes, you must proceed with extreme caution. Methods for thawing pipes may vary depending on the location of the frozen section.

Note! The defrosting of the ice plug must be started from the side of the tap.

The section of the water supply located directly in the building can be defrosted as follows:

Note! Warming should be started first with cold water, in order to avoid cracking the plastic pipe.

When defrosting the water supply at home, it is necessary to exclude damage to the system due to steam arising in the pipe during the defrosting process. To do this, you need to open the tap and watch when water flows out of it.

Defrosting plastic pipes outside the home depends on where they are laid - above ground or in the ground. In the latter case, you need to give them full access. Defrosting can be carried out in the same way as indoors - using hot water and electrical appliances.

A special heating cable can be used to thaw pipes from the outside. To do this, wrap it with foil, wind the heating cable on top and cover it with insulation - this will take quite a long time.

If the frozen area is located inconveniently, it is recommended to depressurize the water supply and thaw it by injecting hot water. To do this, you may need an Esmarch mug. Simultaneously with the supply of hot water to the pipe, it is necessary to use a steel rod to introduce it into the water supply and break through the ice plug.

metal pipes

There are a few more ways to defrost a metal water pipe. Indoors, you can use the same methods as for plastic pipes:

Defrosting with rags and hot water;
Defrosting with building hair dryer;
Defrosting with electrical appliances.

Outside, you can use not only all of the above methods, including a heating cable, but also special devices - a propane burner or a defrost apparatus.

When using a propane torch, precautions must be taken to prevent the occurrence of a fire. For example, when processing a frozen section of a water pipe on one side, it is necessary to put a metal plate on the reverse side.

For metal pipes, it is suitable to use an apparatus with which a current is supplied that can break through and remove the ice plug.

Note! Each of the methods of defrosting a water pipe is quite laborious, therefore, even during installation, you need to take care of the timely insulation of the water pipe both indoors and out.

Video

Instructions for defrosting a water pipe with hot water, see below:

How to defrost a pipe with water

In winter, there are cases of freezing of pipes for supplying cold water, heating or sewage. Those who have encountered such a problem in their home know how difficult it can be to warm it up. Experienced people share their inventions to help others overcome this difficulty.

Freeze protection of pipes. We insulate the pipeline

Many will agree that preventing the water from freezing in a private house will be much cheaper than warming it. In winter, it is not easy to get to the pipeline, and if it is not warmed up in time, it may fail, because. pipes burst when frozen. Therefore, it is necessary to think in advance what should be done to protect. There are 2 ways to lay the pipeline:

Underground;
On a surface.

If the laying is carried out under the ground, the trench should be dug to a depth not exceeding the maximum level of ground freezing. The pipes themselves must have a diameter of at least 50 mm, if possible, use plastic.

Sometimes the heating laid on the street is not buried in the ground, it also needs to be insulated. This will help not only save heat, but also prevent them from freezing when the heating is turned off during an accident. Although the freezing point of the water circulating through the pipe is slightly below 0, when the circulation stops, the water in the pipe freezes at a temperature of 0.

How to keep pipes from freezing. Draining water

The danger of freezing is associated not only with the formation of an ice plug, which does not allow water to pass through. When water cools, it contracts, and when it becomes a solid state (ice), it forms a crystal lattice that exceeds the volume of water.

Being in a closed space, the ice begins to put pressure on the walls of the vessel. If the material from which the vessel is made is not able to expand, then it collapses, so the metal pipes burst. To avoid this outcome, it is necessary to drain the water. In houses where there is an individual water heating, drain taps are specially installed. If such housing is not heated for several days in winter, the water may freeze.

This is also true for the plumbing that is brought into the house. Turn off the tap in a place where freezing is impossible, for example, in sewer well. Remaining in home system water is removed using a drain valve.

How to defrost an open pipeline

If the water is still frozen, you first need to localize the place. For this, it is determined where the most low temperature. Basically, water freezes at the walls, when crossing the foundation, in the lowest places and where the pipe clearance is narrowed, for example, at the junctions. The approximate location of freezing can be determined using some testers that have a temperature measurement function. After determining the location, they proceed directly to defrosting. It can be of two types:

external;
Internal.

During external defrosting, pipes are heated. One way to defrost open, easily accessible piping is to use a heating cable. It is evenly wound on a pipe, insulated with improvised materials, and included in the network. Open the nearest faucet and monitor the passage of water. This method is very convenient and inexpensive. can be bought in Minsk at a price of $4.5 per linear meter.

However, not in all cases the heating cable can be wrapped around the pipe (for example, if the pipe is frozen in the foundation). To heat the pipe in this case, some use heat gun. It consists of a fan built into asbestos pipe and a spiral of nichrome, which is in this pipe. Alternatively, you can use a building hair dryer.

Pipe heating starts from the side of the open tap. The advantage of a hair dryer is the use of a stream of hot air that easily penetrates even the narrowest gaps. This is especially necessary when defrosting pipes passing through walls or foundations.

Defrosting hidden plastic pipes

Some difficulty arises when it is necessary to defrost water in plastic pipe, buried underground, and this place is not next to the building. Then you need to accurately determine the place of freezing, for which they inspect the route. If there are reinforced concrete or stone structures near the pipeline, low places, ditches with frozen water, this is most likely the right place.

If possible, warm the earth. Then they dig out the pipes, if they are insulated, they remove the insulation. One person opens the faucet in the house and watches until the water runs out, the other is defrosting.

Defrost with self-regulating heating cable

If there is a cable heating system, the pipes are wrapped in cable, insulated, and the cable is connected to the network. After that, the pipe is buried again, or left on the surface.

There are also cable heating systems, when the cable is inserted into the pipe and the heating takes place from the inside. This is very convenient, and it will take much less power, because The efficiency of such heating is higher than when winding the pipe from the outside.

In this case, the pipe is cut in 2 places and tees are inserted into them. A heating cable is inserted into the tees through the 3rd hole using a special inlet and then again removed. This is necessary in order not to disrupt the cable termination with a stream of water when it again goes through the pipe. If the pipe is frozen, then the cable is introduced into it in stages, heating sections of the pipe in succession and pushing it further.

Other popular pipe heating methods

In the absence of a cable, you can use a building hair dryer, or warm it with hot water. In this case, the pipes must be wrapped with a cloth, then the water will not roll off them. On the other hand, if the freezing point is near the building, you can quickly defrost the water supply pipe using one of the following methods:

steam heating;
by crushing;
using a boiler;
with a pear.

Each of the above methods has its pros and cons.

Warming up with a steam generator

Before proceeding with defrosting, it is necessary to gain access to penetration into the pipeline. The use of ball valves, especially if they are used at the entrance to the house, makes the task easier. If it is absent or a crane of a different design is used, the pipeline will have to be disassembled. Before that, you need to find a way to shut off the water after defrosting.

For professional work, a karher steam cleaner is well suited, it is also called a steam generator. The whole difficulty lies in bringing the hose nozzle to the ice mass in the pipe. You can use the same wire by attaching a hose from the device to it. In the absence of a steam generator, you can use a "pressure cooker" or an autoclave. To defrost the pipe with a pressure cooker, you need a hose of sufficient length.

ice crushing

This method requires an apparatus for defrosting pipes, it is also called a hydrodynamic machine. This device creates high pressure water, which breaks the ice through the hose and nozzle. Its operation requires a large amount of water and skills with such a unit.

Because the water pump uses diesel or Gas engine, at home it is not applicable. Even if the engine is electric, a lot of water will come out of the pipeline, which threatens to flood. The other way is free from this shortcoming.

Defrosting with a boiler

The advantage of the boiler is that the cork itself is heated, which reduces the defrosting time. The design feature is as follows: a current passes between 2 non-insulated electrically conductive parts in the water, which leads to heating of the liquid.

The boiler is made from a thick two-core cable, then it will not bend in the pipe and get stuck. Both cores are stripped of insulation, and the insulation is removed from the first by 5 mm more than from the second. The first core is bent to the cable and wrapped around it, moving from the end. The second wire is also pressed against the cable and wrapped around it, but the movement goes to the end of the cable. There should be a distance of approximately 5 mm between the two windings.

You can use a coaxial (television) cable. It is quite resilient, glides well through the pipe and easily overcomes turns. In this case, there should also be a distance of approximately 5 mm between the cleaned jacket and the central wire wound around the insulation. The other end of the cable is connected to the plug.

The prepared boiler is pushed to the cork and connected to the network. Under the action of the current, the water begins to heat up and the ice melts. As the ice melts, the cable is pushed further and further. Extreme care must be taken during defrosting - electric shock may result. Therefore, work is carried out only under the supervision of a second person.

Water has a much greater resistance than metal, so it is forbidden to use a boiler on a metal pipeline. It is recommended to connect the cable through an automatic machine with a small cutoff current, this will protect the worker and the network from overload.

Hot water from pear

In the absence of special devices and devices, this method is the easiest. All that is needed for this is a long hose and an Esmarch mug (hot water bottle). Hot water is poured into the mug, a hose is attached, the other end is inserted into the pipeline to the plug. The faucet is opened, and hot water flows to the frozen place. To prevent the hose from twisting, it is attached to a steel wire.

Elimination of ice blockage in the sewer

Basically, the sewer is clogged, if you still get an ice plug in the drain pipe in a private house, you can use one of the above methods. It happens that the water is gradually leaving, or an ice plug has formed recently, then a strong salt solution can be poured into the sewer.

Salt water is heavier than fresh water and will gradually pass through the pipeline, melting the ice. If there is a septic tank (sump) - you can try to get to the icing through it, and use a hose and hot water to warm the frozen place. If possible, the sewerage system is heated with a heating cable or hot water.

How to defrost metal pipes in the ground

When water has frozen in a pipe underground, the material of the pipeline matters for defrosting. For metal there is effective method. The place where it is necessary to defrost is excavated. On both sides of the frozen place, clamps with cables from the welding machine are installed, if necessary, the thermal insulation is removed. The metal at the junction is pre-cleaned to a shine, this will reduce the resistance. Everything is insulated, the apparatus is turned on, and the pipeline begins to warm up.

This method is also interesting because sometimes it is not necessary to dig up the ground. If there is a well near the house, then the cable is hooked in it, the second one is connected at home. If it is necessary to heat the HDPE pipe in the ground (low pressure polyethylene), this method will not be possible.

Others more safe method will be the heating of the pipe from the inside with a special heating cable. It is introduced through a tee and a special coupling from the house and gradually melting the ice is moved forward. These can remain inside the pipe without releasing any harmful substances into drinking water.

How not to defrost plastic pipes

The HDPE pipeline is allowed to operate at temperatures from -20 to +110. When water freezes, the pipe does not burst, as happens with metal ones, but expands. This makes it easier to find a frozen place. Since the material used is flammable, it is forbidden to thaw frozen pipes with an open flame.

When defrosting externally, care must be taken, as excessive heating with hot air or water can lead to deformation.

IN winter period time, quite often people are faced with the fact that water pipes can freeze during severe frosts. IN this material we will talk about how to defrost a pipe with water without damaging communications and without staying without water for a long time.

In what cases may it be necessary to defrost pipes

In cases where water supply pipes were not insulated in time, with a sharp decrease in air temperature outside, the water in them may freeze. However, even if such a nuisance happened, you should not panic - everything can be fixed, including on your own.

Among the most common causes of freezing of water pipes are incorrect laying of the main line without taking into account the depth of freezing of the soil or without insulation. Alternatively, this can happen with plumbing that is used at very low temperatures or that has too little water flowing through it.

In order to defrost the pipes, you can use equipment such as a building hair dryer (if it is not available, an ordinary household one will do), a blowtorch, an electric heater. Here are some tips for defrosting frozen pipes.

When working with steel pipes defrosting is very easy. To do this, a welding machine is connected from opposite ends of the pipe, which will thaw the water inside the water supply for 3-4 hours. The duration of the process depends on the length of the pipe. However, in Lately in water supply systems, plastic pipes are actively used that can withstand pressure up to 10 atmospheres.

Although such products do not deform when frozen, it is still impossible to defrost plastic pipes with a welding machine. You should also not use an iron rod to punch a cork, so as not to spoil the plumbing.

There are a lot of ways to defrost a water supply or sewer pipe.

External heating

Of course, the need to break the frozen ground to get to the pipe is a significant disadvantage of this method. However, for those situations where the frozen area is small, this method has the right to exist.

When the trench is excavated, the type of pipeline material is established. To work with polymer products only heaters can be used electric type, giving out temperature no more than 100-100 ℃. To reduce the heat loss of the heater and warm up the pipe section faster, the place of work is covered with a layer of thermal insulation.

WITH metal pipes the process of thawing the cork is faster, because here you can use a source of open fire - firewood, gas burner, blowtorch or any other devices, which, of course, does not apply to plastic.

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. First, such communications, as a rule, have quite large diameter, which allows you to warm up the outside and inside more efficiently. 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 cork 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 the segment 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.

Fixture for steel pipes

One of the most effective methods to remove frozen plugs in pipes is the use of an industrial device. However, it only applies to metal products. To defrost the cork, terminals are attached to the two ends of the frozen pipe, through which current is supplied. Gradually heating up, the pipe begins to melt the ice clot inside it.

The duration of the defrosting of the pipe will depend on its length and diameter. For example, for pipes with a cross section of up to 6 cm and a length of 23 m, about 1 hour of operation of the device will be required. If the diameter of the pipeline is greater than this indicator, then the run-up between the terminals is made smaller. This also applies to segments measuring instruments and tie-in locations. A prerequisite in this case is the presence of pressure inside the pipeline.

Along with the generally accepted methods of defrosting water pipes, polyethylene products can be pierced in three more "folk" ways. They are all quite effective, however, only on pipes with a small cross section.

Hot water pouring

Here it is worth noting right away that you will not be able to simply pour hot water into the pipe - you will have to work hard. A flexible hose or thin tube is required to supply hot liquid to the place of the ice plug. For example, if a plug formed on a straight section of a pipe with a diameter of 25-30 mm, you can use a thin metal-plastic tube with a cross section of 16 mm.

Having straightened a thin tube, it is gradually pushed into the water supply until it reaches the ice plug. Next, the hot water supply starts. Melt water will pour out through the gap between the water supply and the working tube. To save money, this water can be reheated and fed to the cork to thaw it.

As the ice thaws, the metal-plastic tube is gradually pushed inward until the cork is completely pierced. It is worth noting that on winding sections of the water supply, you can only use a rigid hose instead of a pipe.

However, you should not use a watering hose - it is too soft and will quickly get wet. Optimally in this case, gas or oxygen hoses are suitable. They can be pushed 15 meters deep into the water supply, however, significant efforts will be required to push them through due to the large weight.

Ordinary enema or Esmarch's mug

This method allows you to get rid of ice in cases where the pipe is frozen quite far from the house, and the water supply system has bends and turns. In this case, you will need a strong steel wire, a hydro level and a regular enema (Esmarch's mug). All these things are inexpensive and easy to get.

First, the hydraulic level must be combined with the wire, wrapped with electrical tape. The end of the wire is wrapped in a loop so that it gets stiff. You need to wind it so that it does not stick out to the sides, and at the end the hydraulic level tube should extend 1 cm beyond the wire. The second end of the tube is connected to the Esmarch cup. After that, the tube with wire is pushed into the water supply until it rests on the ice.

Such a device can easily and without complications go through all the bends of the pipe and get to the right place. When the hydraulic level has reached the right place, hot water is gradually fed into the tube from the enema. Under the outlet of the pipe you need to substitute a container for water, which will flow out from there. Gradually, the ice plug will melt, so that the device can be moved further and further.

It is worth noting that this method- pretty slow. The average speed of work is 1 meter of pipe per hour, that is, about 5-7 meters of pipe can be thawed per working day.

Electricity

There are cases when the thickness of the water pipe is only 20 mm, its length is about 50 meters, but the depth of the passage is about 80 cm (this is very small), and in places where excavation not recommended (on the roadway, for example). Utilities in such situations recommend waiting for a thaw - but this is not an option.

To defrost a plastic pipe in this case, you can use homemade device. To assemble it, you need a plug for an outlet, two-wire copper wire, compressor and hose for pumping water. For our example, let's take a wire with a cross section of 2.5-3 mm, an 8 mm car fuel hose and a car compressor or pump.

Please note that when working with electric current, strict safety precautions are required to avoid injury. Now you can start assembling the fixture for defrosting the water pipe.

On small plot wires remove the outer insulation, separate the cores. First, one of the cores is stripped of insulation, and the remaining insulated piece of wire is carefully, trying not to damage the sheath, bent into reverse side along the wire. Now, almost at the bend, the wire is screwed with 3-5 tight turns of bare wire. Departing from this place 2-3 mm, the same manipulations are performed with the second vein. Make sure that the ends of the two strands do not touch each other.

On the other side of the wire, a plug and a “bulbulator” are attached. Such a unit supplies an electric current directly to the water, as a result of which a reaction occurs with the release a large number heat. In this case, it is also ideal that only water is heated, while the wires remain cold, which does not threaten accidental burns of polyethylene pipes.

Before starting the assembled mechanism should be tested. Dip it in a container of water and apply current - everything works correctly if air bubbles are visible in the water and a buzz is heard. Please note that you cannot touch the water while the device is operating - you will receive an electric shock.

So, we push the wire into the water supply, making sure that it does not bend, before contact with ice. Next, turn on the device for a couple of minutes and wait until the ice begins to melt. After that, you need to turn off the device and try to move the wire further away. Similarly, we first defrost one meter of water supply.

Now it's time to remove the melt water from the pipe using a compressor to reduce the volume of heated water and avoid re-freezing of the pipe. In the presence of special equipment a tap can be welded onto the pipe, which can be closed as soon as water flows through the pipe. This will avoid flooding the place of work with the cork and not pulling the wire out of the pipe.

What to do so that the pipes do not freeze

After so detailed description options for getting rid of ice plugs in water pipes, it would be useful to talk about preventive measures for such an unpleasant phenomenon.

The first thing to remember is that the depth of the water pipes should be below the freezing level of the soil in your area. The norm for sewer and water communications is a depth of 1.2-1.4 meters.

Laying pipelines near reinforced concrete structures it is better not to produce, since the level of thermal conductivity of concrete is much higher than that of the earth. Consequently, near the foundation, beams or grillages, pipes will freeze more than in other places. If it is impossible to bypass them, it is worth taking care of thermal insulation, for example, laying plates of extruded polystyrene foam between the pipe and the foundation.

As an option, if there are additional funds for construction, a heating cable can be laid near the pipeline. On sale you can find self-regulating cables, which start heating the surface only under certain specified conditions.

Where the plumbing and sewer pipes come into contact with the walls of the building, passing through them, it would be useful to insulate communications with glass wool, mineral wool or foam. The reason lies in the same thermal conductivity of the walls of the building.

If work is carried out in country house, the best choice would be water pipes with a cross section of at least 50 mm, which do not freeze so much in winter.

As for the material for water pipes, there are also differences. For example, polypropylene pipes can withstand no more than 2-3 freezing, after which they begin to burst. But pipes made of polyethylene are practically not sensitive to frost and defrosting.

Please note that in cases where you do not plan to use the sewerage and plumbing in the winter season, it is worth draining all the water from the system.

So, every resident of a private house can face the problem of freezing water in a water pipe in winter. In this situation, the best thing to do is not to waste time, but immediately start defrosting the ice plug. For this you can use traditional ways, such as external or internal heating, as well as the use industrial equipment. And you can use folk experience and try one of the non-traditional defrosting methods. In any case, only you can decide how to solve the problem.

Low temperatures in winter become the causes of unpleasant moments associated with the water supply at home. If you approach the laying of water pipes illiterately, then in winter the question is, the water has frozen in a private house - what to do will occur quite often. Moreover, there are always situations related to track accidents. This is a pipe rupture, if it is steel, a rupture of valves. And if this problem in the summer can be dealt with quickly with minimal cost, then in the winter everything becomes more complicated. Therefore, it is very important to first correct installation. And there is only one condition here - to insulate the pipelines or lay it below the freezing level of the soil.

Frozen home plumbing

How to defrost pipes

It should be noted that 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 partially internal plumbing passes through unheated rooms. 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 with enough high temperature which can melt 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 most fast option. Usually in this way it is possible to defrost a sufficiently long water supply in 2-3 hours.

Attention! Before defrosting water in a private house, it is recommended that all stop valves fully open on the highway. Water from defrosting must move freely through the pipeline and flow out of the taps.

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.

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.
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 of effective methods defrosting is the use of 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 inside 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.

Applying electricity

Another option that answers the question of how to heat water in a private house. For this, electricity is used. It is necessary to immediately make a reservation that the use of electric current is always a dangerous business. Therefore apply this option not recommended for defrosting water pipes. But, as an alternative, you need to know it.

For this, a conventional two-wire wire is used, the cores of which must be disconnected and stripped for a length of 20 cm, that is, freed from insulation. The bare wire is twisted to a size of 8-10 cm.

Attention! It is impossible to allow both bare wires to be connected to each other. This will lead to a short circuit, so it is imperative to install a jumper between them, preferably a wooden one. Its size should be less than the diameter of the water pipe.

Now the prepared two-wire wire is pushed into the pipeline to the ice plug. After that, it is connected to a 220 volt supply network. The water inside the pipe begins to boil and defrost the ice. In fact, the forked wire acts as a heating element. As it thaws, it will need to be moved inward.

We use steam

And a few more alternatives that use steam. It should be noted that they are used infrequently only because installations that produce steam are not cheap pleasure.

steam generator

Use of a steam generator. His hose is inserted into the pipeline, where steam is pumped.
Using an autoclave. This is an installation that works on the basis of boiling water. The process itself is exactly the same as in the case of the steam generator. That is, a hose connected to an autoclave is inserted into the water pipe, through which steam from boiling water enters the route.
The use of a hydrodynamic machine. This professional equipment, which is based on the process of heating water and supplying it under pressure inside the water line.

All three options are very effective. If the water inlet to the house or the entire route is frozen, then with their help it is possible to warm the pipes in a few minutes.

So, the answer to the question was given, the water in the house froze - what to do? The proposed technologies have very simple ways, which do not require large expenditures, there are quite serious options based on the use of special equipment. If the problem is not very big, then you can get by with small funds. If everything is very difficult, then it is better to call specialists. They will not only solve the problem of defrosting, but also help prevent subsequent troubles.

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