Defrosting plastic pipes underground in a factory. How to defrost a frozen sewer pipe - methods and means

In winter, there are frequent cases of freezing of water pipes in private houses. If the pipelines are laid underground, then most often the reasons are insufficient burial and insulation of the pipelines in combination with stagnation in the pipes. If pipes located in the walls freeze, then this phenomenon can occur due to very severe frosts. In any case, the home owner needs to know how to defrost water pipes in a private house. Below we will look at how to eliminate ice plugs in metal and plastic lines.

It is not enough to know how to defrost a pipe underground. First you need to find the immediate freezing point. This can be done in a simple and proven way. Shut off the water supply in the water supply system. After that, it is necessary to unscrew any detachable connection that is located after the crane. A plumbing cable is launched into the opened hole. It is gradually introduced into the pipeline until its end abuts against the ice plug.

This will be the freezing point. To mark its position on outside pipes, the cable can simply be applied to the ground for the same length as it entered the pipe. In this place, you should look for a place of freezing. So in a simple way you can find the right place in a pipe made of any material.

Methods for defrosting pipelines

Of no small importance when defrosting pipes is the material from which it is made. The methods of influencing the pipeline depend on this.

Defrosting metal pipes

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

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

Important: During the defrosting process, the water taps must be kept open. This is necessary for the free flow of defrosted water from the pipes.

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

How to defrost plastic pipes

Plastic pipes require more respect for themselves due to the lower strength of the material. Let's see how to defrost water in a plastic pipe that is in plain sight:

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

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

The melted water will gradually flow out of the pipe along with the supplied hot water... The end of the hose should be pushed further and further until all the ice plug has been removed. After that, water will pour under strong pressure.

Tip: Plastic or metal-plastic pipes should be pre-insulated in open areas to avoid additional ice jams.

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

3. The use of electricity. This method works on the principle of heating water with a boiler. To do this, you need to stock up on a thick two-core wire of sufficient length. The veins are split. Each of them is released from the insulation and then twisted. Two thick twists are obtained, located at a distance of 1-2 cm from each other. The likelihood of their connection to each other should not be allowed to avoid a short circuit.

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

4. Hydrodynamic cleaning. Any ice plug in the pipe can be removed with the jetting machine. Hot water is fed into it under pressure through a special nozzle, which contributes to the destruction of ice in a very short time. As the cork breaks down, the hose with the nozzle moves further along the pipe. It should be noted that such equipment is mainly from specialists due to its high cost.

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

Freezing prevention

We've looked at how to unfreeze polypropylene pipes(and pipes made of other types of plastic) or metal pipelines. Preventing pipelines from freezing is equally important. The occurrence of this unpleasant situation can be avoided if you adhere to some rules:

We have covered the main ways to get rid of ice plugs in water pipes. However, it is much easier to prevent water from freezing in pipelines than to fix problems later.

One of the unpleasant consequences of prolonged severe frosts is the freezing of water in the heating pipeline, hot and cold water supply or domestic sewage system, so owners of private houses need to know how to unfreeze a pipe underground, preventing it from being damaged by the formed ice crystals. After all, apart from education ice plug, which completely covers the inner lumen of the pipe, crystallization of water is accompanied by an increase in volume frozen ice in a confined space, which can lead to rupture of the outer walls of the pipeline.

To prevent water freezing, the outer pipes must be carefully insulated., but if for some reason this still happened, they need to be properly defrosted using the technologies described below.

Defrosting water and sewer pipes

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

In addition, the reader will be presented with detailed instructions and helpful advice for the installation of water pipes, the implementation of which will avoid the occurrence of unpleasant consequences.

What to do to prevent pipes from freezing

Most often, the main reason for water freezing in pipes is a violation of the technology for laying an external or underground pipeline and non-observance of the rules for using a water supply system in winter period time. So that in the future you do not have to deal with a solution to such a problem, it is enough to follow the simple rules for the installation and operation of the supply or drain pipeline in the cold season.

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

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

In any case, when equipping an external or underground water supply system, it should be remembered that the price of thorough thermal insulation will cost significantly less than the cost renovation works to replace the damaged section of the pipeline in the winter.

Note!

Advice! To completely remove water from all engineering communications, their pipes should be located at a slope of 1-2 ° to the horizon, towards the lowest point of the water supply, sewer or heating system.

Pipe defrosting technology

Option 1: defrosting a steel water pipe

In practice, two methods are used to reheat frozen pipes. They differ from each other in the way of heat exposure - internal and external heating:

For metal pipelines, you can use both the first and the second method., however, outdoor heating is usually more efficient, since it allows the surface to be heated immediately over a large area.
An external heat source can be electrical heaters or a heat source. open flame e.g. heating cable, construction hair dryer, blowtorch or gas torch. During heating steel pipes using the specified tools, the following rules must be observed:

First of all, you need to determine the place of formation of the ice plug and provide free access to the pipe, after which open the nearest water tap for free outlet of thawed water.
Connect a heat source or light a gas burner flame and gradually start rewarming the frozen area, slowly moving the tool from the water tap to the supply riser.

As the temperature rises, water will begin to appear from the tap, which indicates a gradual thawing of the ice plug.
It is safer and no less effective to use a household heating pad or heating electric cable, which must be evenly wound on the frozen section of the pipe, and then connected to the electrical network. To speed up the process, I advise you to wrap the heating cable with a thick cloth or old blanket.
To warm up a long section metal pipe that is outside or in the wall, you can use a welding machine. To do this, you need the terminals of the low-voltage winding of the transformer, using thick cables to connect to different ends of the frozen area.

Note!

Advice! When using open fire, it is imperative to follow the fire safety rules. This method is not allowed to be used for heating pipes that are wrapped with roofing felt or covered with a layer of bituminous waterproofing.

Option 2: defrosting reinforced-plastic pipes

Reinforced-plastic water pipes, as a rule, are used to carry out intra-apartment or intra-house wiring of the water supply system, so they can freeze if they are filled with water for a long time in an unheated room with negative temperatures.

In most cases, to eliminate the ice plug, it is enough to turn on the heating system in the house and warm up the air in the room to a positive temperature.
If a plug has formed in the heating system, you can place an electric heater or a medical lamp with a deflector next to the radiator or battery.
Open metal-plastic pipe in the house, you can warm it up with your own hands if you wrap it in several layers of thick cloth and pour hot water over it, after placing a bucket or bowl under it.
For metal plastic pipes it is also effective to use a heating pad or an electric heating cable, but the use of open fire in this case is categorically unacceptable.

Note!

Advice! Beforehow to defrost heating pipes, you need to check the water level in the expansion tank, and make sure that air does not enter the autonomous heating system during operation.

Option 3: defrost the plastic water pipe

Plastic plumbing made of polypropylene or polyethylene pipes is most often used to supply water to a house from a well when autonomous system water supply or for connection to a centralized water supply system. It is also often used to perform internal wiring for hot and cold water supply in many apartments and houses.

Most often, freezing of water supply networks occurs at the entrance to a residential building or at the exit from a water metering unit, and this site is usually located underground. In this case, the methods described above will not work, so you need to use the internal heating method. To do this, you will need Esmarch's medical mug and a thin long hose.

Before defrosting polypropylene pipes underground, you need to roughly determine the location of the ice plug and disassemble part of the water supply system to provide free access to the supply pipe.

Attach the end of the elastic steel wire to the free end of the flexible rubber hose so that it protrudes 10 mm in front of the end of the hose.
Insert the hose with the fixed wire inside the supply pipe and gradually push it inward, adjusting its advance with the wire.
Having reached the place of the supposed ice plug, connect the free end of the hose to the outlet of the Esmarch mug, and pour hot water into it.
After that, you need to raise it as high as possible and open the drain valve, directing the heated water to the place of ice formation.
As it warms up, the thawed water will flow out of the end of the inlet pipe, so you need to substitute a bowl or bucket under it.

The diagram shows how to defrost a pipe using an Esmarch mug.

Note!

Advice! In order to prevent flooding of the house as a result of a sharp supply of water after removing the ice plug, you must first, slightly not completely shut off the inlet valve, which is located between the metering unit and the main pipeline.

Option 4: removing the ice plug in the sewer

Freezing of the sewage system rarely happens, because, as a rule, waste heated water flows into it from the drain holes of plumbing fixtures that are located in a house or apartment. If this nevertheless happened, then several methods will be presented, in which it is described in detail how to defrost a sewer pipe in a private house when an ice plug forms.

With a shallow depth of the underground drain collector, above the place where it is located, you need to make a fire and keep it burning until the entire layer of the earth is warmed up.
Pour a large amount of concentrated sodium chloride solution down the drain... This solution has a very low melting point, so it will not freeze, and the salt it contains will slowly dissolve the ice plug.
Through the toilet bowl drain hole or the inspection hatch window, bring the electric heating cable into the sewage system until it stops against the ice obstacle, and connect it to the mains.
Open the inspection hatch of the septic tank, and through the outlet drain pipe fit a flexible garden hose inside it. Having reached the place of the supposed ice plug, supply hot water from the water supply system to the hose until the ice is completely thawed.

Conclusion

After reading this article, it is easy to conclude that there are many simple and effective ways, which allow you to independently eliminate the consequences of freezing water in any pipeline of a private house.

Additional information on this issue can be obtained by watching the video in this article, or reading similar materials on our website. All your questions and suggestions can be left in the comments form.

July 22, 2016
Specialization: Capital construction works(laying the foundation, erecting walls, constructing a roof, etc.). Internal construction work (laying of internal communications, rough and final finishing). Hobby: mobile communication, high tech, computer technology, programming.

I have told many people many times about the technologies for manufacturing engineering systems in private houses. And all the time he drew attention to the fact that pipelines must be laid below the freezing point or carefully insulated. Nevertheless, from time to time I am asked questions about how to defrost plastic water pipe.

I remember a case when a neighbor in the country called me in mid-January and tearfully asked me to fix the water supply system. As it turned out, he planned to hold the anniversary outside the city, and when he arrived at the site after a long stay in warm countries, he was faced with the fact that no water was flowing from the taps. And all the sophisticated electronics that provide water to the cottage don't work either.

As it turned out, the ice plug was to blame, which blocked the metal-plastic pipe laid underground. And since he could only sign business papers with his own hands, he had to call me for help.

Of course, we coped with the problem, and I turned out to be the most honored guest at his holiday. I also decided to tell you about how to defrost plastic pipes for water supply and sewerage. Suddenly, the instructions below will be of invaluable help to you. Especially when a reliable plumber friend isn't around.

Causes of freezing pipelines

In my practice, I have very rarely met people who make or order modern engineering networks (water supply, sewerage) from steel pipes. Plastic is more common.

And I think it is correct, because the price of polymer pipes is constantly decreasing, and the operational properties of such a solution have always been at their best:

plastic pipelines have an attractive appearance;
pipes are not subject to corrosion during the entire service life;
it is as simple as possible to mount the utility network without using electric welding (maximum - a soldering iron);
pipes do not conduct electricity and do not accumulate static electricity.

The only thing that cannot be eliminated under any circumstances is the danger of freezing the liquid in them. However, I know for sure that people encounter this nuisance only in those cases when they entrusted the installation to an illiterate engineer.

Only such a person can lay a water supply system at an insufficient depth in the ground or not insulate the engineering system. As a result, you come to the dacha to celebrate your birthday, and nothing flows from the tap. Sadness.

To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to dig a sufficiently deep trench for the water supply and sewerage pipes. The average depth of soil freezing in the Moscow region is 1.4 meters. However, this indicator depends on many other factors, therefore, to determine the exact value, it is better to consult a specialist or use special cards with tables.

By the way, many people ask why central water pipelines in cities do not freeze. I will answer without hiding. There, the flow of water does not stop around the clock, so the liquid is in motion and does not turn into ice.

And at the dacha, pumping equipment is turned on only from time to time. Therefore, it is imperative to take measures to insulate water pipes.

Pay special attention to the insulation and deepening of drainage systems, where water flows at a low speed. Otherwise, a plug will form and you will have to decide how to defrost the plastic sewer pipe. This activity is difficult and far from enjoyable.

If, for some reason, a ditch of a suitable depth cannot be dug, it is necessary to wrap the pipes in heat-insulating materials or come up with systems for heating them. Or use both.

If you know that your pipes are poorly insulated, and at night they promise a very severe frost, leave the water turned on overnight to ensure the flow in the pipe.
In this case, the likelihood of the appearance of ice is significantly reduced.

But it often happens that people return to the issues of pipe insulation only when they have already faced the freezing of water. There is nothing left, you have to melt the ice. I'll tell you about this now.

Defrosting water transport communications made of plastic

Underground

First, let's take a look at how to defrost a plastic plumbing pipe underground. This, in my opinion, is the most laborious and time-consuming process. Especially in winter, when not only the water in the pipes froze, but also the earth itself, where they were laid.

The simplest scheme is as follows:

Above the place where the plastic pipe passes, it is necessary to light a fire. You can use firewood or coal, and also ignite car tire... The latter will burn for a long time, but emit black smoky smoke. Consider this.

The advantage of this method is that not only the water in the pipe must be heated, but also the earth itself must thaw. And we need this in order to move on to the next point of our work.

Then I advise you to dig up the pipe to check if it is damaged. This will be easy as the fire softens the earth and makes swinging the shovel easier.
Usually, good quality plastic pipes will not burst with ice, so nothing needs to be repaired. The main thing is not to break the pipe already during excavation.
After making sure of the integrity of the communications, I recommend insulating the pipeline with heat-insulating materials or laying it. If this is not done, then personally I will not give a guarantee that after filling the trench with earth, the water in the pipe will not freeze again.

If you once faced freezing water, I recommend redoing the engineering system in the summer. After all, your friend will not always come to the rescue on time and dig out this pipe. It will be necessary either to deepen the trenches, or to insulate the water transport system along its entire length.

By the way, someone once told me that he insulated pipes with empty plastic bottles. The scheme is as follows:

you dig a pit and check the pipe;
take more plastic bottles, you wrap the plugs so that there is air inside;
you put them around the pipe;
you cover everything with earth.

The bottom line here is that the air inside has a low coefficient of thermal conductivity and will not allow the water in the pipes to freeze.

What can I say. In my opinion, you will spend more time collecting bottles than working. Better go to the store and buy basalt shells. It will be clean, tidy, efficient and not very expensive.

And to everyone folk recipes I'm in Lately I resort less and less. Unless he himself is sure of their effectiveness.

Another way to remove ice plugs is to use hot water. I see several disadvantages here at once:

have to disassemble somewhere plumbing system to pour water there;
the pipe will remain uninsulated and the liquid can freeze again at any time;
the method will not work if the ice is at a great distance from the place where you are going to pour boiling water.

Nevertheless, sometimes I have resorted to this method. To make it more effective, I will give several own advice that were formed in the course of work:

If your summer cottage is connected to the central water supply, do not turn off the taps. Additional pressure from the central water pump can help break the plug.
If water comes from pumping station(i.e. wells or wells), the equipment must be turned off. Otherwise, you will ruin expensive and electronics, as the water will go out of the pipes.
You can understand that the plug has been removed by the fact that the water poured into the pipe will all go away.

Another tried and tested method that I have sometimes used to thaw pipes. It must be implemented carefully, as you can get an electric shock. Nevertheless, I will describe the technology, suddenly you will not have another way to fix the problem.

The scheme is as follows:

I take an electrical wire, separate one core from another and remove some of the insulation. Then I roll one wire into a spiral. I do the same with the second living room, but the twist needs to be placed slightly behind, about two centimeters away.
It is very important to make sure that these twists do not move in the process of work and do not come into contact with each other. This could result in a short circuit and electric shock. So be sure to secure the ends of the wire very carefully.
I put the tool prepared in this way into the pipe until it hits the ice plug.
After that, the wire must be connected to electrical outlet... Heating of the liquid inside the pipe will occur due to the potential difference across the twists. The walls of the pipe will not melt; the water temperature will not rise to this level in any case.
As it thaws, you need to move your device inward until the patency of the engineering system is fully restored.

Remember that thawed water must be drained all the time, otherwise it may freeze again.

There are also special devices for defrosting pipes. We are talking about steam generators, autoclaves and hydrodynamic devices. It is not necessary to buy them, it is enough to rent the necessary unit in a specialized building supermarket.

The work takes place as follows:

Steam generator... It is necessary to place the hose of the device inside the pipe and let the steam under pressure there. Considering that the temperature of the medium is much higher than the boiling point of the liquid, the defrosting process will take place very quickly, and the plastic will not be damaged.
Autoclave... Steam is also used here, but the principle of operation is somewhat different. First, the water is heated in the container until steam is generated from it. Then a hose is pushed into the water pipe (up to the ice plug), the other end of which is connected to the autoclave.
As the ice thaws, the hose must be moved through the pipe until the water flows in the direction you want.
Hydrodynamic machine... It breaks ice not with temperature, but with a jet of liquid injected under high pressure. As a result, the cork can be disposed of very quickly and efficiently.

And if someone tells you to just bend the wire and break through the ice, you don't need to. This will most likely damage the plastic sheath of the pipeline itself, but not the ice plug.

Overground

As you can imagine, defrosting open plastic pipes (for example, in a basement, storeroom or other unheated room) is much easier. Here you will not need the help of a specialist at all. Especially if you follow my advice.

The easiest way to heat is with a blow dryer or other similar heat source. By directing the air flow to the engineering system, you gradually heat the walls of the pipes, which give their thermal energy water. And the ice melts.

By the way, a hair dryer can be replaced with an ordinary heater, which is placed near the pipe.

You've probably seen how metal pipelines are heated with blowtorches. So, this heating method is categorically not suitable for plastic. The polymer has a very low melting point (about 140 degrees), so the flame from gas or gasoline burner will melt not only the ice, but also the pipe along with it.

Naturally, an obligatory stage of any defrosting is the insulation of pipes or the installation of heating elements that maintain the required temperature of the liquid. I offer several options to choose from:

Take mineral mats and wrap them around the pipes. From above, it is imperative to protect all this with a waterproofing material to avoid moisture and some kind of protective cocoon. Roofing material is suitable, which will cope with both tasks.

Buy and fix on pipes special shells made of polystyrene, basalt fiber, foamed polyethylene and so on. The easiest option. They are mounted quickly and easily, without the use of special tools.

Wrap the pipe with a heating electric cable. This method is suitable both for heating ice and for preventing its further formation. You just need to make sure that the cable is constantly connected to the electrical network.

And it is best to wrap the pipes with cable, and then with insulation. The combination of these methods will provide you with drinking water at any time of the year, regardless of the temperature "overboard".

Defrosting a sewer pipe

I will separately tell you about the way to remove the plug from the drain pipe of the external sewer system of a private house. It is with this problem that the majority of residents of private country houses are faced.

So, to fix the problem you will need:

rigid steel wire;
hydrolevel (dense polymer flexible tube);
Esmarch's irrigator;
a bucket for collecting dirty liquid;
hot water.

I fixed a similar problem like this:

He removed a piece of the sewer pipe, opening access to the pipe connecting the internal and external sewer systems of the house.
He leveled the steel wire and tied the hydraulic level to it with electrical tape, through which hot water will flow into the pipe.
Then he put all this device into the sewer pipe, and attached Esmarch's mug to the opposite end of the pipe.
After that, with the help of an impromptu pump, he began to pump hot water inside, gradually moving the device inside the pipe.
Excess water and thawed sewage were poured out through the neck. I collected them in a pre-set bucket.
As soon as the water stops flowing out, it means that the cork has thawed and the engineering system can be assembled.

As in the case of plumbing, in order to avoid freezing of the drain, you need to lay pipes at the required depth or insulate them with heat-insulating materials. Better to spend time and money on this in the summer than digging through the waste in the winter, on the eve of your birthday.

Regardless of the chosen defrosting method and pipe laying method, I will give a few more tips to follow when thawing pipes:

if you know exactly where the ice plug is located, you do not need to heat this particular section of pipes from the middle;
to ensure the outflow of the melted water, it is necessary to open the water tap;
I recommend starting the defrosting procedure from the consumer (supply valve) to the water intake source (vertical riser).

Conclusion

There are a lot of ways to defrost pipes and everyone who has encountered a similar problem knows his own way to thaw ice. I would be glad if you could share it with our readers by describing it in the comments to this article.

And I invite everyone to get acquainted with the video in this article, where you can find many other tips regarding the operation of the engineering systems of a residential building.

July 22, 2016

If you want to express gratitude, add clarification or objection, ask the author something - add a comment or say thank you!

Why do pipes freeze? The reasons can be very different: the pipes are laid at insufficient depth, they are ineffectively insulated, too small volumes of water are transported along them, the pipes are operated at extremely low temperatures. It should be borne in mind that if defrost pipes laid in accessible places does not cause any particular difficulties (for example, they can be warmed up using the usual household hair dryer), then how to defrost outdoor underground laying? "Successful" if the pipe is frozen at the point of entry - in this case, you can simply heat the walls. And if the freezing point is a few meters from the structure? Is there a solution to the problem or should you wait for the heat? There is a solution to the problem!

If the pipes are metal, then the defrosting process is quite simple. To do this, we take an ordinary welding machine and connect it to different ends of the pipe. This simple electrical method fixes the problem within two to four hours. The longer the frozen pipe section, the longer the defrosting process takes.

But what to do if frozen plastic pipe? Currently, networks are mainly used made of polyethylene high density(HDPE), which can withstand pressures up to 10 atm. They are not subject to corrosive processes and do not deteriorate when freezing. By its properties, polyethylene is not a conductor of electric current, therefore defrosting with a welding machine is impossible. Removing the ice plug with a steel rod is also fraught with damage to the pipe. Thus, there is only one way out - to use hot water for defrosting.

The proposed three methods for defrosting polyethylene pipes are the know-how of folk craftsmen. However, despite their some eccentricity - they work. Their only drawback is that they are only suitable for pipelines of small diameters.

Method 1

It should be borne in mind that the ice plug in the pipe will not allow hot water to get inside if it is poured just like that. So you need to find a way to supply hot water to the frozen area. For this you can use a hose or pipe with a smaller diameter. For example, if you need to defrost a water pipe with a diameter of 25 or 30 mm, and the frozen section is straight, then the most effective would be to use a reinforced-plastic pipe with a diameter of 16 mm. First, we straighten the metal-plastic pipe (metal-plastic pipes are usually rolled into coils), and then we push it into the frozen pipe until it reaches the ice. After that, we supply the hottest water along it to the freezing point. Thawed cold water will pour out through the gap between the water supply and reinforced-plastic pipes. By the way, if you have a limited supply of water, then you can use thawed water: heat it up and send it back to the freezing point. In this case, the ice plug will melt, and you can push the reinforced-plastic pipe further.

But what if the frozen section of the water pipe has twists and turns? In this case, it will not be possible to use a rigid metal-plastic pipe. Is there a solution? In such a situation, you can use a rigid hose. Note that the usual watering hose at the same time it does not fit, it will soften from hot water and it will be impossible to push it through. Oxygen hoses and hoses for connecting gas cylinders proved to be effective in such a situation. Such hoses are quite rigid, but, nevertheless, they can be pushed no more than 10-15 meters from the input. In addition, they are quite heavy and you need to push them through the pipe with significant effort.

Method 2

How to unfreeze a water supply pipe if it happened tens of meters from the house and the pipeline has bends and bends? There is an efficient and economical way. To do this, you will need a set of hardened steel wire (2-4 mm), a construction hydraulic level and an Esmarch mug (a banal enema). The cost of such a set is low, and many have all its components in the household.

First, it is necessary to align the pipe of the hydraulic level and the wire, and then screw the end of the wire to the hydraulic level with electrical tape. A loop can be made at the end of the wire to provide greater hardness. The wire itself should not stick out, and the end of the hydraulic level tube should protrude 1 centimeter in front of the wire. After that, the other end of the hydro level must be connected to the Esmarch mug and push the wire and tube into the pipeline until it stops in the ice plug. Due to the fact that the hydraulic level pipe has a very small diameter and very low weight, it easily moves along the pipeline, overcoming all the turns. Next, fill in hot water, making the frozen water supply an "enema". To collect thawed water, you need to substitute a container under the water pipe, because how much hot water is poured, so much cold water is poured out. As the ice melts, we continue to push the wire with the hydraulic level tube. This method of defrosting pipes is quite lengthy, in about an hour you can defrost up to 1 m of the pipeline, i.e. during a working day, 5-7 m pipes can be freed from ice. In this case, you should not rush, before pushing the tube / hose, you need to fill in at least 10 liters of hot, it works at minimal cost.

Diagram of the pipe defrosting process using a wire, a hydro level and an Esmarch mug

Method 3

Consider a situation when we have a frozen polyethylene water supply system of small diameter (20 mm) 50 m long with a laying depth of up to 80 cm. Note that this is an insufficient depth of water supply, which is why it froze. Distinctive feature- the water supply runs under the carriageway. Utilities in such a situation, as a rule, advise to wait for the thaw, but, nevertheless, there is a way to do without them.

We need the following "equipment": a copper two-core wire (we select the length and thickness of the cross-section according to the length and diameter of the frozen water pipe), a plug for a socket, a compressor and a hose for blowing out thawed water. So, for example, for a pipe with a diameter of 20 mm, you can take a wire of 2.5-3 mm and a car fuel hose with a diameter of 8 mm, a regular car compressor (in extreme cases, you can use a pump).

We warn you that using this method, you need to be very careful, since the work is done using high voltage.

Now you need to prepare all this for the defrosting process. From a small section of the wire, you need to remove the external insulation, divide it into two wires and strip one of them (remove the internal insulation), carefully bend the wire remaining in the insulation in the opposite direction along the wire. In this case, care must be taken that the insulation is not damaged.

Then, almost next to the bend of the wire, you need to make 3-5 turns of bare wire (as tightly as possible to each other) and cut off its remaining end.

After that, step back 2-3 mm from the turns made, strip the second wire and wind it around the wire in the same way. The turns of the first and second wires must not touch, otherwise a short circuit will occur in the future.

We connect the plug to the other end of the wire and the "unit" for defrosting the pipe is ready. Popularly, this device is known as a "bulbululator": if you put it in water and connect it to the mains, then when current passes through the water, a reaction occurs with the release a large number warmth. In our case, such a device is ideal, because only water heats up, and the wires remain cold, i.e. the plastic pipe will not melt even by accident.

The assembled device must be checked. To do this, it must be placed in a jar of water and connected to the power supply. If air bubbles leave the contacts and a slight hum is felt, the unit is working. Once again, we remind you that if you come into contact with water while the device is working, you can get an electric shock.

We begin the process of defrosting the water supply system. The wire must be carefully pushed into the pipe so that it does not bend. Therefore, it is preferable to take a wire of a larger cross-section. When the wire hits the ice plug, you need to turn on the "bulb" and wait one or two minutes. Now you can try to push the wire further: the ice began to melt. When about a meter of the pipe is thawed, it is advisable to blow out the thawed water using a compressor, this is necessary to reduce the volume of heated water, and so that the water supply system does not freeze again in the already defrosted area.

If there's special equipment, then it is advisable to weld a tap onto the pipe. When water flows through the pipe, the wire is pulled out of it, and the tap is closed, i.e. flooding of the place where the defrosting procedure will be carried out (for example, the basement) will not occur.

To prevent plastic pipes from freezing, remember:

the laying of pipes should be carried out at a depth below the level of freezing of the soil of a particular region. In the northern and eastern regions of Ukraine - Lugansk, Kharkov, Poltava, Sumy, Kiev, Chernigov - the depth of soil freezing does not exceed 100 cm, in the southern - (Nikolaev, Odessa, Kherson) - 60 cm, in the rest - 80 cm ... Plumbing and sewer pipes it is advisable to lay at a depth of at least 120-140 cm.
you should not lay water supply and sewerage near reinforced concrete structures (supports, beams, foundations, grillages), since the thermal conductivity of concrete is much higher than the thermal conductivity of the soil, i.e. the probability of soil freezing from the side of reinforced concrete structures increases. In this case, it is necessary to insulate the pipes (for example, place plates of extruded polystyrene foam between the pipeline and reinforced concrete structures)
if finances permit, a heating cable can be laid next to the pipeline. Currently, the production of self-regulating heating cables has already been mastered, which are switched on only when necessary.
it is advisable to insulate the places where the pipeline passes through the walls of buildings and structures with glass wool, mineral wool and polyurethane foam to prevent direct contact of the pipe walls with the walls of buildings
when arranging a water supply system for summer cottage it is advisable to use pipes with a diameter of at least 50 mm, pipes of a smaller diameter are more susceptible to freezing
when choosing between different polymer water pipes, you should know that polyethylene pipes well tolerate multiple freezing and thawing processes, while polypropylene pipes can burst after two or three defrosts
if the water supply or sewerage system is used irregularly in winter, it is better to completely drain the water from the system.

If all these conditions are met when laying the water supply, you will not have to think about how to defrost the pipes.

In winter, not only ourselves are freezing, but also communications. And if it is enough for a person to drink a cup of hot tea, wrap himself in a blanket and sit around, then with pipes it will be more difficult. If the water or sewage in them is frozen, then you will have to deal with utilities (and we all know that this is not always fast), or else take the initiative into our own hands. Fortunately, the people's ingenuity has come up with a lot of really working and effective ways to unfreeze a water supply and sewerage pipe without waiting for spring.

Why do pipes freeze?

No, this is not a rhetorical question. The reason often lies within ourselves. Yes, it is we, knowingly or not, violating the norms, and as a result, in the midst of a fierce winter, we get an unpleasant consequence in the form of an icy water supply system or, even worse, a sewage system.

Pipes freeze for the following reasons:

insufficient burial depth... Ideally, the pipes should be below the level of soil freezing, and in some regions this level is at a depth of 1.8-2 m, or even deeper. Utilities and private developers sometimes do not adhere to this rule, either due to incorrect calculations, or in attempts to save money;
ineffective insulation... To prevent pipes from freezing in winter, and those places of pipes that pass through or brick walls, need double insulation, since these materials cool faster than the ground;
it is better not to place pipes close to brick and concrete structures for the same reason. An exception is entering the house;
low water consumption... In private unheated houses, water must not be left in pipes; it is better to drain it before winter;
too small pipe diameter... The smaller the diameter, the faster the liquid freezes. Under the ground, it is not recommended to lay water pipes with a diameter of less than 50 mm;
even if the pipe laying depth is sufficient, and they are high-quality insulated, with extremely low temperatures not typical for the region, freezing may occur. This is already an emergency.

If it so happened that the pipes are frozen, and you will have to defrost them on your own, then first you have to calculate the place where the water freezes. These can be outdoor areas or underground. Defrosting methods will vary.

# 1. Defrosting the pipe with a hair dryer or blowtorch

If the outside of the pipe that is within reach is frozen, then the task is greatly simplified. It is enough just to expose the frozen area to external heating, and for this you can use:

If the pipe is metal, then you can also use the following heat sources:

The principle is the same in all cases. The frozen area is exposed to heat. If this is a heating pad, then it is applied, if the cable is wrapped around the pipe and connected to the network, if the burner or blowtorch is used, the flame is directed into the pipe zone, but with a hairdryer, everything is clear. You can wrap an old blanket or thick cloth over your heating pad, heating cable, and thermal blanket to keep warm.

It is important to open the tap with water before starting work so that the thawed water can flow out of the pipe calmly. or turn off for this time.

# 2. Defrosting with boiling water and rags

The method is also suitable, if pipes are in the building and are accessible... Of course, you can simply water the pipes with hot water, having previously substituted the containers for collecting water, but it is much more efficient to first wrap the pipes with rags, and only then arrange a "hot shower" for them. The rags will absorb water, heat up and keep the pipes warm. If there are few rags, then it will periodically need to be moved along the pipe section. Do not forget to place a container for collecting water that will not absorb.

No. 3. Defrosting a pipe with a welding machine

If the frozen area is located outside the house, then it will take more time and effort to thaw. The c method is considered one of the most effective, but it has a limitation - it only suitable for metal pipes.

To begin with, you will have to at least approximately determine the location of the formation of the ice plug. Then, on both sides, the water pipe is cleaned of thermal insulation and cleaned to a metallic sheen. An electrical cable is connected to these places, connected to the secondary winding of the welding transformer.

Now it remains to set the minimum current on the device (about 180 A) and connect it to the network. will begin to heat up along the entire length of the connected section. Defrosting occurs relatively quickly, but the duration of the entire process depends on the length of the pipe. In this case, the tap with water should also be kept open. Experts warn that the method has side effect- pipes after such treatment begin to rust faster.

It is very important to connect and disconnect the cables to the pipe only when the welding machine is turned off. Otherwise, you can get an electric arc that can damage both the pipe and your hands and eyes.

No. 4. Defrosting by supplying hot water through a hose

When the frozen area is in sight, it is enough to pour hot water directly on it. Through simple inferences, we can come to the conclusion that if the congestion is located far from home, then it is necessary to somehow deliver hot water to the place of icing. Just pouring hot water into the pipe is not very effective - you have to get a little confused. This way applicable to, when you can't just take and send current through them, like through metal.

The procedure is as follows:

remove the shut-off valves;
prepare a rigid hose or pipe with a diameter smaller than the water supply. For example, for a pipe with a diameter of 25-32 mm, a diameter of 16 mm is suitable. This is if the site is completely straight. If there are turns and bends, then you will have to take a hose that can bend, but at the same time it is quite rigid. You cannot take an ordinary one - it may not withstand exposure to hot water and soften, so it will be more difficult to push it. You can take an oxygen hose or the hose that is usually connected to gas cylinders... True, it can only be extended 10-15 m from the entrance - it is too hard and heavy. Alternatively, a flexible hose with an attached wire can be used;
we put a prepared hose or a metal-plastic pipe into the pipe until you hit the ice;
a container can be attached to the outer end of the hose, from which hot water will be supplied. If you attach a faucet to it, it will be much more convenient. However, hot water can also be poured through a funnel, only this is not very convenient;
instead of a simple hot ox, you can use salt solution- it freezes at a lower temperature, so that work will go faster;
melt water will flow out through the gap between the pipe or hose. Prepare a container in advance to collect it;
as the ice plug melts, it will be possible to lower the reinforced-plastic pipe or hose deeper.

When the work is completed, it remains to assemble the pipeline and put the shut-off valves. To prevent re-freezing, ensure a constant flow of water through the pipeline, at least with a slight head. The heating cable can be lowered into a straight pipe.

Hydro-level method

A variation of this method is the use of a building hydraulic level of the required length. Method is good if there are 2-3 bends in the pipe and the distance from the house to the frozen area is 20 m. Wire is tied to the end of the hydro level with electrical tape. And then, and then it is necessary to align a little in advance. There should be no wire sticking out of the end that will plunge into the pipe. It is better to let it be 1 cm shorter than the hydro level.

The hydraulic level is pushed into the pipe until it hits the ice. Hot water(or saline solution) can be served using Esmarch's mug, popularly - an enema. When you hit the ice, you can start the water supply. To put it simply, we give the tube an enema. We collect the melted water in a basin or a bucket, as it thaws, we advance the hydro level.

The method is good in that the water level tube is thin enough, so that it passes well into the water pipe, and it easily overcomes turns. The average speed is 1 meter of ice per hour.

No. 5. Defrosting with a wire

The method is suitable for defrosting only plastic pipes plumbing located at a distance from the house. To work, you should purchase:

two-core wire, the length and thickness depends on the pipe, but people with experience advise taking a thicker and harder wire;
plug for the socket;
a compressor and a hose will be needed if there is a sufficient length of the pipeline, or if the ice plug is located far from the place of entry into the house. You can buy a fuel hose, it is inexpensive, and use a pump as a compressor, or use a car compressor.

The main thing, prepare the wire correctly... First, we remove the general insulation in an area of 8-10 cm and expose one of the wires. Gently fold it in the opposite direction and make several turns (3-5 is enough) around the part that remains under the general insulation (it is clear from the pictures below). The turns should be tight. Insulation is also removed from the second wire and wound below the turns of the first wire. The distance should be about 2-3 mm - the turns of the first and second wires should not touch. If you use pliers during the creation of the turns, then first wrap the wire with something tight so as not to damage the insulation.

When the first end is ready, it remains to connect the plug from the second end. Here is our working tool, popularly sometimes referred to as a "boerboiler", is ready. You should not take this method if you do not know much about electrics.

The operation of this method is based on a simple physical phenomenon... When the current passes through the water, the latter heats up. What you need when you need to defrost pipes! It is important that the wire itself remains cold, only water is heated, i.e. the likelihood of damage to the plastic pipe is minimized.

Use this way defrosting frozen pipes is possible only if all parts (including shut-off valves) are made of plastic. A short circuit may occur with steel fittings.

You can check if our defroster is working with a jar of water. It is enough to put one end of the wire there, plug the other into an outlet, and you will see how bubbles begin to appear in the water, all this will be accompanied by a buzz. Do not put your fingers into the water - you can get an electric shock.

Now it remains to lower the wire into the pipe until it hits the ice, but without unnecessary force. We plug it in, gently press the end of the wire to the ice and wait a couple of minutes, after which you can try to lower the wire a little more, as if it would fall into the ice itself. If the frozen area is large enough, it is best to gradually pump out the melted water. You can do without this, but then it will take more time, because you will also have to warm up a sufficient amount of water. There is another threat - the ice that has already melted can begin to freeze while you melt its deeper layers. In general, it is better to use a pump or compressor.

No. 6. How to defrost a sewer pipe?

We note right away, freeze much less often than plumbing and this is a solid cause for joy. The fact is that warm drains are continuously moving along them, but if it suddenly happens that the sewer is frozen, try one of the following methods:

If independent attempts to defrost water supply and sewerage pipes have not been successful, then we can only hope for specialists who use special steam generators. These devices resemble car washing machines, only steam is produced at the outlet, and its temperature and pressure can be adjusted depending on the pipe material and the length of the frozen section. This method is very fast and efficient.

How to prevent pipes from freezing?

The answer to this question comes from the very first section of the article describing the reasons. In short, we must try to minimize possible risks, i.e .:

The only thing that cannot be predicted is record low temperatures in the region... If in winter the temperature usually does not drop below -15 0 С, and -25 0 С is considered almost a disaster, then it is quite logical to lay pipes to a depth of 80 cm (for example, Stavropol). It is hard to believe, but still one cannot completely reject the situation when the temperature drops to -35 0 С or even lower. And if earlier it was only necessary to rely on nature, now we have at our disposal a heating cable that will not let the pipes freeze under any conditions, so that for the purpose of reinsurance, you can additionally use it.

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