Freezing rainwater. How to defrost a frozen sewer pipe - methods and means

The work of the sewer is imperceptible as long as everything goes as expected. The design and installation of a sewer system is accompanied by taking into account many factors, including work at low temperatures. However, the situation is not excluded when the sewage system freezes in the ground (a certain section of the pipe freezes). V normal conditions this should not happen, but laying errors can occur in winter.

By the way, when trying to understand at what temperature the sewage system freezes, one should take into account not only the location of the pipes, but also the material from which they are made (the thermal conductivity of plastic and cast iron is very different), the diameter of the pipe, the angle of inclination, i.e. action of many factors in combination.

Why does the sewer freeze?

Causes of freezing sewer pipes:

incorrect design of the angle of inclination of the sewer pipeline. Water does not have the ability to move by gravity, stagnates in pipes, which leads to freezing in winter;

insufficient depth. The septic tank according to SNiP is installed at a depth of at least 2 meters from the soil level, the pipe system is located below the freezing point characteristic of the region. But a situation is possible when it’s just too lazy to dig a trench for laying pipes deep (or not possible) or frosts exceed the average and the soil freezes deeper;

lack of insulation. Sewer pipes laid above the freezing point of the soil need to be insulated. The place where the pipes exit the room must also be insulated. However, in practice, such a requirement is either ignored or an inappropriate approach is used. thermal insulation material, or it was installed incorrectly;

small diameter pipes. If we consider consumer reviews, then most often those who laid pipes with a diameter less than the recommended 110 mm face the problem of sewer freezing. Especially often the owners of dachas and seasonally operated houses sin with this. Due to insufficient diameter, the sewer pipe freezes faster;

blockages. They happen due to the ingress of large objects into the system or insufficient water flow, in which plaque forms in the pipes.

Causes of septic tank freezing:

septic tank is broken. At the same time, the septic tank overflows, heavy fractions settle, and the water freezes;

septic tank removed from source Wastewater. Then the water, moving to the sewage pit, cools, which leads to its freezing at the junction of the pipe to the septic tank.

Many users who do the work themselves do not even think about whether the sewer freezes. After all, the very principle of operation of a septic tank is that it is a container for storing wastewater with actively ongoing decomposition processes. Since heat is released during the decomposition of solid residues, freezing is practically excluded. In addition, according to the standards, the septic tank is installed at a considerable depth.

However, no one is safe from force majeure and the owner country house it is better to know in advance what to do if the sewer is frozen.

How and how to defrost the sewer in a private house

Exists different ways and means of how to thaw a frozen sewer (how to melt the ice in a pipe). All methods can be combined into two large groups:

thermal method. Provides for the organization of heat supply to the place of freezing. Work is progressing slowly, but there is no risk of damage to the piping system. This method is most suitable at home, when special means not at hand, and calling specialists is impossible or too expensive;

chemical method . Currently, chemical defrosting is rarely practiced. Firstly, because not every chemistry can cope with icing. Secondly, because it is a costly method. And, thirdly, because many users prefer local sewers, i.e. systems capable of performing partial wastewater treatment.

One of the components of local systems is the presence biological treatment, and chemistry can adversely affect the vital activity of bacteria. However, its simplest variety - a cool brine is used according to reviews, so far.

A more technological option, the use of a drug like Mellerud. The ingredients in Mellerud Pipe Cleaner react with water to generate heat.

Note. Care should be taken to use the chemical method to defrost plastic sewer pipes. Because severe overheating can cause them to deform.

Defrosting the sewer - the procedure for performing work

If there is a problem and the sewage system in a private house is frozen, you must first determine the location of the ice plug. Masters note the importance of following the order of work, and it is better to start from the place where the water leaves the septic tank. This order of work is due to the fact that the sewer pipe system is designed with the obligatory condition to ensure unimpeded water flow. This means that all pipes, incl. the drain pipe is located under a slope to the exit point.

Ice plugs must be melted so that the water can drain naturally. Otherwise (when performing work outside), you need to be prepared for the fact that the drains will go to reverse side, which will cause the need to pump them out. This convincingly proves that you need to start work in the direction from the septic tank to the internal pipes.

But there are exceptions to this rule. Ultimately, the order of work will be determined by factors such as:

location of the ice block. If the water is frozen in the inside of the sewer ( unheated house), then it will be much easier to defrost;

tube sizes. Perhaps the size of the ice plug will be only a few centimeters, then the volume of water that needs to be pumped out can be neglected;

geometry of the sewer system. The more straight sections in the system, the easier it is to eliminate the ice plug;

laying method. Typically, sewerage is located underground. And if ice has formed in pipes located at a sufficient depth under a layer of frozen earth, the number of options for use is drastically reduced. You can’t get out of the septic tank - you have to work from the premises of the house.

by the most in a simple way to establish the winter functioning of the sewer system, there will be an appeal to specialists who provide sewer defrosting services. Masters not only know how to defrost a frozen sewer, but also have special equipment, and also give a guarantee for work. However, for various reasons, many prefer to solve the problem on their own. And as evidenced by the reviews of members of the forum, quite successfully and quickly.

What to do if the sewerage system in a private house is frozen

Heating methods will differ depending on the location of the ice plug. Consider each problem and possible solutions.

Frozen sewer drain

The sewer drain or drainage from the septic tank rarely freezes, because. it is located deep in the earth. However, if water is not drained, the septic tank will overflow and freeze.

What to do if the sewer drain is frozen?

To defrost the drain, experts advise pouring a septic tank hot water or saline solution. Then you should pump out the drains from the septic tank, and repeat the filling of water. With time warm water remove the ice plug and the system will function normally.

A sewer drain is also called a pipe that drains wastewater from the source of their formation: in the sink, toilet, bathroom. It can freeze if the room is not heated and the drain has not been drained. Or, the water flow is too weak. As a rule, the indoor drain freezes at the junction with the drain source and is easily removed by using a hair dryer. In the same way, the problem is solved if the sewer riser in a private house is frozen.

Frozen septic tank

This is possible if the drain is not properly organized.

What to do if the septic tank is frozen?

To fix the problem, you can take the following steps:

lamp heating. The light bulb on the carrier is placed inside the septic tank. Heat generated by lamp power environment and the ice gradually thaws. The method is very slow, besides, you need to monitor the water level and lower the lamp lower. From practice: 1 m of ice melts per day, at a temperature outside of -15 degrees;

pouring hot water with subsequent pumping;

backfilling in the septic tank of quicklime. Users note the effectiveness of the method in cesspool, but this is unlikely the way is fine for a septic.

Frozen sewer pipes

The most difficult of possible situations, since there are two obstacles: firstly, the pipes are located underground, which makes it problematic to use external heating, and secondly, it is difficult to accurately determine the specific place where the pipe has frozen.

How to find places where ice blocks form?

You can determine the freezing point using two pieces of wire. To do this, one of them must be entered into sewer system from the side of the house, and the second from the side of the septic tank. Knowing the length of the sewer and the sum of the distances that the wire managed to advance, it is possible not only to find (reveal) the place where the ice plug formed in the pipe, but also its dimensions.

What to do if the sewer pipe is frozen?

Ways to remove ice plugs by heating.

outdoor heating

It involves the extraction of soil to the level of pipe laying. After direct access to the pipes has appeared, you can:

use an open fire: burner, blowtorch. You can wrap the pipe with rags or overlay with firewood and set it on fire. The method is only suitable for metal, cast iron pipes sewerage;
wrap with foil, then with a heating cable and connect to the network;
use heating tape;
use a building hair dryer for plastic pipes.

Recommendation. Users are advised to cover the place of heating with insulation, so defrosting will be faster. At the same time, passive heating in itself is not suitable in case of freezing sewer pipes, because. thermal insulation material does not heat, but only saves heat.

External heating is not very popular due to the difficulty of excavating frozen ground above the piping system. This begs the question, how to warm up a frozen sewer, which cannot be accessed? The answer is obvious - only from within.

Internal heating

The technology involves the impact on the ice from the inside, i.e. directly inside the sewer pipe. Options include:

heating the wall if the sewer pipe is frozen in the room;

use hot water.

In order to clean the direct pipeline, you need to bring a rigid hose into the sewer, connect it to a funnel into which water is poured. As the ice melts, the hose can be advanced further. You can increase the effectiveness of the procedure by using water with salt. The ratio is offered different from 1:10 to 1:1 (salt: water).

To defrost a sewer pipeline of complex configuration, the same steps are performed, but a flexible hose is used. The hose is attached to the flexible wire with a step of 500 mm, so that the edge of the wire protrudes 20-30 mm above the edge of the hose. The end of the wire is bent inward for rigidity. The free edge of the wire should be 10-15 mm, its task is to bypass obstacles and lead the hose. As the water melts, the hose is pushed further. Instead of a funnel, you can use a pear.

When choosing this method, you need to consider that:

a) the water temperature must be more than 80 °C;

b) water supply is carried out continuously;

c) excess water will come back, so you need to install a container under the pipe to collect it.

The productivity of the method is 1 m per hour, with a pipe diameter of 110 mm.

usage welding machine connected on both sides to the pipe. Suitable for metal pipes;

use of any alcoholic liquid, for example, alcohol. From practice, the volume is 1 m.p. pipes with a diameter of 110 mm is 8 liters. This method is costly;

using a steam generator.

What to do so that the sewer does not freeze in winter?

To prevent repeated freezing, it is necessary to periodically drain (especially during severe frosts) significant volumes of hot water into the pipeline.

Solving the problem of freezing water in the sewer should not be limited to bringing the system to full functional readiness. After all, the possibility of re-freezing is not excluded.

Measures to prevent freezing of sewers include:

correct . This procedure must be carried out at the stage of laying the pipeline;
laying pipes to a depth below the freezing point of the soil;
connection of a heating cable (resistive or self-regulating).

In regions with low winter temperatures, icing on the outside of the sewer system is not uncommon. In such a situation, it becomes impossible to use the drain in the toilet, bathroom, kitchen. The problem requires an urgent solution. Find out what to do if the sewer freezes.

Causes of ice in the sewer

With proper installation of sewer pipes, water does not remain in them, therefore it cannot freeze. If an ice plug has formed in the system, it means that the pipeline laying technology has been violated. Let's look at some of the causes of this problem:

With an insufficient slope - less than 20 mm per 1 meter - the drains do not completely drain into the septic tank, but stagnate and freeze in the pipe. The second reason is that the diameter of the installed pipes is less than 110 mm; the liquid moves slowly through thin channels and has time to crystallize.
Insufficient piping depth. External sewer wiring in a private house should take place at a depth below the freezing point. If you neglect this rule, then in winter the cold will get to the pipes.
Violations in the device of the septic tank. Insufficient area of the filtration field to drain water from the septic tank, or shallow placement depth drainage pipes lead to the termination of the liquid from the sump. The level of sewage in the septic tank rises and closes the opening of the outlet pipe. Sewerage from the house does not drain into an overflowing well, stagnates in the pipe and freezes. It will not work to redo the drainage system in winter; until spring, you will have to periodically call a sewage truck and pump out sewage.
Small leaks provoke freezing of a thin crust of ice on the walls of the outlet pipe. Over time, a cork of considerable length is formed, which does not allow sewage to pass into the septic tank. It is necessary to identify the place of leakage (faucet or toilet tank), eliminate it, and then defrost the pipe.

A universal way to warm the sewer

Hot water with added salt effective method anti-ice plug for any kind of pipes. Before you warm the sewer, you need to find a place of freezing. To do this, a metal cable is pushed into the pipe, it is pushed through to the plug. The location of the ice is calculated from its length. If the pipe is frozen near the exit from the house, then the hose for pouring boiling water starts from the side of the building. If an ice plug is found near the septic tank, defrosting is carried out from there. rigid hose or metal-plastic pipe is pushed into the sewer to the ice plug and poured through the funnel salted boiling water. 1-2 kg of salt is poured into a bucket of boiling water.

If work is carried out from the side of the septic tank, then the thawed drains, along with water, will drain into it. When defrosting from the basement of the house, you need to stock up on containers to collect water. The work takes several hours if a massive traffic jam has formed. It is impossible to stop it before complete thawing, because the sewer system is completely filled with water, and this threatens to freeze along the entire length of the pipes. If the process needs to be interrupted, pump out the flooded water.

Note! This universal method is suitable for all materials and will not damage the pipes, but with a sewerage device with several turns, it will not work.

Defrosting a cast iron pipe

Metal pipes can be heated from the inside and outside, in the second case, the use of open fire is acceptable. But before you unfreeze the pipe, you need to dig out the winter soil in order to free the pipes underground. You can warm up the sewer by directing a flame at it. gas burner if the farm does not have such a device, a fire is made directly at the site of the formation of an ice plug. The use of a flammable liquid (gasoline, kerosene) will help to quickly make a fire; firewood will be required for prolonged burning.

industrial hair dryer good remedy to heat a cast-iron pipe, run it over the entire frozen area, trying to heat it evenly. At the first sign of thawing, the actions are supplemented by pouring boiling water into the system.

You can heat the system with electricity. There are several ways:

A special heating cable is wound around the pipe and covered with heat-insulating material so that the temperature does not drop due to frost. Extension cords are required to connect to the mains.
Electricity is passed through the entire pipe, if the freezing point is not found, or through its section through two connected terminals. To ensure the safety of others, a step-down transformer or a device specially designed for this purpose is used. Warming takes several hours, after which boiling water is poured into the sewer.

Heating of plastic pipes

On the polymer pipes, used in the laying of sewers, cannot be affected by fire or create industrial hair dryer too much high temperature. You won't miss a current on it either. Flat areas are heated with a directed hose with hot water, and a more complex device is made for curved sewers. It must be flexible and rigid enough to break ice. To supply boiling water, an elastic hose is taken from the water level, on which a wire with a curved edge is fixed with adhesive tape. into the pipe hot water poured with the help of Esmarch's mug, but if it is not there, do it yourself simple design. Make a hole in the cork plastic bottle and fix the end of the hose in it. Cut off the bottom of the bottle, then screw on the cork and pour water through such a funnel. A flexible hose will easily overcome all turns, and a rigid wire will help crush the ice.

A building hair dryer is suitable for heating a plastic pipe, only the temperature should not be higher than 100 degrees. You can increase the heating efficiency by constructing a kind of polyethylene sleeve on the pipe section. On the one hand, it is tightly tied with a wire or rope, and on the other, a hair dryer is started.

If the entire sewer pipe is excavated, then it is thawed and at the same time insulated with a special heating cable. It is wound along the entire length, covered with foil tape and insulation. After warming up the ice, the device is not removed, it will continue to work until spring. Using a resistive cable, you can adjust its operation. Self-regulating heating turns on in areas when negative temperatures and turns off after increasing it.

When access from the outside is not possible, a plastic pipe heater is made. A heating element and a plate are taken to fix it, the dimensions of the fixtures must be less than the cross section of the sewer pipe. The ends of the heater are well insulated, a guide (plastic tube, hard wire) is attached to the wooden plate to push it to the ice plug. Water is poured into the pipe and a heating element is started, it is advanced to the obstacle and included in the network. It remains to wait and periodically push the device forward as the ice melts.

Professional sewer heaters

Professional companies use a steam generator to defrost sewers. A steam pipeline with a metal tip is directed into the frozen pipe and jets of steam are supplied through the holes under pressure. This method quickly and effectively removes ice and cleans the pipe. There is nothing complicated in it, only the presence of a steam generator is required. A hydrodynamic plant works on a similar principle, only it does not use steam, but heated water.

During the winter season, periodically warm up your sewer system with boiling water, and in the spring, insulate it so that the problem does not reappear.

Video

Freezing of sewer pipes is a rare thing. After all, wastewater does not linger in them, but passes on the way to the sump. In addition, the drains have a high temperature so as not to have time to cool before entering the collection well.

But this still happens if several factors coincide at the same time. We will talk about them below.

The main thing is not to be limited to eliminating the consequence, but to promptly eliminate the cause of the freezing of drains in the sewer pipes. Otherwise, this phenomenon will be repeated constantly.

Causes of freezing drains in sewer pipes

They are the result of improper installation of sewerage. Here are the main reasons for freezing:

Small inclination of pipes, or their insufficient diameter. As a result, waste water is transported more slowly than necessary, which causes freezing at low temperatures.
Poor drainage in the septic tank. If the filtration fields are small, and the pipe laying depth is insufficient, the liquid does not exit the septic tank. After it is filled, the effluent entering the septic tank lingers in the pipes and freezes.
Blockage. The blockage will not allow drains to quickly pass through the pipes, and they will freeze.
Leaks. If a faucet is leaking or cistern, a little water constantly enters the pipeline. This amount freezes easily. Gradually, such ice increases in size, eventually creating a cork.

Find out where the ice formed.

Defrost pipes

First, find out what caused the pipes to freeze. Next, find out the location of the ice plug and its length.

After that, proceed to the elimination of freezing.

Boiling water will help

An easy way to overcome ice in a pipe is to spill hot water with salt.

This method will help eliminate a small plug located next to the sewer outlet from the building.

Gray soldering iron

The method is good in that it will remove ice anywhere in the pipeline. But for this you have to dig a pipe. And this is problematic in the cold season.

An important detail: the method is applicable only to cast iron pipes. Plastic will not pass such a test and will melt.

We use steam

In the case of plastic pipes, this method is optimal. To do this, you will need a steam generator. The work process is as follows:

We turn on the device.
We insert the steam pipe into the frozen pipe until it touches the ice plug.
The ice is melting, and the steam pipeline must be moved deeper until the accident is completely eliminated.

The method is effective and does not harm plastic pipes. There is only one drawback - you need to buy or rent a steam generator.

If suddenly in the house frozen sewer- that's a real problem. It turns out that you don’t have sewage disposal at all. But since childhood, we know that water, turning into ice, expands. But most of the waste is water.

And the power of freezing water can break even metal, so metal sewer pipes may be affected by frost. Apparently when it was created sewer project, it was made without a margin for temperature conditions.

It is necessary to provide such a reserve even when installing sewage. It must pass underground below the level of soil freezing, then the liquid in it will retain its state of aggregation. It is advisable to lay the pipe even below this level, with some margin, so as not to frozen sewer even in case of abnormal frosts.

If the house is located in Siberia, then initially everything is designed for a sharply continental climate. In the European part of Russia very coldy are rare, but in other years colds occur with very low temperatures, about -35–40°С. With this in mind, and we must draw up sewer project private house.

Differences in the operation of storm and household sewers

Sewerage is divided into two types:
- storm;
- household.

If there is a temptation to integrate storm sewers into the drainage or cleaning system, then in a private house it is hardly worth doing. If a septic tank is buried in the yard, storm sewer during heavy rain or snowmelt, it can simply overflow. If frozen sewer storm, going along the surface, there is nothing to worry about.

Even if drains buried shallow underground freeze through, they are saved by holes from ice rupture. Domestic sewerage is a closed structure. And the less cold will pass to this sewer in winter, the better it will work in all seasons.

That's why sewer project storm should be independent. The main thing in this sewer is to divert powerful streams of water from paths and beds. The beds should not be washed away by rain, and water should not accumulate on the paths and terraces. Even if such a sewer is made in the form of open gutters that will divert water into a gutter outside the site, the problem of drainage will be solved.

Downpipes of buildings can be integrated into this system. Household sewerage must be independent of storm water.