Russian winter frosts are a familiar test not only for residents of our regions, but are also a serious test of strength for most categories of private and industrial communications.

In the event that serious violations were made during the laying of the pipeline to the house during the preparation for winter operation, sooner or later you will encounter the problem of freezing and, as a result, the need to familiarize yourself with how to defrost the water pipe.

Causes of freezing water in pipelines

As already noted, the most likely cause of freezing of water in pipelines is gross violations of the following requirements for the order of their installation:

• when laying pipes, such an important indicator as the depth of soil freezing in this area was not taken into account;
• insufficient efforts were made to carry out external insulation of pipes laid openly or in special boxes;
• insufficient measures were taken to insulate the pipes at the entrance to the unheated room.

In order to avoid all the violations listed above, you should take care in advance that the following conditions must be met when laying the pipeline:

• In the case of underground wiring of the pipeline, it is necessary to prepare a ditch under it in such a way that the depth of the latter somewhat exceeds the level of soil freezing in the area.
• It is advisable to lay a water supply line at a distance from existing reinforced concrete structures, the thermal conductivity coefficient of which differs from the same indicator for the soil. In this case, the probability of freezing of water in pipelines is significantly reduced.
• It is recommended to lay pipelines together with a heating cable, which (despite the general increase in the cost of work) will finally remove the problem of pipe freezing.
• The areas of pipeline wiring through the walls of structures must be insulated with glass wool, which will avoid direct contact of the pipe with the wall.
• To reduce the likelihood of pipes freezing, their diameter must be at least 50 mm.
• When installing pipelines outdoors and in unheated rooms, it is recommended to use polyethylene pipes that can withstand several cycles of freezing and thawing (for comparison, polypropylene pipes usually become unusable after 2 such cycles).
• During seasonal use of the water supply during the winter downtime, it is necessary to completely drain the water from the system.

Defrost methods

In this chapter, some methods for defrosting pipes will be considered, taking into account the possible difficulties of their implementation. But regardless of the method of heating pipes you choose, in all cases the following general rules must be observed:

• In the process of heating the pipes, it is necessary to keep the valve open so that the thawed water can flow freely from the pipeline.
• It is undesirable to start defrosting the water supply from its middle part.
• The generally accepted heating procedure is from the valve valve towards the riser. When working with sewer pipes, the heating order is reversed (from the riser to the valve).

All known methods for defrosting pipelines can be conditionally divided into methods of external influence on the heated area and methods of internal heating. First of all, we explore the methods of warming the pipes of a frozen conduit due to external influence.

The simplest device that allows effective external defrosting of pipes is an electric cable, for which you will need one of the devices indicated in the list below. It could be:

• conventional blowtorch (gas burner);
• professional building hair dryer;
• a device that works on the principle of electrical heating (a spiral from an old stove, for example).

Using any of the devices discussed above, you can continuously act on the section of the pipeline to be defrosted. Evidence that, as they say, “the process has begun,” will be the appearance of a trickle of water at the outlet of the outlet tap.

Note! The safest and most effective way of external defrosting of pipes is the use of a special heating cable or heating electrical tape (In the latter case, it is enough to wind the tape or cable around the frozen section of the pipeline and plug them into the network).

If it is necessary to externally defrost a pipeline made of steel pipes, the method of connecting the working ends of the welding machine to the boundaries of the frozen section is often used. In this case, the entire process of heating will take you no more than 2-4 hours (depending on the length of the defrosted area). At the end of defrosting, be sure to inspect the pipeline for leaks that can “appear” in the most unexpected places.

How to defrost a plastic pipe

At present, traditional steel pipelines are being replaced everywhere by modern water conduits assembled on the basis of plastic pipes, which are not subject to the usual for many corrosion and do not collapse when they freeze.

But in the case of the formation of an ice plug in the plastic, none of the methods of external influence listed by us is applicable to them. Indeed, the use of open fire to heat up a plastic pipe will cause its destruction, and the use of external thermal heating (a building hair dryer, for example) is usually ineffective due to the poor thermal conductivity of the material.

All electrical methods of heating such pipes are also absolutely useless, since all types of plastic simply do not conduct electricity. By means of mechanical action on the ice “congestion” (by inserting a steel rod into the pipe), it is possible and possible to break through a small plug, but at the same time there is a risk of damaging the walls of the plastic pipe.

From all that has been said, it follows that the only real way to defrost a plastic pipe is to pour hot water into the channel. We note right away that this technique is quite effective, but its use is advisable only on pipes of small diameter.

With this method of defrosting, hot water is supplied directly to the freezing point as follows:

• A pipe or hose is selected from a material of greater rigidity, but of a slightly smaller diameter.
• To defrost a straight section of the pipeline, it will be more convenient to use a metal-plastic pipe. Well, in the case of a pipe section bent along an arbitrary curve, you will need to use a fairly rigid, but flexible hose of a smaller diameter.
• In the course of the story, we note that typical watering hoses are not suitable for this operation, since they soften noticeably from hot water. Gas or oxygen welding hoses are best suited for defrosting.

The use of metal-plastic pipes

You will need metal-plastic pipes if the diameter of the frozen pipeline exceeds 20 mm. Before starting work, such a pipe should be carefully unbent, after which it will be possible to smoothly move it along the pipeline, bringing it all the way to the ice jam.

After that, it will be possible to start pouring hot water into it, trying to maintain the temperature at a high level.

After some time, thawed water will begin to flow out of the gap formed at the junction of the pipes; so in this place you should install an arbitrary capacity to collect wastewater. As the congestion melts, the metal-plastic tube will increasingly be pushed deeper into the freeze, up to the complete removal of the ice plug.

Note! The considered method is good for the case when an ice blockage has formed near the point of entry of the probe into the pipe. In the same case, if the pipe is frozen at a great distance from the house and has many turns and bends, it is unlikely that it will be possible to push the metal-plastic pipe into it.

For such a situation, there is another way to defrost the pipeline - this is the use of Esmarch's mug. When implementing this method, as a rule, the following manipulations are carried out:

• First of all, a hydraulic level of any type, a 2-4 mm coil of wire and an Esmarch mug (a device for cleansing enemas) are prepared.
• Then the end of the tube of the hydraulic level is taken, to which the wire from the previously prepared coil is attached in one way or another. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the tip of the wire is tightly pressed against the tube of the hydraulic level and does not interfere with its movement along the defrosted channel.
• Also pay attention to the fact that the tip of the tube protrudes 1 centimeter from the place where the wire is fixed.
• After that, we connect the reciprocal end of the hydraulic level tube to the drain pipe of the Esmarch mug and begin to gently push the entire structure into the defrosted pipe until it stops against the ice plug.
• Now it will be necessary to pour boiling water into Esmarch's mug and fully open the water supply valve.
• As the ice plug melts, push the tube in the direction of travel.
• At the junction of the two tubes, you need to install a container of a suitable size.

The described method of defrosting the pipeline is quite effective, but it will require certain time costs from you. For one full hour of work, you will be able to clear an area no more than 0.8-1.0 meters long from ice.

Metal-plastic pipes that are located in the attic or basement are more likely to freeze at low temperatures. The advantage is that you have free access to them, which means that the problem can be solved easily and quickly. First, turn on your water faucets before you start defrosting. We offer several ways.

• The first way: use hot water.
  1. Feel for the coldest area - there is an ice plug.
  2. Take a regular piece of cloth.
  3. Wrap a cloth over the frozen area (in addition to it, grab the upper and lower area).
  4. Heat water and pour it over the frozen area.
  5. Remove the cloth and wipe the pipeline.
  6. Wrap the pipe with insulation to avoid re-freezing.
• The second way: we use a building hot air gun.
  1. Find an ice plug (described above).
  2. Set the minimum temperature of the hot air gun (to avoid melting the plastic).
  3. Direct a stream of warm air over the piping.
  4. Wrap the pipe with insulation.
• The third way: we use electric heating.
  1. We wrap the frozen area with a special heating wire in turns.
  2. We connect the wire to the mains.
  3. We wrap the heated pipe with insulation.

How to defrost ice in a plastic pipe underground

When a plastic pipe freezes underground, homeowners panic. After all, digging frozen soil with your hands is not an easy task, and the pipe can be completely damaged by equipment. We offer several alternative options for defrosting underground utilities.

We use hot water

1. Disconnect the plastic pipe from the faucet.
2. Heat the water (it is best to use a reinforced concrete barrel).
3. Run a hose into the frozen plastic pipe. Enter until you come across an ice plug.
4. Pour hot water into the hose (if possible, use a pressure pump).
5. Move the hose forward gradually.
6. As soon as the ice lock is melted, water will flow from the pipe.
7. Connect the pipe back to the faucet.
8. Cover open sections of the pipeline with insulation.

We use electricity

1. Purchase a two-wire cable.
2. Separate one core and remove insulation from it.
3. Twist the bare wire tightly to avoid unwinding.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 with the second wire.
5. Move the bare twists a couple of centimeters apart.
6. Lead the wire into the pipe to the ice plug.
7. Connect the wire to the mains.
8. As you defrost, move the wire forward.
9. Pump out the melt water with a pump or compressor.

A few more ways to defrost a plastic pipe

There are several more rarely used methods. The reason for the rarity is the lack of necessary equipment.

• Defrosting with a steam generator: an excellent way out of this situation. Ice melting is very fast and efficient. The steam generator hose is inserted inside to the ice plug and steam is released.
• Defrosting with an autoclave (or steamer): water is heated in the autoclave, after which a hose is connected to the apparatus, the second end of which is inserted into the frozen pipeline. When water boils, steam is pumped in and melts the ice.
• Defrosting with a hydrodynamic machine: due to the increased pressure that this machine generates, the ice breaks in a matter of minutes. The hose is led into a plastic pipe closer to the ice plug and the apparatus is turned on.

Why do pipes freeze? The reasons can be very different: pipes are laid at insufficient depth, inefficiently insulated, too small volumes of water are transported through them, pipes are operated at extremely low temperatures. In doing so, it must be taken into account that if pipe defrosting, laid in accessible places, does not cause any particular difficulties (for example, they can be warmed up with a regular household hair dryer), then how to defrost the outdoor ones when laying underground? “Good luck” 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 do I need to wait for 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 section of the pipe, the longer the defrost takes.

But what if it's cold plastic pipe? Currently, networks are mainly used made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which can withstand pressures up to 10 atm. They are not subject to corrosion processes and do not collapse when freezing. According to its properties, polyethylene is not a conductor of electric current, therefore, defrosting with a welding machine is not possible. Removing the ice plug with a steel bar is also fraught with damage to the pipe. Thus, there is only one way out - to use hot water to defrost.

The proposed three methods for defrosting polyethylene pipes are the "know-how" of 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 an 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 zone. To do 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 using a metal-plastic pipe with a diameter of 16 mm will be most effective. First, we straighten the metal-plastic pipe (m / p pipes are usually rolled into coils), and then we push it into the frozen pipe until it reaches the ice. After that, we serve the hottest water through it to the freezing point. Thawed cold water will pour out through the gap between the water and plastic pipes. By the way, if your water supply is limited, 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 metal-plastic pipe further.

But what if the frozen section of the water pipe has bends 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 an ordinary watering hose is not suitable for this, it will soften from hot water and it will be impossible to push it through. Oxygen hoses and hoses for connecting gas cylinders turned out 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 defrost a water pipe if it happened tens of meters from the house and the pipeline has bends and turns? There is an efficient and economical way. To do this, you need a set of hardened steel wire (2-4 mm), a building hydraulic level and an Esmarch mug (banal enema). The cost of such a set is low, and many have all its components on the farm.

First, it is necessary to align the hydraulic level tube and the wire, and then fasten the end of the wire to the hydraulic level with electrical tape. To ensure greater hardness, a loop can be made at the end of the wire. 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 hydraulic level must be connected to the Esmarch mug and the wire with the tube should be pushed into the pipeline until it stops at the ice plug. Due to the fact that the hydraulic level tube has a very small diameter and very low weight, it easily moves through the pipeline, overcoming all turns. Next, pour hot water, making the frozen water supply "enema". To collect thawed water, you need to substitute a container under the water pipe, because how much hot water is poured in, how 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; up to 1 m of pipeline can be thawed in about an hour, i.e. during the working day, 5-7 m of the pipe can be freed from ice. In this case, one should not rush, before pushing the tube / hose, it is necessary to fill in at least 10 liters of hot water, it works at minimal cost.

Scheme of the process of defrosting a pipe using a wire, a hydraulic level and an Esmarch mug

Method 3

Consider a situation where we have a frozen polyethylene water pipe 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 laying the water pipe, which is why it froze. A distinctive feature - the water supply runs under the roadway. Utilities in such a situation, as a rule, are advised to wait for the thaw, but, nevertheless, there is a way to do without them.

We will need the following “equipment”: a copper two-wire wire (we select the length and thickness of the section according to the length and diameter of the frozen water pipe), a plug for an outlet, 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 an automobile fuel hose with a diameter of 8 mm, a conventional automobile compressor (in extreme cases, you can use a pump).

We warn you that using this method you must be especially 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 outer insulation, divide it into two wires and strip one of them (remove the inner insulation), gently bend the remaining wire 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 close as possible to each other) and cut off its remaining end.

After that, step back 2-3 mm from the turns made, expose the second wire and wrap 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 “bulbulator”: if you place it in water and connect it to the mains, then when current passes through the water, a reaction occurs with the release of a large amount of heat. In our case, such a device is ideal, because only water is heated, and the wires remain cold, i.e. 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 come out of the contacts and a slight buzz is felt, the unit is working. Once again, we remind you that when in contact with water while the device is working, you can get an electric shock.

We begin the process of defrosting the water supply. 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 "bulbulator" and wait one or two minutes. Now you can try to push the wire further: the ice has begun to melt. When about a meter of pipe is thawed, it is advisable to blow out the thawed water with 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 is special equipment, then it is advisable to weld a crane 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 is carried out (for example, the basement) will not occur.

To prevent plastic pipes from freezing, remember:

• pipe laying should be carried out at a depth below the freezing level of the soil of a particular region. In the northern and eastern regions of Ukraine - Luhansk, Kharkov, Poltava, Sumy, Kyiv, Chernigov - the depth of soil freezing does not exceed 100 cm, in the southern - (Nikolaev, Odessa, Kherson) - 60 cm, in the rest - 80 cm . It is desirable to lay water and sewer pipes at a depth of at least 120-140 cm.
• water supply and sewerage should not be laid near reinforced concrete structures (pillars, 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 made of extruded polystyrene foam between the pipeline and reinforced concrete structures)
• if finances allow, a heating cable can be laid next to the pipeline. At present, the production of self-regulating heating cables, which are switched on only when necessary, has already been mastered.
• it is advisable to insulate the places where the pipeline passes through the walls of buildings and structures with glass wool, mineral wool and mounting foam to prevent direct contact of the pipe walls with the walls of buildings
• when arranging a water supply system in a 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 polymeric water pipes, you should be aware that polyethylene pipes tolerate the multiple freezing and thawing process well, while polypropylene pipes can burst after two or three defrosting
• if the water supply or sewers are used irregularly in winter, it is better to completely drain the water from the system.

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

How to defrost a pipe with water

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

Freeze protection of pipes. We insulate the pipeline

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

1. Underground;
2. On a surface.

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

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

How to keep pipes from freezing. Draining water

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

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

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

How to defrost an open pipeline

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

• external;
• Internal.

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

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

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

Defrosting hidden plastic pipes

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

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

Defrost with self-regulating heating cable

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

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

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

Other popular pipe heating methods

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

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

Each of the above methods has its pros and cons.

Warming up with a steam generator

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

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

ice crushing

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

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

Defrosting with a boiler

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

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

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

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

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

Hot water from pear

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

Elimination of ice blockage in the sewer

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

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

How to defrost metal pipes in the ground

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

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

Another safer method would be to heat the pipe from the inside with a special heating cable. It is introduced through a tee and a special coupling from the house and gradually melting the ice is moved forward. These can remain inside the pipe without releasing any harmful substances into drinking water.

How not to defrost plastic pipes

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

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

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

Frozen home plumbing

How to defrost pipes

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

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

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

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

Unfreezing pipes underground

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

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

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

Defrosting a water pipe with hot water

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

Applying electricity

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

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

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

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

We use steam

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

steam generator

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

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

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

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