How to thaw frozen water pipes underground. Water in pipes is frozen - what to do? Fixing the freezing problem with your own hands Frozen pipes in the house

Causes of freezing pipes
Methods for heating pipes
Do-it-yourself heating of plastic pipes
Heating of metal-plastic pipes

Plastic pipes in last years have become a very common material. Today they are used both when laying pipelines in apartments and when arranging risers and long highways.

Plastic pipes owe their popularity to a considerable number of advantages, among which it is worth noting:

• Good visual qualities;
• Full resistance to corrosion;
• Simple and fairly quick installation;
• Non-conductivity electric current.

Despite their good performance, plastic pipes can freeze just like any other. A pipeline that has stopped operating due to frost is always a serious problem that needs to be resolved promptly. This article will discuss how to heat water in a plastic pipe.

The main reason why water pipes located in the ground freeze is that the depth of the pipeline is too small. When installing pipes outdoors, you need to calculate their depth so that they are below the freezing level of the soil. If this condition is not met, then the pipes will freeze every year.

An exception to this rule is any main water supply large diameter: in such systems the movement of water is constant, so it cannot freeze. However, such pipes are usually used for laying industrial routes, and in private construction, pipes with a diameter of 20 to 32 mm are used, which must be laid at a greater depth.

In some cases, installing pipes at a sufficient depth is not possible. To avoid freezing, you will have to use active or passive insulation, which will protect the system from exposure to low temperatures.

If the pipeline freezes with noticeable regularity, then to prevent this factor it is worth leaving the system running even at night. Very important nuance– an increase in pressure in the system is inversely proportional to the probability of its freezing. The desire to save money, for the sake of which the pressure in the system is deliberately reduced, can also lead to its freezing, so you should avoid such situations.

Methods for heating pipes

If the water in a plastic pipe is frozen, you can warm it up in several ways:

1. Heating with heated water. To warm the pipes in this way, you must first wrap them with material such as foam rubber or rags. After this, the pipes must be regularly watered with water heated to boiling water. This method of heating pipes is very simple, but it can only be implemented in a building - plastic pipes located underground will have to be heated for at least ten hours.
2. Hot air heating. To warm the pipes using heated air, you will need a hair dryer or some other good heater. Warming up the pipe will take from 2 to 10 hours, and there are some risks: firstly, uncontrolled heating can lead to softening and deformation of the pipes, and secondly, the efficiency of such heating is too low due to the large dissipation of thermal energy. Read also : “Options for defrosting pipes and rules for preventing freezing.”
3. Warming by conduction. The pipe is wrapped with cables that are used in warm floors. The cables are connected to the power and begin to warm the pipe, which can take about three hours. This method of heating does not allow to lead to working condition pipes laid underground. In addition, heating cables are quite expensive, so it is not profitable to buy them for one-time use.
4. Warming from the inside. Heating the pipe from the inside allows you to completely melt the ice plug formed in the pipe. The main requirement for this method is good access to the pipe so that hot water can be poured into it. Water is supplied either under pressure or using devices similar to a boiler. Such heating of pipes takes a lot of time (up to three days), and there is a limitation - internal heating is only suitable for horizontal sections of the pipeline.

Do-it-yourself heating of plastic pipes

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

One of the methods suitable for solving such a problem is 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 involves supplying hot water directly to an area where it cannot reach on its own.

Sequence of actions required to heat the pipe hot water, as follows:

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

Heating of metal-plastic pipes

Before heating a plastic pipe, you need to thoroughly study the algorithm for performing this work, which includes several stages:

1. The first step is to localize the frozen part of the pipeline. To do this, you need to thoroughly examine the pipes located right next to the house. As a rule, the problem area is located tactilely - it is usually much colder to the touch than the functioning part of the pipe.
2. After localizing the ice plug, the pipe is wrapped with a rag. Next, you need to open all the water taps, having a supply of hot water with you. If it is not there, you can melt the snow.
3. The pipe is watered with water in two stages: first the cold water flows, and after that the hot water flows. A gradual increase in water temperature is necessary to ensure that the pipe is not damaged due to sudden temperature changes.
4. Water that has changed from solid to liquid will come out through open water taps.

To prevent a defrosted pipe from freezing in the future, it is better to immediately take measures to insulate it - then in the future you will not have to think about how to warm up a pipe with water.

If water is frozen in plastic pipes located under a layer of soil or foundation, then to warm them you will need a barrel, a pump and an oxygen hose, using which you need to carry out the following steps:

1. The barrel is filled with hot water, the temperature of which constantly rises.
2. The hose is inserted into the pipeline exactly until it collides with the ice crust.
3. The tap opens and connects to a hose that must be inserted into the barrel. If the barrel itself or the possibility of installing it near the tap is not available, then an ordinary bucket will do.
4. The pump starts, after which the water heated in the barrel is pumped into the plastic pipeline. The hose must be constantly pushed inside the pipe so that it defrosts all the ice in the system. The pump is periodically turned off to drain excess water.
5. When the blockage has cleared, the hose is removed and the water is drained from the pipeline.

Heating a plastic pipe can be done in other ways. For example, you can always use a hydrodynamic machine for these purposes. Its hose is inserted into the pipe, after which the device starts up. Ice in in this case will break under pressure.

A safer option for plastic pipes is a steam generator, which removes ice by turning it into a gaseous state. A pressure gauge and a valve designed for a pressure of 3 atm are attached to the thick-walled pipe of the device. When working with a steam generator, you must strictly follow the instructions to avoid possible troubles.

Conclusion

Questions like “a pipe frozen underground - what to do?” quite common among private home owners. Solving a problem with a frozen pipeline is not so difficult, but the task itself is quite troublesome and time-consuming. It would be much better to design the pipeline in advance so that the water in it does not freeze even in the coldest times.

In the cold season, even slight frost can lead to freezing of water in a plastic pipeline (especially if the pipes are located at a level above the freezing depth of the soil). It is very difficult to dig a trench over a frozen water supply in the event of an ice plug.

To prevent water from freezing in pipes, it is necessary to wrap them with heat-insulating and moisture-resistant material, and, if possible, lay the pipeline at a safe depth that takes into account the climatic conditions of a particular area.

However, if necessary, warm up plastic water pipe underground, you can use several methods.

Quick navigation through the article

Heating with hot water

With a simple heating method, hot water is supplied inside the pipe to the area with frozen water.

Necessary actions:

• Disconnect the plastic pipe from the taps;
• Heat water in a large container;
• Insert a hose or tube of smaller diameter into the pipe until the end of the hose hits the ice plug;
• Supply hot water from a container into the hose (use a pressure pump to speed up the process);
• Advance the hose as the ice thaws until strong water pressure appears from the pipe, indicating successful defrosting.

Use of electricity

The electrical method is effective, but must be used with strict adherence to safety precautions. The preparation for the process is as follows:

• Take the plug for the socket and the copper two-core wire from which you need to remove upper layer isolation;
• Expose one core of the wire, bend the second in the opposite direction along the wire;
• Make 3-4 turns of the exposed core (bite off the excess with wire cutters);
• Step back 1-2 mm from the last turn and twist the second core with turns (the bare wires should not touch each other to avoid short circuit);
• Connect the wire to the plug.

  How to warm up a pipe: practical recommendations for restoring system functionality

The functionality of the device can be checked in a container with water: bubbles should come from the ends of the wire, and a current should hum. Under no circumstances should you put your hands in the water during the test.

• To warm up, place the wire in a plastic pipe and push it until it reaches a blockage;
• Then plug the plug into the socket and move the wire as the ice melts;
• After passing every 1-1.5 meters, pump out excess water with a pump or compressor.

Technically equipped methods

With special equipment, the process of defrosting a plastic pipeline is significantly simplified.

Easy to use hydrodynamic machine:

• You need to insert the end of the installation hose into the plastic pipe;
• Then turn on the hydrodynamic machine (in a short time the ice will collapse under strong air pressure).

Autoclave Application:

• Pour water into the autoclave and heat it;
• Place a gas welding hose or other durable hose onto the autoclave fitting;
• Push the hose into the plastic pipe as far as possible (when water boils, steam under pressure flows through the hose and melts the ice plug).

Heating using a steam generator:

• The end of the steam generator hose must be inserted into the pipe;
• Turn on the unit (the ice gradually melts under the action of hot, high-pressure steam).

In what cases may it be necessary to defrost pipes?
External heating
Warming up pipes from the inside
Steel pipe attachment
Spraying with hot water
Regular enema or Esmarch mug
Electricity
What to do to prevent pipes from freezing

IN winter period Nowadays, quite often people are faced with the fact that water pipes can freeze in severe frosts.

In this material we will talk about how to defrost a water pipe without damaging communications and without being left without water for a long time.

In what cases may it be necessary to defrost pipes?

In cases where the water supply pipes were not insulated in time, if the air temperature outside dropped sharply, the water in them could freeze.

However, even if such a nuisance happens, you should not panic - everything can be fixed, including on your own.

Among the most common causes of freezing of water pipes is incorrect laying of the main without taking into account the depth of soil freezing or without insulation.

Alternatively, this can happen with a water supply that is used at very low temperatures or has too little water flowing through it.

If the pipes are frozen in places where they are quite easy to reach, you can use a regular hairdryer to warm the surface to the desired temperature.

It is somewhat more difficult to defrost water pipes that run underground. Freezing at the entry point can be broken by simply heating the wall of the house, however, often the freezing point is located a few meters from the building. Read also: “How to heat water in a plastic pipe - proven and simple ways from practice."

In order to defrost the pipes, you can use equipment such as a hair dryer (if you don’t have one, an ordinary household hair dryer will do), blowtorch, electric heater. Here are some recommendations for defrosting frozen pipes.

When working with steel pipes, defrosting is very simple. To do this, a welding machine is connected from opposite ends of the pipe, which will lead to thawing of the water inside the water supply within 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 pressures of up to 10 atmospheres.

Although such products do not deform when frozen, still defrost plastic pipes welding machine it is forbidden. You should also not use an iron rod to pierce the plug, so as not to spoil the water supply.

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

External heating

Of course, the need to break frozen ground to get to the pipe is a significant drawback of this method.

However, for those situations where the frozen area is small, this method has a right to exist.

Once the trench is excavated, the type of pipeline material is determined.

To work with polymer products, only heating devices can be used. electric type, producing a temperature of no more than 100-100 ℃. To reduce heat loss from the heater and warm up the pipe section faster, the work area is covered with a layer of thermal insulation.

With metal pipes, the process of thawing the plug is faster, because here you can use a source open fire- firewood, gas burner, blowtorch or any other device, which, of course, is not applicable to plastic.

Warming up pipes from the inside

To get rid of a blockage in sewer pipes, you will have to take into account a number of features. Firstly, 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 ice accumulated in them will be significantly greater, so it will be necessary higher consumption heat from heating devices.

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

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

The structure must be inserted into the drain pipe from the receiver side, where the melted liquid will flow. First, the heating element is fully advanced to the place of work, after which it is connected to the network.

Moving the device forward as the plug thaws, the device is periodically turned off.

Steel pipe attachment

One of the most effective methods To remove frozen plugs in pipes, use an industrial device.

However, it only applies to metal products. To defrost the plug, 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 defrosting 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 larger than this indicator, then the spread between the terminals is smaller. This also applies to segments with measuring instruments and insertion points.

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 by three more “folk” methods. They are all quite effective, however, only on pipes with a small cross-section.

Spraying with hot water

It’s worth noting right away that you won’t be able to simply pour hot water into the pipe - you’ll have to work hard.

To supply hot liquid to the ice plug, you will need flexible hose or thin tube. For example, if a plug has 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 the thin tube, it is gradually pushed into the water supply until it reaches the ice plug. Next, the supply of hot water begins. 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 applied to the plug to defrost it.

As the ice thaws, the metal-plastic tube is gradually pushed deeper until the plug 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 watering hose– it is too soft and will get wet quickly. Gas or oxygen hoses are ideal in this case. They can be inserted 15 meters deep into the water pipe, however, significant effort will be required to push them due to their heavy weight.

Regular enema or Esmarch 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 has bends and turns.

In this case, you will need a strong steel wire, a hydraulic level and a regular enema (Esmarch mug). All of these things are inexpensive and easy to get.

First, you need to align the hydraulic level with the wire, wrapping them with electrical tape. The end of the wire is wrapped in a loop to make it rigid. 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 beyond the wire by 1 cm.

The second end of the tube is connected to the Esmarch cup. After this, the tube with the wire is inserted into the water supply until it hits the ice.

Such a device can quite 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 enema tube. Under the outlet of the pipe you need to place a container for water that 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– quite slow. average speed work is 1 meter of pipe per hour, that is, in a working day you can defrost about 5-7 meters of pipe.

Electricity

There are cases when the thickness of the water supply is only 20 mm, its length is about 50 meters, but the depth of the pipeline is about 80 cm (this is very small), and in places where excavation not recommended (on the roadway, for example).

To defrost a plastic pipe in this case, you can use a homemade device.

To assemble it you need a plug for the socket, 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 electrical current, strict safety precautions are required to avoid injury.

Now you can begin assembling the device for defrosting the water pipe.

On small area The wires remove the outer insulation and separate the cores.

First, one of the wires is stripped of insulation, and the remaining insulated piece of wire is carefully bent in the opposite direction along the wire, trying not to damage the sheath. Now, almost at the bend, the wire is screwed with 3-5 tight turns of bare wire.

Having retreated 2-3 mm from this place, the same manipulations are performed with the second core. Make sure that the ends of the two wires do not touch each other.

On the other side of the wire, a plug and a “bulbulator” are attached. Such a unit supplies electric current directly to the water, resulting in a reaction that releases a large amount of heat.

What is also ideal in this case is that only the water is heated, while the wires remain cold, which does not threaten accidental burns of polyethylene pipes.

Before launch assembled mechanism should be tested. Place it in a container of water and apply current - everything works correctly if air bubbles are visible in the water and a humming sound 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, until it comes into contact with ice.

Now it's time to delete melt water from the pipe using a compressor to reduce the volume of heated water and avoid re-freezing of the pipe. If you have special equipment, you can weld a faucet onto the pipe, which can be closed as soon as water flows through the pipe.

This will allow you to avoid flooding the work area with the plug and not pull the wire out of the pipe.

What to do to prevent pipes from freezing

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

The first thing to remember is that the depth of the water supply pipes should be below the freezing level of the soil in your region.

The norm for sewer and water supply lines is considered to be a depth of 1.2-1.4 meters.

It is better not to lay pipelines near reinforced concrete structures, since concrete has a much higher thermal conductivity level than the ground.

How to heat water in a plastic water pipe underground

Consequently, pipes will freeze more near the foundation, beams or grillages than in other places. If it is impossible to bypass them, you should take care of thermal insulation, for example, lay extruded polystyrene foam slabs between the pipe and the foundation.

Alternatively, if additional funds are available for construction, a heating cable can be laid near the pipeline. On sale you can find self-regulating cables that begin heating the surface only under certain specified conditions.

Where water and sewer pipes come into contact with the walls of the building, passing through them, it would be useful to insulate the 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, optimal choice there will 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 They can withstand no more than 2-3 freezing periods, after which they begin to burst. But polyethylene pipes are practically insensitive to frost and defrost.

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

So, every resident of a private home may face the problem of water freezing in a water pipe in winter. In this situation, the best thing that can be done is not to waste time, but to immediately begin defrosting the ice plug.

For this you can use traditional ways, such as external or internal heating, as well as the use of industrial equipment. Or you can take advantage of popular experience and try one of the unconventional defrosting methods.

In any case, only you can decide exactly how to solve the problem.

THE SEWER IS FROZEN: HOW TO MELT THE ICE IN THE PIPE.

There are two ways to deal with ice blockage in the sewer: thermal and chemical. The first involves the use of electrical devices, which in itself can be a problem, the second allows you to get by with more by simple means, but its effectiveness is worse.

So, if a sewer pipe is frozen: how to melt it thermally.

If the pipes are steel and the place of the plug is localized, then it is possible to pass current from welding transformer, connecting with welding and return cables to the ends of the frozen section.

The pipe between the cable connection points will heat up and the plug will melt. Unfortunately, this method is not possible for polyethylene or ceramic pipes. In this case, the heat source must be supplied to the end of the ice plug from the inside. To do this, they often use a U-shaped heating element under voltage, which is pushed through the sewer pipe with a thinner metal-plastic pipe.

To prevent the heating element from resting against the walls of the pipe and melting them, you need to center it along the axis of the pipe using simple spacers, for example, thick wire.

If the plug is in the above-ground part of the sewer, or it is possible to open a trench with a pipe, then it is heated from the outside with fan heaters, construction hair dryers, and blowtorches.

Water has frozen in a plastic pipe - what to do and how to fix the problem?

If this is possible, you can use the services of a local water utility or a specialized company that has a mobile steam generator to which a rigid heat-resistant hose is connected.

In this case, hydrodynamic washing will also be effective, when hot water under pressure is supplied to the hose from a special installation.

The easiest way is to dissolve salt or a reagent for removing ice from asphalt in boiling water, and pour the solution into the hole in the pipe closest to the ice plug.

It is better if the plug is inside the house. Otherwise, there is a risk that the incoming solution will cool before the plug is completely dissolved and will also freeze. If there are no holes in the pipe near the plug, then the hot solution is supplied to it through a flexible metal-plastic pipe.

It is stiff enough to push through crushed ice, but may bend once or twice on sewer bends. The water that has melted from the plug should be taken through a hose, which is filled completely with water, squeezed, pushed all the way and the pressure is removed. The water should flow by gravity.

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Specialist plumber Installer of water supply, sewerage and heating.

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Installer of water supply, heating and sewerage.

In winter, you can observe such an unpleasant phenomenon as freezing of water pipes and drain pipes in private homes. Defrost sewer pipe easier, since during the defrosting process the water will flow into drain hole. Things are more complicated with the water supply system to the house.

Pipes are usually underground, making it very difficult to dig through frozen ground.

In this article we will look at how to thaw a frozen pipe in various ways.

Methods for heating frozen pipes

It is quite difficult to thaw frozen pipes, so you can choose the appropriate method for this depending on where these pipes are located.

The length of the frozen section and the material from which the pipeline is made are also taken into account. Before starting work, you must turn off the water supply and open the tap that is closest to the frozen area.

Heating using hot water

The method is good if the pipe is in the house or the trench in which it is located, can be easily opened.

For example, it is not buried, but is a concrete channel with easy access. The pipeline is assumed to be steel. The frozen area is wrapped in rags and poured with boiling water. In a relatively short period of time it is possible to warm up the desired area.

How to thaw frozen pipes without damaging them? If the fire is too big, the water inside the pipe can turn into steam and cause a rupture of the communications wall.

Areas that do not need to be heated must be covered with thermal insulation, otherwise ice may appear in another place.

Heating with an open flame

This method is applicable only to metal pipes.

To work, you will need a gas burner or a blowtorch, although you can get by with an ordinary fire.

The frozen metal is heated by an open flame, and the resulting water gradually flows onto the area. The method is used only when pipes are openly visible.

Warming up a frozen pipe with a hairdryer

A construction hair dryer allows you to deal with ice jams very effectively.

But again, such heating can only be used in cases where the pipes can be easily reached. For example, if they are inside the house. The method is not suitable for plastic pipes, since a hair dryer can produce very high temperature.

As a result, the plastic may simply melt.

You can simply heat the metal with a hairdryer, but this will take considerable time. A sleeve made of polyethylene or other dense material will speed up the process. The sleeve is put on the desired area, after which a hairdryer is inserted inside it and connected to the network. Gathers in the sleeve warm air, which acts on the pipe, heating it over its entire area.

Defrosting using a welding machine

This method of heating was invented by folk craftsmen.

It consists in the fact that current is supplied to the pipe section from the welding machine. The current can be adjusted by making it more or less. The wires from the welding machine are connected to the ends of the frozen area (wound wire).

After this, the device turns on for 30 seconds.

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

After a short pause, the action is repeated. If the pipe does not heat up during such exposure, then increase the current of the device.

Industrial defrosting devices also operate on this principle. The terminals of such a device are connected to the ends of the section that is subject to defrosting.

The device turns on and applies current to the pipe.

For information: a pipe with a diameter of 6 cm and a length of 25 meters is defrosted by such a device in 1 hour.

Therefore, if the communication has a diameter of more than 5-6 cm, then it is better to defrost it separate sections- comes out faster.

Heating with a heating cable

We looked at methods for heating metal communications. How to warm frozen plastic pipes? To do this, you can use hot water or use a heating cable.

If everything is clear with hot water, then many have not even heard of a heating cable. The pipe section is wrapped with metal foil. A special heating cable is wound over the foil.

Attention!

To avoid damage to the cable, its turns should be spaced at intervals of at least 9-10 cm.

A temperature sensor must be installed on the cable, which turns off the cable when the set temperature is reached. The cable is connected to the power supply and heats the required area.

Whatever method you use to defrost pipes, follow certain safety precautions.

It is very important to prevent damage to pipes and not to be left without water in the dead of winter.

Why freeze pipes? The reasons can be very different: the pipes are not installed at an insufficient depth, they are not effectively insulated, they carry too little water, the pipes operate at extremely low temperatures.

It should be noted that if pipe deflection, in accessible places, does not cause any special problems (for example, they can be heated with ordinary household hair dryer), and then how to defrost external water pipes in an underground position? “Fortunately”, if the tube freezes at the entry point, in this case you can simply heat the walls. What if the freezer is located a few meters from the building? Is there a solution or should I wait for it to warm up?

Solution to the problem!

If the pipes are metal, the defrosting process is quite simple. To do this, take a simple welding machine and connect it to different ends of the pipes. This simple electrical method eliminates the problem within two to four hours.

How to defrost a water hose - 4 simple and effective ways

The frozen part of the tube is longer and defrosting takes longer.

What to do if it's frozen plastic tube? Currently, water supply networks predominantly use polyethylene pipes made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which can withstand pressures of up to 10 atm. They are not subject to corrosion processes and do not degrade during freezing. Due to its properties, polyethylene is not a conductor of electric current, so defrosting using a welding machine is impossible.

Removing the ice plug with a steel rod is also filled, the damaged hose may be damaged. This is the only way to use defrosted water.

The proposed three methods for defrosting polyethylene pipes are the knowledge of folk craftsmen. Despite their eccentricities, they work. Their only drawback is that they are only suitable for small diameter pipes.

Method 1

It should be kept in mind that the ice plug in the tube will not allow hot water to penetrate inside if it is poured.

Therefore, you need to find a way to supply hot water to the frozen area. If you want to do this, you can use a smaller diameter hose or tube. For example, if you need to defrost a water pipe with a diameter of 25 or 30 mm, and the frozen part is flat, then the most efficient use a metal pipe with a diameter of 16 mm is the most effective. First line up the metal plastic hose (m/p pipes usually turn into compartments) and insert it into the frozen tube until it reaches the ice.

Then fill it with a place to freeze as much hot water as possible. Dehydrated cold water leaks through the gap between the water supply and metal plastic pipes. By the way, if you have a limited water supply, you can use melt water: preheat it and re-send it to the freezing point. At the same time, the ice cube will melt and you can push the metal plastic tube further.

What to do if a frozen part of a water pipe has shocks and brakes?

In this case, it will be impossible to use rigid metal pipes made of plastic. Is there a solution? In this case, you can use a rigid hose. Be aware that a regular charging hose will not work, it will soften from the hot water and will not be able to push it.

In this situation, they were created efficient pipes and pipes for connecting gas cylinders. Such pipes are quite heavy, but nevertheless they can be brought to an entrance of 10-15 meters. In addition, they are quite heavy, and pushing into the pipe is required with great difficulty.

Method 2

How to defrost a water hose if it happened ten meters from the house and the pipeline was rotating and turning?

There is an effective and economical way. To do this, you will need a set of hardened steel wire (2-4 mm), construction hydraulic steps and an Esmara mug (a banal enema). The cost of such a kit is low, and many of them have all its components on the farm.

First, you need to align the hose and the hydraulic level wire, and then tie the end of the wire to the hydraulic level with tape.

To provide more rigidity at the end of the wire, you can use a loop. The stone wire should not be held, and the end of the hydraulic pipe level should be 1cm in front of the wire. After this, the other end of the hydro should be connected to the Esmarch can and the wire should be pushed through the pipe to the pipeline until it stops at the ice cap. Due to the fact that the water hose has a very small diameter and very low weight, it easily moves through the pipeline and overcomes all turns.

Then pour in hot water to “clog” the frozen water line. To collect the melt water under the water pipe, you need to replace the container, because the amount of hot water is poured out, so it is cold poured out. When the ice comes together, keep pressing the wire with the water hose. This pipe defrosting method is quite long, it can thaw up to 1 m of pipeline in about one hour, i.e.

During operation, the icy ice can be released from 5-7 m. In this case, do not worry, before inflating the hose/pipe, you should charge at least 10 liters of hot parts at minimal cost.

Scheme of the process of bending a tube with a wire, water level and Esmarch jug

Method 3

Consider the situation when we have frozen polyethylene water with a small diameter (20 mm) 50 m long with a compaction depth of up to 80 cm.

Please note that this is not the correct depth to lay the water pipe, so it froze. The peculiarity is that the water supply flows under the train. As a rule, passengers in this situation are usually advised to wait for defrosting, but it can be done without them.

We need the following “equipment” of a two-wire copper line (the length and thickness of the cross-section is chosen by the length and diameter of the frozen water tap), with a drain plug, a compressor pipe to blow out the defrosting water.

For example, for a pipe with a diameter of 20 mm, you can take a wire of 2.5-3 mm, and a pipe for a car pipe with a diameter of 8 mm - a regular one. Automobile compressor(as a last resort - a pump).

We would like to point out that the use of this method must be especially careful since the work is done using high voltage.

Now everything is needed for the defrosting process.

From a small part of the wire it is necessary to remove the outer insulation, divide it into two wires and one of them is bare (remove the inner insulation), and the remaining wire in the insulation is carefully folded in the opposite direction along the wire. It must be ensured that the insulation is not damaged.

Then, almost near the curvature of the wire, you need to make 3-5 turns of bare wire (as close together as possible) and cut off the rest of the end.

After that - move 2-3mm away from the devices to support the other wire and around it just as well.

The turn of the first and second wires should not touch, otherwise a short circuit will occur in the future.

Connect the plug to the other end of the wire, and the “block” for the pipe outlet is ready. In humans this device is known as a "bulbulator": if you put it in water and connect it to electrical system When a stream passes through water, a reaction occurs by releasing a large amount of heat.

In our case, this device is ideal because only the water is heated and the wires remain cold, for example, the plastic hose is not damaged by accident.

The composite device needs to be checked. To do this, you must put it in a glass of water and combine it with food. If the air bubbles remain in contact and there is a slight noise, the device is working. Again, contact with water during operation of the device may result in an electrical shock.

We continue the process of draining water.

The wire must be carefully pressed into the tube so that it does not bend at the same time. Therefore, it is better to take a wire with a large cross section. When the wire rests on the ice plug, you need to turn on the lamp and wait one or two minutes.

Now you can try to push the wire forward: the ice has begun to melt. When defrosting with a tube meter, the defrosted water is preferably in the compressor, which is necessary to reduce the volume of heated water and to ensure that the water tube does not freeze again in the thawed area.

If special equipment is available, it is advisable to turn the tube into a hose.

When water enters through the tube, the wire is pulled out of it and the faucet is closed, for example, an underground portion of the defrosting area (such as a basement) will not occur.

To prevent plastic pipes from freezing, please note:

• Pipe installation must be done at a depth below the freezing level in a specific area. In the northern and eastern parts of Ukraine - Lugano, Kharkov, Poltava, Sumy, Kiev, Chernigov - the freezing depth is no more than 100 cm, in the south - (Nikolaev, Odessa, Kherson) - 60 cm, the rest 80 cm .

  It is advisable to place water and wastewater at a depth of at least 120-140 cm.

• Do not place water and sewerage near reinforced concrete structures (beams, girders, foundations, throats) because the thermal conductivity of concrete is much higher than the thermal conductivity of the floor, i.e. T

  The likelihood of soil freezing in reinforced concrete structures increases. In this case, it is necessary to insulate the pipes (for example, between the pipeline and reinforced concrete structures extruded polystyrene panel)

• If the product is close to the pipeline, you can place a heating cable.

  They currently produce self-regulating heating cables that activate when needed

• the points of passage of the pipeline through the walls of buildings and structures are preferably insulated with fiberglass, mineral wool and polyurethane foam to prevent direct contact of pipe walls with building walls
• when equipping water pipes in a recreation area, it is advisable to use pipes with a diameter of at least 50 mm, while pipes of smaller diameter are more susceptible to freezing
• When choosing between different polymer water pipes, it should be noted that polyethylene pipes are well tolerated by repeated freezing and thawing, while polypropylene pipes can be started after two or three discharges
• If water or wastewater is not used regularly during the winter, it is preferable for the system to be completely drained.

If all these conditions are met when installing water pipes, you do not need to think about how to defrost the pipes.

Instructions

The possibility of heating a water pipeline is largely related to the features of its design - in particular, the depth of installation. It is easier to heat the water supply in the house, since its owner usually knows exactly where the pipes run and in which places they are most sensitive to frost.

As a rule, the water supply freezes at open areas exposed to strong winds. This condition may be one of the keys to finding a section of water supply that needs to be heated. Usually, an ice plug forms first on the very problem area: if it is melted in time, the water supply can be restored. The more time passes from the moment the water supply stops, the larger the section of the pipe will freeze, and the more difficult it will be to resume the water supply.

Locate the area where you think the water supply may have frozen. Clear the area of ​​snow and build a fire there. Be prepared for the fact that it will take more than one hour to maintain the fire. The earth will warm up quite slowly, and the ice plug will melt just as slowly. The fact that your efforts are not in vain will be announced by the appearance of a thin stream of water from the tap. Open all the taps and let the water flow, this will help the ice plug melt.

IN rural houses having autonomous water supply, can freeze sections of the water supply near a pump, well or borehole. As a rule, for the convenience of prevention - for example, to remove deep well pump, part of the water supply may not be covered with earth, but covered with light heat-insulating materials. In severe frost and wind, such protection may not be enough, and the pipe will freeze.

To heat the water supply in this case, you will need one or two kettles of boiling water. Remove insulation to gain access to frozen pipes. Place rags under them - for example, bags, any old unnecessary clothes and so on. After this, pour boiling water over the frozen pipes. After pouring out all the boiling water, wrap the pipes in wet hot rags, then cover them with thermal insulation. As a rule, this procedure is enough to melt the ice in the pipes.

If the centrifugal pump installed next to the well is caught in the frost, boiling water will also help you. Remove the thermal insulation and tuck rags under the pump where possible. Then start the pump body with the impeller (but not the electric motor!), the outlet pipe with a section of pipe, and the pipe that carries the water to the pump. These measures may be enough to get the water supply running again.

To prevent water pipes from freezing in very coldy It is impossible to stop the water supply to the house for a long time. It’s better to get up one more time at night and turn on the water for a while than to find out in the morning with annoyance that the water supply is frozen.

Pipes freeze for various reasons: insufficient laying depth, lack of insulation, small volume of transported water, use of the pipeline in frosty conditions. Defrosting the water supply in an accessible place does not cause difficulties. The question of how to defrost a plastic water pipe underground requires attention.

Nowadays, water supply uses pipes made of high-density polyethylene, which does not deteriorate when frozen, has anti-corrosion properties and does not conduct electricity. But heating the water supply is not possible using all available methods.

Defrosting pipes using a heating cable

Before you begin thawing a frozen water pipe, locate the area where the ice blockage has formed. Search methods:

1. Visual inspection. When a liquid freezes, it increases in volume and leads to swelling; the place where it freezes feels colder to the touch.
2. Internal check. If a full inspection is not possible, use a flexible wire or cable. The area where the cable does not pass further will be the place where the traffic jam occurs.

How to thaw an icy area will depend on the availability of free access to the problem.

Effective ways to solve the problem

Warm up water pipe located in the ground is difficult. In this case, it is impossible to use external thawing methods. You will have to defrost the system from the inside. Let's look at common ways to remove ice jams.

Hot water application

Prepare a metal-plastic pipe whose cross-section is 2 times smaller than the diameter of the main pipe. Carefully bring it inside the pipe to the frozen area and fill it with boiling water, which will gradually wash away the ice.
When defrosting water pipes using this method, be sure to open the tap so that the pressure in the system remains low.

Heating with a hairdryer

This heating method is suitable for water pipes located in open access. A stream of air is directed onto the icy area. To avoid deformation of the plastic, the temperature of the hair dryer should be set to a minimum level. After heating with hot air, wrap the pipeline section with insulation.

De-icing with electric current

It is possible to combat pipe freezing using a welding machine. But it should only be used to defrost water supply systems made of steel, copper and other metal products.

Metal is a conductor of electric current. Electrons and ions under the influence electric field, moving and colliding with each other, form energy. The latter turns into heat.
Plastic does not conduct current. Therefore, using a welding machine on plastic products is pointless and irrational.

Soldier's boiler for plastic pipes

Water is an electrolyte due to its salt content. Therefore, to heat it, you will need a pair of energized electrodes. This method is only suitable for polyethylene water supply systems and is based on the principle of operation of a boiler.

You will need: two-core copper wire and steel wire, tools. The wire strands are stripped and wrapped around the wire. Make sure that the turns do not touch each other, as a short circuit may occur. A plug is attached to the free end of the wire.
Homemade boiler lower it into the pipe to the ice plug, plug it into the network. After a while, the water supply will warm up and the icing will melt.

How to prevent your system from freezing

To do this, you need to remember the following:

1. Lay the pipes at a sufficient depth, below the freezing level of the ground.
2. The water supply should not pass near reinforced concrete structures (foundation, beams and supports), because... this material has higher thermal conductivity. If you cannot find another installation location, insulate the pipes.
3. It is recommended to insulate those places where the sewage system passes through the walls of the building with polyurethane foam, glass or mineral wool.
4. Use pipes with a diameter of at least 50 mm.
5. When choosing between polymer products, remember that polyethylene reacts stably to the process of freezing and thawing. Polypropylene may burst after two defrosts.
6. If the pipeline does not operate regularly in winter, it is better to drain the water from the system.

If you have the opportunity and finances, you can also lay a heating cable.

Application of heating cable

The cable is used to heat the water supply and prevent freezing of plastic and metal pipes. Nuances of use:

• the operating time of the device does not have to be constant, night time is sufficient;
• It is recommended to use the heating cable immediately when laying a section of the pipeline that is susceptible to freezing;
• The device is divided into 2 types: cable with self-regulating function and simple.

Subject to installation conditions plumbing system You won’t have to deal with the problem of freezing.

The water supply, as a rule, should be laid outside the freezing zone or insulated special materials. But in practice, some sections of the pipeline remain unprotected from exposure subzero temperature and with the arrival of cold weather, the water in them freezes. To decide how to warm up a frozen water supply, you can use one of several methods that are used in this situation.

Application of boiling water

If the water pipe is located in an open space, you can use hot water brought to a boil to defrost it. This applies to pipes located near the house, in the garage or in the summer kitchen, which does not have a heating system.

• Water is heated to boiling water, poured into a kettle or other container, and then poured directly onto the section of pipe that needs to be defrosted.
• The process of heating the water supply will be more effective if, before using hot water, the pipe in a certain place is wrapped with as much fabric as possible. This move will allow the water in the fibers of the material to maintain a high temperature for a longer time, so the pipe will defrost faster.

If the section of pipe that needs to be heated is located in the thickness of the soil, then the heating work may take a long time. In this case, you either need to be patient or use another faster method.

Using a hair dryer

If the above method does not work and the question is how to warm up a frozen water supply, then you can try to do this using construction hair dryer, distinguished by its power. If you don’t have one, you can use an ordinary hair dryer or fan heater, which is present in many homes.

• This method is no less simple than the previous one. Just to achieve a positive result you need sufficient time apply the hot air of the device to problem area pipes.
• In order not to waste time and speed up the defrosting process, it is advisable to build a small hut over a certain location where the water supply is installed. This structure will trap warm air within its outline. Thanks to this, the pipe body will warm up faster and the ice jam will thaw.
• Water tends to freeze first in the sections of the water supply system where shaped products. Therefore, when warming up, due attention should be paid to elbows, tees and other places in the pipeline where water changes direction of movement.

When using this method, you need to take into account the material of the water pipe. If it is made of plastic, you need to monitor the temperature of the air that acts on the surface of the pipe. At high temperatures, the plastic can melt, so you need to work carefully.

Exposure to electric shock

The following methods are based on the action of electric current. With their help, you can melt ice in both metal and plastic water pipes.

• To heat a water pipe made of metal, you can use a transformer to welding work. Wires with “+” and “–” are attached to opposite ends of the frozen pipe and a large current is supplied to them. This method is suitable for melting ice in metal pipe. This method is not suitable for defrosting water pipes made of plastic.
• In the case of a plastic pipe, copper wires with a cross section of 2.5 mm 2 are used. First, you need to make a special product from the wire. The insulation is removed from one side of the cable, and then one of the wires is exposed. After this, the cleaned wire is wound several times (3-5 turns) around the unstripped wire and wrapped around the bare base. Excess wire must be cut off. On the other side of the wire a plug is attached for electrical outlet. One end of the wire with spirals is inserted into the water supply, while the turns should be in contact with the ice, and the plug is inserted into the socket.

To avoid a short circuit in the network, you need to ensure that unprotected parts of the wires do not touch.

Tool operation based on water pressure

If the water supply system has a large number of turns, then to defrost it you can use a homemade tool, the design of which includes an Esmarch mug, a hydraulic level tube and wire.

• At the beginning of the manufacture of the tool, the tube is connected to the wire with insulating tape (adhesive tape may also work). In this case, the wire should be shorter than the tube.
• The product is inserted into the pipe and hot water is supplied to it, which must reach the ice jam. The ice will gradually thaw, and the resulting water will need to be removed. The next time you go, you need to move the tube deeper and repeat the operation.
• Such work progresses quite slowly, but since the manufacture of the tool does not require much effort, this method is quite in demand.

Help from professionals

If the situation is such that the frozen water supply cannot be thawed on our own, you can seek the help of a specialist. With the help of a hydrodynamic unit, he will be able to quickly cope with the problem. During the operation, boiling water will be supplied, which will defrost the water supply in a short time.

If you don’t want to waste time and effort on heating the water supply in winter, then it is better to make sure that water flows to the collection point all year round during the warm season.

Video

This video describes how to defrost a water pipe with steam:

No one is immune from minor utility problems. The water supply can become clogged with rust or welding scale, leak, or, under certain circumstances, even freeze. Today we have to figure out how and with what to defrost water supply pipes inside the house and outside.

Causes of freezing

Three scenarios can lead to freezing of the water supply system:

• A residential building left without heating or utility room (summer cuisine, bathhouse, etc.). Usually in such cases the water is turned off and discharged; however, in the case when all the taps are closed and only the vent at the bottom of the water supply circuit is open, the water often hangs in the pipes and forms an ice plug when the temperature drops below zero;

• Incorrectly calculated soil freezing depth;

Let us remind you: water supply mains and water inputs to private and apartment buildings laid below the frost line, where the ground temperature is always above zero and changes only slightly throughout the year. However, the actual freezing depth greatly depends on the type and density of the soil. Within one settlement it can vary by half a meter or more.

• Frosts in combination with open laying of street water supply. This situation is typical for Crimea, where the author lives. Because the negative temperatures are extremely rare here; water supply pipes are often laid along the facades of houses or simply along the ground. However, in rare frosts the water still freezes.

We found out who is to blame. It remains to find answers to the second part of the eternal question: what to do.

The video in this article will help you learn more about how water supply pipes can be defrosted.

Defrosting

At first - several simple ways defrosting frozen pipes.

How to defrost water supply pipes inside the house:

• It’s very simple: heat the entire house or a separate room. To do this, it is not at all necessary to light the stove or start the boiler: to warm up a small kitchen or bathroom, a fan heater is enough, oil cooler or even a gas stove.

• When laying pipes hidden in walls or screeds, the ideal tool for defrosting them is infrared heater. If it is equipped with a reflector, direct the heat flow to the surface under which the water supply is hidden. Wall panel or a flexible picture heater just needs to be hung on a nail driven into the wall.

How to warm up a frozen plastic (polyethylene or polypropylene) water supply inlet laid at a shallow depth underground:

• The simplest instructions: light a fire directly above the entrance.

• This is exactly how the soil was heated for decades to repair underground highways in the conditions of Siberia and the Far East. It is better to use firewood for kindling, but coal is the main fuel: it can smolder for hours, releasing a large amount of heat.

How to defrost steel pipe, laid in the ground:

• The easiest way to defrost it is... a welding inverter.

• Install a grounding crocodile at the inlet to the water meter well or at any other point in the water supply outside the house;

• Connect the electrode holder to the water supply in the house (for example, by attaching it with wire to a pipe that has been stripped of paint);
• Turn on the welder and set the current to 20 amperes;
• If the ice does not melt within 20-30 minutes, increase the current step by step by 10 amperes at intervals of at least 15 minutes until the water supply warms up.

How to defrost an openly laid steel water supply with your own hands?

This is done using simple heating tools:

• Blowtorch;

• Impromptu gas burner from a can with a nozzle;
• Construction hair dryer.

The algorithm of actions is simple and clear:

1. Open any water supply tap in the house;
2. Heat the pipe in half-meter sections to a temperature of at least 50-60 degrees, until water begins to flow to the mixer.

What to do if your cold water supply pipe bursts during defrosting:

• Water expands when it turns into ice, and the volume of ice decreases when it melts. However, until the moment of melting, ice behaves in the same way as any other physical body - it expands when heated. Therefore, frozen pipes most often break during thawing.

• Use the gust to release the water and completely drain the water supply. Warm up the entire length of the pipe, making sure there is no ice left in it. And only after that proceed to repairs - welding a broken seam or replacing a section of the water supply system.

How to warm up a plastic pipe laid along the street:

• The most reasonable solution is to use a section of heating cable to warm it. The best thing is self-regulating: its device completely eliminates overheating and damage to the insulation of the cable or the water supply itself. The heating cable is wound around the pipe in a spiral and connected to the network; Thawing takes from 15 minutes to an hour depending on the diameter of the water supply.

Prevention

What can you do to ensure that you never need to defrost your water supply pipes?

At underground installation insulate the water supply inlet from above. Precisely from above - because in cold weather the soil freezes from top to bottom. The deep layers of soil will become a source of heat for the pipes, and there is no need to isolate the input from them.

If pipes are forced to be laid above the freezing depth (for example, on rocky soils) or when laid open, provide them with a system cable heating. Passive insulation is unable to prevent water in pipes from freezing: it will only delay it. In the absence of water supply, the water supply input will still freeze, but only a little later.

The heating cable can be installed in two ways:

Image	Description
	Outside the pipe: the cable is wound in a spiral or laid under the pipe in a common thermal insulation shell.
	Inside the pipe: a sealing sleeve with a rubber seal is used to insert the cable into the water supply.

Which cable should you choose? From the author’s point of view, it is again self-regulating.

Here are its advantages over the slightly cheaper resistive one:

• Energy Saving- energy consumption decreases as temperature increases;

• Safety- cable overlap cannot lead to overheating and damage to the insulation and pipe, since as the temperature rises, the specific power of the heated areas will decrease;
• Arbitrary cutting to length: a cable of any length, equipped with an end sleeve, is a ready-made heating section.

For comparison, the length of a section of resistive cable with a fixed resistivity is constant. If you shorten a conductor, its impedance will decrease and the current flowing through it will increase, which will lead to overheating.

Conclusion

As you can see, preventing a problem is much easier than eliminating its consequences. The video in this article will help you learn more about how water supply pipes can be defrosted. Good luck!

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