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

I have told many people about manufacturing technologies many times engineering systems in private homes. And all the time I drew attention to the fact that pipelines must be laid below the freezing point or carefully insulated. However, from time to time people contact me with questions about how to defrost plastic water pipe.

I remember a time when a neighbor in the country called me in mid-January and tearfully asked me to fix the water supply. As it turned out, he planned to spend his anniversary outside the city, and upon arriving at the site after a long stay in warm countries, he was faced with the fact that water was not flowing from the taps. And all the complex electronics that provide water to the cottage don’t work either.

As it turned out, the culprit was an ice plug that clogged a metal-plastic pipe laid underground. And since with his own hands he could only sign business papers, they had to call me for help.

Of course, we dealt with the problem, and I turned out to be the most honored guest at his holiday. I decided to tell you about how to defrost plastic water and sewerage pipes. Perhaps the instructions below will provide you with invaluable help. Especially when a reliable plumber friend is not nearby.

Causes of pipeline freezing

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

And I think this is correct, because the price of polymer pipes is decreasing all the time, and operational properties such solutions have always been at their best:

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

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

Only such a person can lay a water supply system at insufficient depth in the ground or fail to insulate the engineering system. As a result, you arrive at your 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. Average depth Soil freezing in the Moscow area is 1.4 meters. However, this indicator depends on many other factors, so to determine the exact value it is better to contact specialists or use special maps with tables.

By the way, many people ask why central water pipes in cities don’t freeze. I will answer without reserve. 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 It turns on only from time to time. Therefore, it is imperative to take measures to insulate water transport pipes.

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

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

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

But it often happens that people return to issues of pipe insulation only when they are already faced with freezing water. There’s nothing left to do here; we’ll have to melt the ice. I’ll tell you about this now.

Defrosting water transport communications made of plastic

underground

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

The simplest scheme is as follows:

1. It is necessary to light a fire over the place where the plastic pipe passes. You can use wood or coal, and also light car tire. The latter will burn for a long time, but will emit black, smoky smoke. Take this into account.

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

1. I then suggest digging up the pipe to check if it is damaged. This will be easy to do, since the fire will soften the ground and it will be easier to swing the shovel.
   Usually, high-quality plastic pipes are not broken by ice, so there is no need to repair anything. The main thing is not to break the pipe during excavation.
2. After making sure that the communications are intact, I recommend insulating the pipeline thermal insulation materials or pave . If this is not done, then I personally will not give a guarantee that after filling the trench with earth, the water in the pipe will not freeze again.

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

By the way, someone once told me that they insulated pipes with empty plastic bottles. The scheme is like this:

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

The point here is that the air inside has a low thermal conductivity coefficient and will prevent the water in the pipes from freezing.

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, neat, efficient and not very expensive.

And to everyone folk recipes I've been coming here less and less lately. Unless he himself is confident in their effectiveness.

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

• you will have to disassemble the plumbing system somewhere in order to fill it with water;
• the pipe will remain uninsulated and the liquid may freeze again at any time;
• the method will not work if the ice is on long distance from the place where you are going to pour boiling water.

Nevertheless, sometimes I resorted to this method. To make it more effective, I'll give you a few own advice, which were formed during the work:

1. If your dacha is connected to a central water supply, do not turn off the taps. Extra pressure from the central water supply can help break the plug.
2. If water comes from pumping station(i.e. well or well), the equipment must be turned off. Otherwise, you will ruin expensive electronics as the water will drain from the pipes.
3. You can tell that the blockage has been removed by the fact that the water poured into the pipe will all flow out.

Another proven method that I have sometimes used to defrost pipes. It must be implemented carefully, as you may get hit electric shock. Nevertheless, I will describe the technology, in case you have no other way to fix the problem.

The scheme is like this:

1. I'll take it electrical wire, I separate one core from the other and remove part of the insulation. Then I roll one wire into a spiral. I do the same with the second core, but the twist needs to be placed a little behind, about two centimeters.
   It is very important here to ensure that these twists do not move during the work and do not touch each other. This may cause a short circuit and electric shock. So be very careful to secure the ends of the wire.
2. I insert the tool prepared in this way into the pipe until it hits the ice plug.
3. After this, 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.
4. As it thaws, you need to move your device deeper until the patency of the engineering system is completely restored.

Remember that thawed water must be drained at all times, otherwise it may freeze again.

There are also special devices for thawing pipes. It's about about steam generators, autoclaves and hydrodynamic devices. It is not necessary to buy them; it is enough to rent the necessary unit from a specialized construction supermarket.

The work proceeds as follows:

1. Steam generator. It is necessary to place the device hose inside the pipe and release steam under pressure. Considering that the temperature of the environment is much higher than the boiling point of the liquid, the defrosting process will occur very quickly, and the plastic will not be damaged.
2. Autoclave. Steam is also used here, but the operating principle is somewhat different. First, water is heated in a container until steam is formed from it. Then a hose is inserted into the water pipe (up to the ice plug), the second end of which is connected to the autoclave.
   As the ice thaws, the hose must be moved along the pipe until the water flows in the direction you want.
3. Hydrodynamic machine. It destroys ice not by temperature, but by a jet of liquid pumped under high pressure. As a result, the traffic jam can be removed very quickly and efficiently.

And if someone advises you to just bend the wire and break through the ice, you don’t need to do it. So, with a high degree of probability, you will damage the plastic shell of the pipeline itself, but not the ice plug.

Overhead

As you understand, defrosting plastic pipes laid openly (for example, in a basement, pantry 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 heating method is a hair 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 off their thermal energy water. And the ice melts.

By the way, the hairdryer can be replaced with a regular heater, which is placed near the pipe.

You've probably seen how metal pipelines are heated with blowtorches. So, this heating method is absolutely not suitable for plastic. The polymer has very low temperature melting (about 140 degrees), so a flame from a 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:

1. Take mineral mats and wrap them around the pipes. It is imperative to protect all this from above waterproofing material to avoid moisture and some kind of protective cocoon. A roofing material that will cope with both tasks is suitable.

1. Buy and attach special shells made of polystyrene foam, basalt fiber, foamed polyethylene and so on to the pipes. The simplest option. They are installed quickly and easily, without the use of special tools.

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

It’s best to wrap the pipes with cable and then with insulation. A combination of these methods will provide you drinking water at any time of the year, regardless of the outside temperature.

Defrosting a sewer pipe

I’ll tell you separately about the method of removing a cork from drain pipe external sewer system of a private house. This is the problem that most residents of private country houses face.

So, to fix the problem you will need:

• rigid steel wire;
• hydraulic level (dense polymer flexible tube);
• Esmarch's mug;
• a bucket for collecting dirty liquid;
• hot water.

I fixed a similar problem like this:

1. I removed a piece of sewer pipe, opening access to the pipe connecting the internal and external sewer systems of the house.
2. I aligned the steel wire and attached a hydraulic level to it with electrical tape, through which hot water will flow into the pipe.
3. Then he put this entire device into a sewer pipe, and attached Esmarch’s mug to the opposite end of the pipe.
4. After that, using an improvised pump, he began to pump hot water inside, gradually moving the device inside the pipe.
5. Excess water and thawed sewage poured out through the neck. I collected them in a pre-set bucket.
6. As soon as the water stops flowing out, it means the plug has thawed and you can assemble the engineering system.

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

Regardless of the chosen defrosting method and the method of laying pipes, I will give a few more tips that must be followed 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 melted water, it is necessary to open the water tap;
• I recommend starting the defrosting procedure from the consumer (supply tap) to the source of water intake (vertical riser).

Conclusion

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

And I suggest everyone to watch 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

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The situation when modern plastic water pipes freeze happens quite often. Naturally, one should try to eliminate such a problem as soon as possible, because otherwise the freezing area will begin to gradually expand. In addition, in any case there is a risk of a “rupture” of the main line.

So defrosting plastic pipes is very important and urgent task. And, in the end, apart from purely technical nuances, sitting without water is also inconvenient, you will agree.

In this article we will look at all the most popular and effective ways to solve this problem. Moreover, we will even figure out how to defrost a metal-plastic pipe underground, and not just the one located on the surface.

Let's start by reviewing the most important point.

Why does this problem even arise?

In fact, everything here is quite simple to understand. We consider the causes of freezing in the table below.

As you can see, the reasons are quite logical and understandable. And if so, then before reviewing how to defrost a plastic water pipe, it’s worth talking about preventive measures.

How to prevent freezing

For external water supply measures may be as follows:

1. Insulation of plastic using mineral wool . This kind of work is done very simply - the plastic is wrapped in mineral wool. The insulation is wrapped with rope or wire on top.

Advice: if communications take place in places with high humidity, then the mineral wool on top needs to be wrapped with film, foil, or even better - a hydrobarrier.
Then the insulation will last a really long time.

1. “Packaging” the line in a special box. In fact, communications are simply sheathed on the outside with panels made of wood, plastic or plasterboard (depending on where the communications are located). And the entire space between the plane of the box and the water supply is filled polyurethane foam or foam chips.

Such are the technologies.

Pay attention!
You cannot “foam” those points where important connections are located.
Such areas include, for example, taps, brass adapters, threaded fittings etc.
If you seal them with foam, it turns out that in case emergency situation access to so important elements will be blocked.

As for communications that are laid in the ground, the recommendations are very simple. Everything must be installed below the freezing point of the soil. At the same time, one should adhere very simple rule– if it is not possible to lay the system at the required depth, then it should be very well insulated.

However, insulating with your own hands is still not a 100% guarantee that the water will not freeze. Ideal option in this case, it is to organize at least some kind of heating system for communications.

Now let's look at how to defrost plastic water pipes, that is, let's figure out how to correct the situation when ice formation has already occurred.

Methods for heating the main line

One thing worth noting important point– as illustrative examples We will analyze the most affordable solutions that do not require the purchase of expensive equipment.

In addition, these methods are distinguished by the fact that they have repeatedly proven their effectiveness in practice. Let's get started with the review itself. simple option.

Using boiling water

Warming Instructions outdoor system hot water quite simple.

In principle, using this method, you can warm up communications quite quickly - literally in a couple of hours. The main thing here is to warm not even the entire diameter of the ice, but only a small part of it. Because even if a small “loophole” appears for water to pass through the main line, then all the rest of the ice will gradually melt by itself.

As for systems that are located underground, in principle it is possible to influence them, but the heating time will be much longer. And we still need to get to the plane of such communications. Therefore, this method is not the most best solution for defrosting underground lines.

And if we talk about how to defrost a plastic water pipe underground, then it’s best to do it a little differently. The point is that you need to deliver boiling water directly to the ice plug - that is, as if inside the pipe itself. If you can’t simply pour hot water into the main line, you can try to do it using an ordinary flexible hose.

It goes something like this:

1. One end rubber hose insert into the line and push the sleeve to the point where it meets the ice plug.
2. The second end of the product is put on the hot water supply tap. It is important that the pressure in the tap is sufficient to deliver water to the desired point.

1. The boiling water supply is turned on and the heating process begins. As for the time of exposure, it all depends on how many meters the ice has managed to spread.

Please note that you will need to prepare some kind of container to collect water!
The fact is that the boiling water will press against the plug and, under the influence of pressure, the water will return “back” - that is, it will begin to flow out of the cracks between the hose and the pipe.

Let's consider another defrosting method, which is suitable for both underground and above-ground water supply systems.

Using steam

This option properly requires the presence special device– steam generator. However, the price of the device is too high to purchase it for a one-time job, so it is easier and more expedient to rent a steam generator.

The principle of operation here is quite simple - the device generates steam, which can be launched under pressure at any time. right place.

The flow is usually directed using a hose.

1. We insert the sleeve into the pipe.
2. We turn on the device and begin to blow hot air towards the ice plug.

Here the efficiency and speed of defrosting are very high level, because the temperature of the steam is higher than the degree of hot water. In a good way, even in very difficult cases, warming up can occur within literally an hour.

You can also defrost ice using “makeshift” steam injection.

It's done something like this:

1. Water is heated in the autoclave.
2. Take the hose. One end of it is connected to the autoclave, and the other is launched into the pipe.

It turns out that the hot air will seem to come out of the autoclave through the hose and, accordingly, will “rest” against the ice plug.

In principle, any analogue of an autoclave, even an ordinary double boiler, is suitable for small pipelines. The main thing is that the steam pressure is strong enough to get to the point where the ice begins.

But this method suitable only when there is no risk of deformation of the highway itself. So whether it is worth using such machines for plastic communications is a big question.

Well, now let’s figure out how to defrost a plastic sewer pipe using more “folk” methods.

Using a hair dryer and fan heater

Essentially this technology implies impact warm air onto the plastic plane. That is, we take a hairdryer or a fan heater, turn on these devices and begin to pump a hot stream towards the problem point in the communications. As you yourself understand, the method is only suitable for those who pass on open areas.

Conclusion

As you already understand, defrosting a pipeline made of plastic pipes is a very real thing. Of course, situations are different, and therefore there cannot be a universal method of warming up, but still, the methods that we talked about above can “work.” We hope that this is exactly what will happen.

By the way, if you want to see more visual instructions, watch the video in this article.

Winter frosts are a test that not only living beings, but also engineering communications have to withstand.

In case of violation of the rules for laying pipelines in winter time their freezing often occurs and then in full height The problem will arise, how to defrost a water pipe?

Causes of water freezing in pipes

As a rule, the cause of water freezing in pipes is a simple violation of the water supply installation technology. For example, if the pipes were laid without taking into account the depth of soil freezing in a given area.

Or the requirement to insulate the pipes was ignored. It happens that pipes freeze not only in external networks, but also indoors if there is no heating.

How to avoid freezing of pipes?

To avoid the need to defrost water pipes, care should be taken to ensure that the following requirements are met when installing the pipeline:

• At underground installation pipeline, ditches should be dug to a depth that exceeds the soil freezing level in the area.
• Do not lay the water supply pipeline close to reinforced concrete structures. The fact is that the thermal conductivity coefficient of concrete exceeds that of soil, that is, when laying pipes in close proximity to reinforced concrete elements, the likelihood of water freezing in the pipes increases.
• It is advisable to install the pipelines complete with a heating cable.
  This, of course, will lead to higher installation costs, but it will eliminate the problem of freezing forever.
• In places where the pipeline passes through the wall of a building, glass wool insulation should be used to avoid direct contact of the pipe with the wall.
• In pipes of small diameter, water freezes more often, so for water supply it is advisable to use pipes with a diameter of 50 mm or more.
• When laying pipelines in unheated rooms and on the streets it is best to use polyethylene pipes. Such pipes withstand freezing and defrosting well, unlike polypropylene pipes, which can become unusable if they freeze once or twice.
• If the water supply or sewerage system is intended to be used only periodically (for example, at a dacha), then during downtime, it is advisable to completely empty the system of water so that there is nothing to freeze over.

Methods for defrosting metal pipes

There are several ways. They will be described below.

But when choosing any of them, you should adhere to the following general rules:

• When heating the pipes, keep the water tap open so that the thawed water can escape.
• It is forbidden to suddenly heat a frozen section of pipe, starting from its middle.
• Heating is carried out from the water tap towards the riser. But if you need to warm up the sewer pipes, then you need to move in the opposite direction, that is, from the riser to the water intake point.
• Warming of the pipe should begin after the location of the frozen area has been assessed. This will help you choose the right defrosting method.

All methods can be divided into two large groups, these are:

• Methods based on external influence on the pipe.
• Methods with internal way defrosting.

Let's look at how to defrost water pipes using external influence.

This will require the use of some kind of heating device, it could be:

• Blowtorch;
• Construction hair dryer;
• Electric heating device.

When using blowtorch Fire safety measures should be taken in the room.

In particular, a metal screen should be installed behind the pipe to protect the walls.

Using any of the listed devices, you should methodically influence the pipe. The success of the measures taken will be indicated by the water that appears from the faucet.

We should not forget that when water freezes, it expands in volume, so there is a high probability that steel pipes will be damaged after freezing.

After the water has been heated, you should carefully inspect the pipeline for leaks.

The safest and most effective way to defrost pipes externally is to use an electric heating tape or heating cable.

In this case, you just need to wind the tape around the frozen area and plug it into the network.

To defrost steel pipes, you can use this method: take a welding machine and connect it to different ends of the frozen section.

As a result, the pipe heats up. When using a welding machine, the entire process takes 2-4 hours, depending on the length of the frozen section.

How to defrost a plastic pipe?

Recently, steel pipes for water supply installations have been used less and less; they have been replaced by plastic pipes. Such pipes are not subject to corrosion and do not collapse if the water in them freezes.

However, if an ice jam occurs in them, almost all methods of external influence cannot be applied to them. Naturally, the use open fire heating the plastic will lead to destruction of the pipe, and the use construction hair dryer, often turns out to be ineffective because plastic does not conduct heat well.

Connecting a welding machine to such pipes is also completely useless, since the pipes do not conduct electric current.

The mechanical method of influence, that is, removing the ice plug by inserting a steel rod inside, can be effective with a small freezing area, however, its use creates a serious risk of damaging the pipe.

Thus, if it is necessary to defrost plastic pipes, the only way left is to use hot water poured inside.

Below are several ways to defrost plastic pipes. All of them are quite effective, however, it is advisable to use them only on small-diameter pipelines.

The first defrosting method is to organize the supply of hot water to the freezing point.

This is done like this:

• To defrost a plastic pipe, prepare a high-rigidity pipe or hose of smaller diameter.

To remove an ice plug in a pipe with a diameter of 20-30 mm, use a pipe or hose with a diameter of 16 mm.

• If the damaged section of the pipeline is straight, then it is more convenient to use a metal-plastic pipe. If the frozen pipeline has bends, the use of a hose is required.

Regular watering hoses are not suitable for this operation. The fact is that they soften greatly under the influence of hot water, so pushing them further will be problematic.

Gas or oxygen hoses should be used for defrosting.

• Metal-plastic pipes are usually sold rolled into coils. Therefore, the pipe should first be bent, and then begin to move along the pipeline, pushing the ice plug all the way.
• Now you can pour hot water into the pipe, trying to maintain the highest possible temperature.
• Thawed water will flow out at the pipe connection point, so a collection container should be placed there.
• As the ice melts, the plastic pipe will need to be pushed further and further until the problem is completely eliminated.

This method defrosting is good if an ice plug has formed in an area located near the entrance to the pipe. If the pipe is frozen far from the house and there are turns and bends in the pipeline section, then it will not be possible to push the pipe inside the pipeline.

• To carry out the work you will need a hydraulic level, a bay steel wire, the diameter of which is 2-4 mm, and Esmarch’s mug, that is, a device that is used in medicine for performing cleansing enemas.
• We take the hydraulic level tube and wrap it with wire or attach the wire to the tube using tape or tape. This must be done so that the wire does not stick out in different sides, in this case, the tip of the tube should protrude one centimeter.
• Now we connect the second end of the hydraulic level tube to the outlet pipe of the Esmarch mug and begin to push our structure into the pipe.
• Because the hydraulic level tube is different small diameter and there are no difficulties when pushing with weight, even if there are turns along the way.
• Push the tube until the tube hits the ice plug.
• Now pour hot water into Esmarch’s mug and open the supply valve.
• As the ice plug decreases, you should push the tube further.
• To collect the leaking water, a suitable container should be installed at the pipe junction.

This defrosting method is quite effective, but takes time. In one hour of work, you can manage to clear approximately 0.8-1.0 m of pipe from ice.

So there are quite a few effective ways that help solve the problem of how to defrost water pipes. However, all of them are labor-intensive, so it is more correct to take necessary measures, for example, when and prevent water from freezing in the pipeline.

Uninsulated pipeline - sewerage, heating system or drinking water– with a high degree of probability it can freeze in winter along with its contents, that is, speaking professional language- unfreeze. This situation - defrosting of heating pipes or other routes - often happens if the local climatic realities were not taken into account when laying the route, or the pipe laying conditions were simply grossly violated.

Causes of pipeline freezing

So, without thermal insulation of any communication pipes, they can defrost in severe frosts. This applies to both underground and surface communications with liquid. There is only one conclusion - it is necessary to insulate the routes in a timely manner. But what to do if the route is already frozen and the pipeline needs to be defrosted? Life experience provides quite a few methods for thawing pipes with your own hands, both cheap and expensive, but always effective.

1. Firstly, some pipes may have little liquid, which creates conditions for it to freeze more quickly, for example, in an incomplete sewer;
2. Secondly, the pipes may be incorrectly sized in diameter, and this is a direct path to water freezing;
3. Thirdly, critically low regional temperatures may not be taken into account, and even correctly, insufficiently insulated pipes may freeze in severe frosts.

Reliable defrosting of pipelines occurs in accessible or open sections of the route - for this it is often enough to use a powerful stream of hot air, for example, from a construction hair dryer. But thawing underground communications is a much more complex issue, and sometimes very original technologies have been developed here, for example, the Esmarch mug, which will be discussed below.

The main methods for defrosting heating or water pipes consist of using common available tools and materials: a blowtorch, a stream of hot water, blowing with construction or household hair dryer, etc. Some points need to be clarified here:

1. It is easier to defrost steel pipes if you use welding machine: the cables are connected to the ends of the pipe, this section is heated under the influence of current for 2-4 hours;
2. Polyethylene pipes high pressure Now they are installed everywhere, and welding is not an option for them. It is also forbidden to clear them of internal ice with a crowbar or rod, so as not to damage the walls.

Based on these restrictions, consider traditional technologies defrosting heating mains and other pipelines.

External heating of pipes

Since defrosting methods open pipes heating, sewer systems or water supply is clear to us, we are considering external defrosting of underground routes, which is immediately complicated by the fact that the pipes will need to be excavated. The technology depends on the diameter of the pipe and the length of the frozen area - you can dig it out manually, or you may have to rent an excavator.

After digging a trench and opening the pipe, determine how the pipeline was insulated - the technology for defrosting it will depend on this: for example, polyethylene pipes Do not heat with open flame or current. The temperature of the hot air stream from a hair dryer or fan heater should not be more than 100-110 0 C, so that the water in the pipe does not boil and rupture it.

Steel or cast iron pipes can be heated with a blowtorch or gas burner, fire or other open flame sources.

Internal heating of plastic pipe

Defrosting sewer pipes, unlike heating or plumbing, has some peculiarities. Large diameter PVC pipes allows you to warm them up from the inside, and this is a plus. But pipes can be clogged not only with frozen water, but also with debris, and this is a minus. Therefore, the defrosted sewer must not only be warmed up, but also cleaned.

To defrost from the inside plastic sewer collect protozoa homemade device: a cable is connected to a U-shaped heating element with a bending diameter slightly smaller than the pipe diameter and attached to a Ø ½ ‘’ metal-plastic pipe of the required length. Most often, the distance to the frozen area is known, so calculating the length of the cable and the length of the MP guide tube will not be difficult, even visually. After this, connect the device to the network and push it into the sewer, as shown in the figure:

It is necessary to start moving the heater from the wastewater receiver side so that the melt water can drain freely. Large diameter water pipes can be heated in the same way.

Defrosting iron pipes

It will be most effective to defrost from steel or cast iron pipes using a special industrial equipment. The principle of operation of this device is as follows: terminals through which voltage is supplied are connected to the edges of the defrosted pipe, the pipe heats up under the influence of current, and the water thaws.

As an example, the following data can be given: steel pipe length 25 m and Ø< 6 см оттает за 40-60 минут. Если диаметр трубы больше, то клеммы подсоединяют на более коротких участках, при этом нужно следить, чтобы в трубе находилась вода под некоторым давлением – это касается разморозки отопительной и водопроводной систем.

Non-traditional technologies

The use of hot water implies one peculiarity in the behavior of ice: the ice plug will not let hot water into the pipe if you simply pour it from above. Therefore, hot water is supplied inside the frozen area using a hose or pipe of a smaller diameter. For example, when defrosting a straight section of a water pipe Ø 25-30 mm, it will be effective to use a piece of metal-plastic tube Ø 16 mm.

The inner tube must be straight so that it can be inserted into the water supply to the freezing depth. As soon as the tube rests on the ice, hot water can be poured into it. The flow of melt water will pour out through the gap between the pipes, simultaneously increasing the gap. The ice will melt on all sides of the plug, freeing up space for the metal-plastic tube to move further. If the frozen area has bends and turns, then instead of a tube, use a flexible but rigid hose.

A country watering hose is not suitable for defrosting - from high temperature water it will become soft and it will be impossible to push it further. Oxygen or gas hose, which are connected to gas or oxygen cylinders. Practice shows that such hoses can even be pushed softened over a distance of up to 15 meters. A certain difficulty will be caused by the fact that the hose remains solid.

But so far we have considered easy cases - defrosting on straight and short sections. But what should you do if the pipe froze several tens of meters from your home, and the route is still complex - with turns and bends horizontally or vertically?

Such complex problems are solved by using an Esmarch mug complete with a construction hydraulic level and a coil of rigid steel wire. You can buy all these components without any problems, their cost is low, and the effect of use is one hundred percent.

The wire and water level tube are aligned and their ends are connected to one side of the device. For greater rigidity and permeability inside the pipe, the wire is bent at the end, making a small loop. The hydraulic level tube should be 1-2 cm in front of the wire loop. The other end of the water level tube is connected to Esmarch’s mug, and the tube with the wire is pushed all the way into the pipeline.

Next, you need to pour water into the water level tube - a kind of hot “enema”. Don’t forget, if you are thawing a pipe indoors, place some kind of container under it to collect the melt water. The volume of the container is easy to determine - as much hot water as you pour into the device, the same amount of cold liquid will pour out of the pipe.

As the ice melts, the tube is pushed further until the ice plug completely disappears. This technology takes a lot of time (1 linear meter per hour), but is very effective and inexpensive.

How to prevent pipes from freezing

In order not to use all of the above methods, you need to take preventive measures to prevent freezing of water pipes:

1. Pipe laying should be carried out at a depth exceeding the level of soil freezing in the region. It is recommended to install sewerage and water supply systems at a depth of ≥ 1200-1400 mm;
2. It is not recommended to install iron pipes sewerage, heating or water delivery in direct proximity to concrete surfaces– floors, walls, grillages and foundations, since the thermal conductivity of reinforced concrete is several times higher than that of soil, and the risk of soil freezing from reinforced concrete objects increases many times. If this cannot be avoided, then the pipes must be insulated, and it is advisable to do this with solid thermal insulation materials - extruded polystyrene foam, bulk substances;
3. Additional protection against pipe freezing will be provided by laying a self-regulating heating cable next to the pipes;

1. Places where pipes are laid through walls or ceilings are recommended to be insulated with soft heat insulators - polyurethane foam, mineral wool (basalt, fiberglass, stone), ecowool or other loose materials, so that there is no contact between the pipes and the walls;
2. When arranging a pipeline on your own land, it is recommended to take pipes Ø≥ 50 mm, since small pipes freeze faster;
3. When choosing synthetic pipes, remember that PPU (propylene foam) pipes can crack after several cycles of freezing and thawing, and PPE (polyethylene) pipes will last as long as you need;
4. If sewerage, heating and water supply are not used in winter, then the water from the pipes must be drained.

Since in winter the owners of private housing constructions and apartments are sometimes faced with the need to defrost water pipes, you need to remember that the faster you react and take the necessary steps to defrost a pipeline for any purpose, the smaller the section of the route that will fail. All methods are good for defrosting pipelines - both traditional and those invented out of necessity - your comfortable further living in the house depends on this.

In winter, it is not uncommon for water pipes to freeze in private homes. If pipelines are laid underground, then most often the reasons are insufficient depth and insulation of pipelines in combination with stagnation in the pipes. If pipes located in the walls freeze, this phenomenon may occur due to very severe frosts. In any case, the home owner needs to know how to defrost water pipes in a private home. Below we will look at how to eliminate ice jams in metal and plastic lines.

It is not enough to know how to defrost a pipe underground. First you need to find the immediate place of freezing. This can be done in a simple and proven way. The water supply to the water supply should be shut off. After this you need to unscrew any plug connection, which is located after the tap. A plumbing cable is inserted into the opened hole. It is gradually introduced into the pipeline until its end hits the ice plug.

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

Methods for defrosting pipelines

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

Defrosting metal pipes

Let's look at how to defrost metal pipes water supply in a private house. They usually run underground, so there are certain difficulties in digging a trench in winter, although it is also possible to locate them in open areas. After the pipeline is exposed, it is affected in the following ways:

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

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

It is easier to defrost a sewer pipe, since all the melted ice will go down the drain, but with a water supply the situation is the opposite. 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 careful handling due to the lower strength of the material. Let's look at how to defrost water in a plastic pipe that is in plain sight:

We looked at heating the 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. Plastic pipe disconnects from the tap. In some large container, for example, a barrel, water is heated. A smaller diameter hose is used that fits freely into the pipe. It is pushed inside the pipe until it reaches the frozen area. After this, hot water is supplied to the pipeline. This can be done using a pressure 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 is removed. After this, water will flow under strong pressure.

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

2. Use of a steam generator. The plastic pipe is disconnected from the taps. A special hose from a steam generator with a special nozzle at the end is inserted into it. It is injected until it reaches the frozen area. Steam is supplied through the hose into the pipe, quickly melting the ice. As the frozen plug melts, the sleeve moves deeper into the pipe. With such a device, the question does not arise of how to defrost a pipe located in a wall or underground.

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

The wire is pushed inside the pipe to the plug. After this, the end of the wire is connected to the mains. Ice melts by heating it with electric current. In this case, the plastic walls do not heat up, since only the current-conducting water heats up. As the ice melts, the wire moves further along the pipeline.

4. Hydrodynamic cleaning. Using a hydrodynamic machine, you can eliminate any ice blockage in the pipe. Hot water is fed into it under pressure through a special nozzle, which helps destroy the ice in a very short time. As the plug breaks down, the hose with the nozzle moves further along the pipe. It should be noted that such equipment is located mainly in specialists due to its high cost.

5. Another method of defrosting a water supply is shown in the photo.

Freeze Prevention

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

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