How to warm up frozen propylene and plastic pipes? How to defrost a plastic pipe: we cancel trips to the ice hole in severe frost Is it possible to defrost a pipe with salt.

In winter, quite often people are faced with the fact that water pipes can freeze during severe frosts. In this material, we will talk about how to defrost a pipe with water without damaging communications and without remaining without water for a long time.

In what cases it may be necessary to defrost pipes

In cases where the water supply pipes were not insulated on time, with a sharp drop in air temperature outside, the water in them may freeze. However, even if such a nuisance happened, you should not panic - you can fix everything, including yourself.

Among the most common causes of freezing of water pipes is incorrect laying of the line without taking into account the depth of freezing of the soil or without insulation. Alternatively, this can happen with a plumbing that is used at very low temperatures or too little water flows through it.

In order to defrost pipes, you can use equipment such as a building hair dryer (if it is not there, a regular household one will do), a blowtorch, and an electric heater. Here are some guidelines for defrosting frozen pipes.

Defrosting is very easy when working with steel pipes. To do this, a welding machine is connected from opposite ends of the pipe, which will lead to thawing of water inside the water supply system for 3-4 hours. The duration of the process depends on the length of the pipe. However, recently, plastic pipes that can withstand pressures up to 10 atmospheres have been actively used in water supply systems.

Although such products do not deform when freezing, it is still impossible to defrost plastic pipes with a welding machine. You should also not use an iron rod to break through the cork, so as not to spoil the water supply.

There are a lot of ways how to defrost a water supply or sewerage pipe.

External heating

Of course, the need to tear apart the frozen soil in order to get to the pipe is a significant disadvantage of this method. However, for those situations where the frozen area is small, this method has a right to exist.

When the trench is excavated, the type of pipeline material is established. To work with polymer products, you can use only electric type heating devices that produce a temperature of no more than 100-100 ℃. To reduce the heat loss of the heater and warm up the pipe section faster, the place of work is covered with a layer of thermal insulation.

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

Heating pipes from the inside

To get rid of the plug in the sewer pipes, you will have to take into account a number of features. Firstly, such communications, as a rule, have a rather large diameter, which allows heating from the outside and from the inside better. However, the amount of accumulated ice in them will be significantly greater, so that more heat consumption by heating devices will be required.

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

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

It is necessary to introduce the structure into the drain pipe from the side of the receiver, where the melted liquid will drain. First, the heating element is fully promoted to the place of work, after which it is connected to the network. Moving the device forward as the plug thaws, the device is periodically turned off.

Steel pipe fixture

One of the most effective methods for removing frozen plugs in pipes is the use of an industrial device. However, it only applies to metal products. To defrost the plug, terminals are attached to the two ends of the frozen pipe, through which current is supplied. Gradually heating up, the pipe begins to melt the ice clot inside it.

The duration of defrosting the pipe will depend on its length and diameter. For example, for pipes with a cross section of up to 6 cm and a length of 23 m, it will take about 1 hour of operation of the device. If the diameter of the pipeline is greater than this indicator, then the run-up between the terminals is made less. This also applies to sections with measuring devices and tie-in points. A prerequisite in this case is the presence of pressure inside the pipeline.

Along with the generally accepted methods for defrosting water pipes, polyethylene products can be pierced in three more "folk" methods. They are all quite effective, however, only on pipes with a small cross section.

Hot water spill

Here it is worth noting right away that you will not be able to simply pour hot water into the pipe - you will have to work hard. A flexible hose or thin tube is required to supply hot liquid to the ice plug. For example, if a plug is formed on a straight section of a pipe with a diameter of 25-30 mm, you can use a thin metal-plastic tube with a cross section of 16 mm.

After straightening the thin tube, it is gradually pushed into the water supply until it reaches the ice plug. Then hot water is dispensed. Melted water will pour out through the gap between the water supply and the working tube. To save money, this water can be reheated and fed to the cork to thaw it.

As the ice thaws, the metal-plastic tube is gradually pushed into the depths until the cork is completely pierced. It is worth noting that on winding pipe sections, you can only use a rigid hose instead of a pipe.

However, you should not use a garden hose - it is too soft and will get wet quickly. Optimally in this case, gas or oxygen hoses are suitable. They can be pushed 15 meters deep into the water supply system, however, significant efforts will be required to push them due to their heavy weight.

Plain enema or Esmarch mug

This method allows you to get rid of ice in cases where the pipe is frozen quite far from the house, and the water supply system has bends and turns. In this case, you will need a strong steel wire, a hydro level and an ordinary enema (Esmarch's mug). All of these items are inexpensive and easy to get hold of.

First, the water level must be combined with the wire, wrapping them with electrical tape. The end of the wire is wrapped in a loop so that it gets stiffness. It must be wound so that it does not stick out to the sides, and at the end of the hydraulic level tube should extend beyond the wire by 1 cm. The second end of the tube is connected to the Esmarch cup. After that, the tube with the wire is pushed into the water supply until it hits the ice.

Such a device will be able to go through all the bends of the pipe quite easily and without complications and get to the right place. When the water level has reached the desired location, hot water is gradually fed into the enema tube. Under the pipe outlet, you need to substitute a container for water, which will flow from there. Gradually, the ice plug will melt, so that the device can be pushed further and further.

It should be noted that this method is rather slow. The average operating speed is 1 meter of pipe per hour, that is, about 5-7 meters of pipe can be defrosted per working day.

Electricity

There are cases when the thickness of the water supply system is only 20 mm, its length is about 50 meters, but the depth is about 80 cm (this is very small), and in places where it is not recommended to carry out excavation work (on the roadway, for example). Utilities in such situations recommend waiting for the thaw - but this is not an option.

To defrost a plastic pipe in this case, you can use a homemade device. To assemble it, you need a plug for an outlet, a two-core copper wire, a compressor and a hose for pumping water. For our example, let's take a wire with a cross section of 2.5-3 mm, a car fuel 8 mm hose and a compressor for a car or a pump.

Please note that when working with electrical current, strict safety precautions are required to avoid personal injury. Now you can start assembling the water pipe defrosting device.

On a small section of the wire, the external insulation is removed, the cores are separated. First, one of the cores is stripped of insulation, and the remaining insulated piece of wire is carefully bent, trying not to damage the sheath, in the opposite direction along the wire. Now, almost at the bend, the wire is screwed with 3-5 tight turns of bare wire. Having retreated from this place 2-3 mm, the same manipulations are performed with the second core. Make sure that the ends of the two strands do not touch each other.

On the other side of the wire, a plug and a "bulb" are attached. Such a unit supplies an electric current directly to the water, as a result of which a reaction occurs with the release of a large amount of heat. Ideal in this case is that only water is heated, while the wires remain cold, which does not threaten accidental burn-through of polyethylene pipes.

The assembled mechanism should be tested before starting. Immerse it in a container of water and apply current - everything works correctly if air bubbles are visible in the water and a buzz is heard. Please note that you must not touch the water while the device is in operation - you will get an electric shock.

So, we push the wire into the water supply system, making sure that it does not bend, until it comes into contact with the ice. Next, turn on the device for a couple of minutes and wait until the ice begins to melt. After that, you need to turn off the device and try to move the wire further. In a similar way, we first defrost one meter of the water supply system.

Now it is time to remove the melt water from the pipe using a compressor in order to reduce the volume of heated water and prevent the pipe from freezing again. If special equipment is available, a faucet can be welded onto the pipe, which can be closed as soon as water flows through the pipe. This will avoid flooding the place of work with the plug and will not pull the wire out of the pipe.

What to do to prevent the pipes from freezing

After such a detailed description of the options for getting rid of ice plugs in the water supply pipes, it will be useful to talk about the preventive measures for such an unpleasant phenomenon.

The first thing to remember is that the depth of the water supply pipes must be below the level of soil freezing in your area. The norm for sewer and water supply communications is considered to be a depth of 1.2-1.4 meters.

It is better not to lay pipelines near reinforced concrete structures, since the level of thermal conductivity of concrete is much higher than that of the ground. Consequently, near the foundation, beams or grillages, pipes will freeze through more than in other places. If it is impossible to bypass them, it is worth taking care of thermal insulation, for example, laying plates of extruded polystyrene foam between the pipe and the foundation.

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

Where water and sewer pipes touch the walls of the building, passing through them, it will be useful to insulate the communications with glass wool, mineral wool or foam. The reason lies in the same thermal conductivity of the walls of the building.

If work is carried out in a country house, the best choice would be water pipes with a cross section of at least 50 mm, which do not freeze so much in winter.

As for the material for water pipes, there are also differences here. For example, polypropylene pipes can withstand no more than 2-3 frost penetrations, after which they begin to burst. But polyethylene pipes are practically insensitive to frost and defrost.

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

So, every resident of a private house can face the problem of freezing water in a water pipe in winter. In this situation, the best thing to do is not to waste time, but to immediately start defrosting the ice plug. For this, you can use traditional methods, such as external or internal heating, as well as the use of industrial equipment. Or you can take advantage of folk experience and try one of the unconventional methods of defrosting. In any case, only you yourself can decide how to solve the problem.

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

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

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

Methods for defrosting pipelines

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

Defrosting metal pipes

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

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

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

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

How to defrost plastic pipes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Freezing prevention

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

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

The lack of water in the plumbing in a private house can be due to various reasons. One of them is the formation of an ice plug in the pipe. Such a nuisance occurs if the temperature outside is very low, and the rules were violated during the laying of the water supply system. You can try to fix the problem yourself, but this requires considerable effort. Consider the answer to the question: the water in the pipe has frozen underground - what to do in this situation?

Before figuring out what to do if the water in the water supply pipes has frozen, let's figure out why this can happen. Main reasons:

• laying pipes at insufficient depth;
• a small layer of insulation, its low quality or complete absence;
• little or no water consumption in severe frosts;
• abnormal weather conditions.

As a rule, pipes passing through the street freeze - outside or underground. But in the absence of heating and significant subzero temperatures for a long time, a problem may arise in the room or at the point where the pipe enters the wall.

Traffic jam search

Before deciding how to warm up the frozen water supply system, the first step is to find the place where the ice plug has formed in the pipe. Most often, they are formed at the joints of the elements, but sometimes the structure freezes over the entire length. Search methods:

1. Visual inspection of the outer pipes. Due to the fact that water increases in volume during freezing, ice plugs lead to the expansion of plastic elements. In addition, these areas feel colder to the touch than others.
2. Internal check. If it is not possible to inspect the pipeline, it should be partially disassembled and a flexible cable inserted into the hole. As soon as an obstacle arises in the path of its advance, the traffic jam is detected. To determine its location, you should measure the length of the entered cable.

The solution to the problem of how to warm up a frozen pipe with water depends on whether there is open access to the problem area, or it needs to be heated from inside the water supply system.

External heating of the pipe

If the water in the pipe has frozen, how to warm it up from the outside? If there is open access to the area in which the ice plug has formed, it is not difficult to solve the problem. Before warming up, be sure to open the taps so that the melted liquid can freely escape. The main methods involve the use of:

• hot water;
• warm air;
• elements of the "warm floor" system (heating cable).

Hot water

This method is suitable for any pipes: polypropylene, metal-plastic, metal, and others. But the water temperature should be increased gradually so that the structure does not crack.

1. Wrap a cloth over the frozen area. This is to protect the pipe and distribute heat more evenly.
2. Place a container under the pipe to collect water.
3. Water the area with hot water for a few minutes.
4. Wring out the fabric periodically and repeat until the water supply resumes.

Warm air

It is best to use a building hair dryer as a source of warm air. It should be directed to the area with the ice plug and held for some time.

If the freezing area is small and the pipe is thin, then a regular hair dryer can be used, but it should not work for more than 15 minutes in a row. It is advisable to wrap the pipe with heat-insulating material and let hot air under it. Such a "casing" will speed up the warm-up.

It is useless to use a fan heater or electric radiator, since they cannot create a concentrated air flow. You can safely defrost metal pipes with a construction hairdryer. In case of careless use, it can damage plastic structures.

Heating cable

To heat a plastic pipe, you will need an electric cable, which is used when installing a "warm floor" or a special cable for heating pipes. Algorithm of actions:

1. Wrap the pipe section with foil. Place the electrical cable on top.
2. Put a layer of insulation after the cable. Fix everything with tape.
3. Connect the cable to the network for 2-4 hours.

Note: Metal structures can be warmed up with a welding machine by attaching it to a frozen pipe section. It is also allowed to use open sources of fire - a fire, a blowtorch. These methods are not suitable for propylene and other plastic pipes.

Internal heating of pipes

Consider what to do when the water in the pipe is frozen underground. With a shallow depth and low hardness of the soil, it is worth digging a trench and applying some of the methods described above. If this is not possible, internal heating should be carried out. The main methods are based on the application:

• steam generator;
• homemade boiler;
• hot water.

All methods assume the possibility of penetration into the pipeline. If it is absent, part of the structure should be disassembled or cut out, having previously shut off the water supply.

Steam generator

To defrost the pipe, you need a steam generator - a device that produces hot water vapor under pressure. Stages:

1. Pour water into the tank.
2. Connect a small diameter heat-resistant hose to the steam generator.
3. Insert the hose as far as it will go (up to the ice plug) into the water pipe. At the same time, there should be free space in it for the drainage of melt water.
4. Switch on the steam generator. Wait until the ice begins to thaw. This usually takes 5-15 minutes. It is necessary to monitor the amount of water in the reservoir of the steam generator.

When solving the problem of how to warm water in a plastic pipe underground, if there is no steam generator, you can use an autoclave. The heat-resistant hose must be connected to the socket on the device.

Homemade boiler

You can warm up plastic water pipes using a homemade electric boiler. This method is not suitable for metal structures. It involves high voltage operation, so care must be taken.

Algorithm of actions:

1. Take a copper wire with two insulated conductors (section - 2.5-3 mm).
2. Separate the wires and spread them apart.
3. Remove the winding from one wire. Bend the second core in the opposite direction along the wire.
4. Wrap the bare part tightly 3-5 times around the fold. Cut off the remainder.
5. Depart from the turns of 2-3 mm. Expose the end of the bent core. Wrap it around the insulated wire 3-5 times. Trim off the excess. The coils of the first and second wires must not touch.
6. Connect the plug to the other end of the wire.
7. Insert the "boiler" into the water supply as far as it will go.
8. Connect the plug to the socket. The heat should melt the ice.
9. As the plug decreases, the "boiler" should be moved deeper.

Advice: When using a steam generator or "boiler", you must ensure the outflow of melt water. It is required to periodically turn off the device and use a thin hose and compressor to pump it out of the pipe.

Hot water

The essence of this method is reduced to the action of hot water on the ice in the pipe. To "deliver" it to the cork, you can use:

• hydro level and Esmarch's mug;
• pump.

The first option is suitable if the question arose of how to warm a frozen pipe underground, when the plug is far from the house, and the system has turns and bends. Required:

• construction hydraulic level;
• Esmarch's mug (an enema device);
• hardened steel wire.

1. Connect the length of the hydraulic level tube and the wire, making a loop at its end for greater rigidity. The end of the tube should protrude 1 cm beyond the end of the wire.
2. Attach the other end of the water level to Esmarch's circle.
3. Push the device all the way into the water supply.
4. Place a bucket under the pipe hole.
5. Pour hot water into a mug. It must flow through the hydraulic level tube to the ice and heat it up. In this case, thawed water will pour out of the pipe hole.

This heating method takes a lot of time and effort. To thaw 5-10 cm of ice, you need up to 5 liters of hot water. The whole process can take 5-7 hours depending on the length of the plug.

If there is a pump, then it should be installed in a container in which the water is constantly heated, and a heat-resistant hose, insert it into the water supply and supply hot water under pressure. The diameter of the hose must be such that there is a gap for the defrost water to escape from the pipe. It can be reused for heating.

Note: In the warm season, it is worth inspecting the defrosting water supply system. Replacement of deformed elements may be necessary. It is also worth taking measures to prevent freezing of pipes.

Prophylaxis

Freezing of the water supply is a problem that owners of private houses periodically face in cold winters. You can remove the ice plug yourself. The easiest way is to renew the patency of the pipe, to which there is external access. If the structure is in the ground, then certain fixtures will be required. In difficult cases, it is better to seek the help of specialists who have a powerful apparatus for breaking ice - a hydrodynamic machine.

Uninsulated pipeline - sewage, heating system or drinking water - with a high degree of probability can freeze together with its contents in winter, that is, in professional language, it can unfreeze. Such a 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 conditions for laying pipes were simply grossly violated.

Causes of freezing pipelines

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 - you need to insulate the tracks on time. But what if the line is already frozen and the pipeline needs to be defrosted? Life experience provides quite a few do-it-yourself pipe thawing methods, both cheap and expensive, but always effective.

1. Firstly, in some pipes there may be little liquid, which creates conditions for its faster freezing, for example, in an incomplete sewage system;
2. Secondly, pipes can be incorrectly calculated 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, but insufficiently insulated pipes can 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 utilities is a much more complicated issue, and sometimes very original technologies have been developed here, for example, the Esmarch circle, which will be discussed below.

The main methods of defrosting heating pipes or water supply systems consist in the use of common improvised tools and materials: a blowtorch, a stream of hot water, blowing off a building or household hair dryer, etc. Some points need to be clarified here:

1. It is easier to defrost steel pipes if you use a 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. High-pressure polyethylene pipes are now installed everywhere, and welding is not an option for them. Also, it is forbidden to clean them from internal ice with a crowbar or twig, so as not to damage the walls.

Based on these limitations, we will consider traditional technologies for defrosting heating mains and other pipelines.

External heating of pipes

Since the methods of defrosting open heating pipes, sewer systems or water supply systems are clear to us, we consider the 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 section - you can dig it up manually, or you may have to rent an excavator.

After digging a trench and opening the pipe, determine what the pipeline was insulated with - the technology of its defrosting will depend on this: for example, polyethylene pipes cannot be warmed up with an open flame or by supplying current. The temperature of a stream of hot air from a hair dryer or fan heater should not exceed 100-110 0 С, so that the water in the pipe does not boil and break it.

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

Internal heating of a plastic pipe

Defrosting sewer pipes, in contrast to heating or plumbing, has some peculiarities. The large diameter of PVC pipes allows them to be heated 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 defrosting sewer must not only be warmed up, but also cleaned.

For defrosting from the inside of the plastic sewer, a simple home-made device is assembled: a cable is connected to a U-shaped heating element with a bend diameter slightly smaller than the pipe diameter and attached to a metal-plastic pipe Ø ½ ‘’ of the required length. Most often, the distance to the place of the frozen area is known, therefore, it will be easy to calculate the cable length and the length of the MF guide tube, even visually. After that, connect the device to the network and push it down the drain, as shown in the figure:

It is necessary to start the advancement of the heater from the side of the drain receiver so that the melt water can drain unhindered. In the same way, large-diameter water pipes can be warmed up.

Defrosting iron pipes

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

For example, the following data can be given: steel pipe 25 m long 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.

Unconventional technologies

The use of hot water implies one peculiarity of the behavior of ice: the ice plug will not let hot water into the pipe if it is simply poured 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 supply system Ø 25-30 mm, it will be effective to use a piece of a metal-plastic pipe Ø 16 mm.

The inner tube must be straight so that it can be pushed into the water supply to a freezing depth. As soon as the tube hits the ice, hot water can be poured into it. The flow of melt water will pour out through the gap between the pipes, at the same time increasing the gap. The ice will melt on all sides of the cork, making room for the further advance of the reinforced-plastic tube further. If the frozen area has bends and bends, then a flexible but rigid hose is used instead of a tube.

The garden hose for irrigation is not suitable for defrosting - from the high temperature of the water, it will become soft and it will be impossible to push it further. An oxygen or gas hose that connects to gas or oxygen cylinders is best suited for this purpose. Practice shows that such hoses can even be pushed softened up to a distance of 15 meters. It will be difficult to keep the hose firm.

But so far we have considered mild cases - defrosting in straight and short sections. But what to do if the pipe is frozen several tens of meters from the dwelling, and at the same time the route is difficult - with turns and bends horizontally or vertically?

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

The wire and tube of the water level are aligned and terminated on 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 to 2 cm in front of the wire loop. The other end of the water level tube is connected to the Esmarch mug, and the tube with the wire is pushed all the way into the pipeline.

Further, it is necessary to pour water into the tube of the water level - a kind of hot "enema". Do not forget, if you are thawing a pipe indoors, substitute some kind of container under it to collect melt water. It is easy to determine the volume of the container - how much hot water you pour into the device, the same amount will pour out of the pipe of cold liquid.

As the ice melts, the tube is pushed further until the ice plug disappears completely. This technology is time-consuming (1 running meter per hour), but it is very effective and inexpensive.

How to prevent pipes from freezing

In order not to apply all of the above methods, you need to do the prevention of freezing of pipes with water:

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

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

Since in winter the owners of private houses and apartments are sometimes faced with the need to unfreeze pipes with water, it must be remembered that the faster you react and take the necessary steps to thaw a pipeline of any purpose, the smaller the section of the route will fail. For defrosting pipelines, all methods are good - both traditional and invented out of vital necessity - your comfortable further stay in the house depends on it.

The answer to the question: the water supply is frozen, how to defrost, interests many owners of private houses in Russia. The fact is that the freezing of the water supply system is far from rare in our country, where low temperatures are present in most of the country for at least six months. This phenomenon can lead to disruption of life in large areas.

As for private households, a frozen pipeline can render almost any home unusable. In this case, if no emergency measures are taken to defrost it, the house will have to be left before spring, while irreparable damage will be caused to him and his communications.

In order to successfully combat freezing of pipelines in winter, it is necessary to find out in advance why the pipes freeze, because normally they should not be covered with ice. In addition, the appearance of ice and complete blockage may indicate that negative changes have occurred in the system that significantly affect its performance. In the event that the landlord notices this in time, he can have time to take action to remove the ice in advance, before he causes significant damage to the pipeline.

If we talk about the most common reason for freezing pipes in winter, then it is usually:

• Errors in design and installation pipeline.
• Homeowners are often too lazy to dig a deep trench, resulting in laying the line above the freezing point of the soil in the area. As a result, during severe frosts, the soil “sticks up”, which leads to pipeline ruptures and pipe damage.
• Incorrect water supply in the building.
• And also due to the fact that highways are not insulated.

When placing such communications, even in warm basements, it is necessary to periodically carry out work to monitor the integrity of the insulation and, if necessary, replace it with a new one. This also applies to revision wells, which some homeowners have not looked into for years. As a result, almost ideal conditions are created for the formation of ice and rime in winter.

In addition, the freezing of utilities is also greatly influenced by the speed of movement of the water flow through the pipes, as well as their diameter... So in the main pipelines of housing and communal services networks, water flows constantly, which makes it possible to operate them normally even in icy soil. In private households, where such a flow is relatively weak, and the pipes are one or two inches in diameter, pipes need to be laid approximately half a meter deeper freezing point of soil in winter.

In order to get rid of such a negative moment, many homeowners leave their water supply taps open in the cold. As a result, the system will be operational during the entire period of its use. If the tap is closed, then it is quite possible that the process of ice formation will begin in it.

Another common and natural cause of pipe freezing is laying of engineering communications in unheated rooms, it can be an entrance or a basement. Here ice plugs usually occur at night when the water flow drops to a minimum level. Moreover, if in apartment buildings access to pipes is open, which makes it easier to deal with traffic jams, in private households they are usually difficult to access. As a result, it is quite difficult to deal with ice here, and such activities require a lot of time and, in some cases, money.

How to find a frozen area

Before proceeding directly to the heating of pipes, it is necessary to determine the section of them where the freezing section is directly located. The fact is that the method used for heating the entire line will depend on where it is located and what its dimensions are. Moreover, if it is damaged by ice, the question of repairing it, and not getting rid of ice plugs, will arise.

There are two ways to spot an ice jam:

• visual,
• tactile.

The visual method consists of careful studying the external state of the pipe... For this, the water supply system is inspected along the entire length of the sections to which there is free access. So, if the communications are made of plastic material, for example, metal-reinforced plastic, the homeowner will see swelling or deformation of a different shape.

A frozen section of metal-plastic pipes can be seen by swelling or deformation of a different shape.

As for metal pipes, which are not ductile, it is difficult to detect the congestion visually. In this case, as well as when the communication is done in a covert method, a tactile method will need to be applied. It consists of feeling for a blockage with a feeler gauge:

1. Nearest detachable knee to a suspicious place dismantled.
2. Into the resulting hole introduced normal plumbing cable or thick wire.
3. Rope or wire moves along the pipe until it stops.
4. Their length, after they are attached to the wall or soil, will indicate to the expected place of freezing.

There are also special devices designed to determine the places of ice formation in utilities. They are used by professional plumbers and these devices are practically not used in everyday life.

How to defrost a pipe indoors

The methods used to defrost utilities directly depend on where the pipeline is located. So if it is mounted indoors, then it will be possible to get rid of ice jams with the help of:

• hot water;
• construction hair dryer;
• electricity.

Hot water are used to warm pipes in open sections of highways, while this method can be used to clean products, both metal and plastic. In this case, it is best when it is boiling water, since it is he who allows the ice to melt the fastest. In addition, rags and rags are also used to speed up the process.

1. To start rags and rags placed on the pipe.
2. Suspected congestion site start pouring boiling water or hot water. This is a long process, since the surface of the line will have to be constantly irrigated with new portions of hot water.
3. The heating process stops only after water does not start flowing from the open taps.
4. Complete removal of ice from the system can be completed in a few hours and during this time the valves should not be closed.

Rags and rags are needed here to increase the contact area of ​​the pipe with boiling water, as well as to prolong its effect on it.

Rags and rags increase the contact area of ​​the pipe with boiling water, and also prolong its effect on it.

A frozen water supply system can also be warmed up with hot air by acting on open areas of the system. For this purpose, they usually use heat gun or powerful construction hair dryer... At the same time, a temporary canopy is erected over the problem area from scrap materials. In the same case, when the homeowner does not have industrial equipment, he can use any device that generates warm air. So it can be a regular household hair dryer.

The third common method for defrosting pipes is to use electricity... It is considered one of the most effective and can be used to get rid of ice from both metal and plastic products. It should be noted separately that this method requires the adoption of certain precautions.

Metal lines in this way they are warmed using welding transformer.

1. The output cables of the machine must be connected to a suspicious area away from the congestion. not less than half a meter.
2. Voltage is applied so that a current of magnitude passes through the metal from 100 to 200 amperes.
3. Usually a few minutes such an impact forces the ice to melt, thereby restoring the permeability of the pipe.

As for plastic communications, then they are warmed up using a two-core copper wire with a cross-section 2.5 - 3 mm:

1. One of the veins is partially cleaned and carried out 5 turns around the cable.
2. The second vein goes below the first and the same manipulations are performed over it. Trying to make a spiral winding at a distance of 3 mm from the first winding. The resulting device is the simplest home-made boiler.
3. Ready product insert into the pipe and turn on the current... Under the influence of the potential that has arisen between the coils, the water heats up, and the ice begins to melt.

This method is good because when using it, the system does not heat up and the plastic does not deteriorate.

How to defrost pipes outdoors

Defrosting pipelines outdoors has its own specifics, due to the fact that the temperature here is usually much lower than indoors. At the same time, pipes in the fresh air are also heated using electricity, a hairdryer and hot water, as in the room. In addition, due to the more severe weather conditions, powerful special equipment is used. So, for example, heating of highways is performed using:

• heating cable for water supply;
• steam heater;
• autoclave;
• hydrodynamic machine.

If it is decided to use electricity, then it is advisable to use not a welding transformer for this, as when performing a similar procedure indoors, but a special device, because:

• it has great power,
• allows you to adjust the current strength,
• allows you to adjust the voltage of the supplied current.
• safer to operate than an improperly used welding transformer.

The modern industry also offers homeowners pipe heating cable... It should be distinguished from such a product as pipe heating cable, since this product is not intended to combat the already formed ice, but to prevent this phenomenon. If you equip a pipeline with such a cable in hazardous areas, ice simply cannot form there.

Heating cable for water pipe inside the pipe used in the case when it is not possible to warm it from the outside. The fact is that the electric current supplied to it is converted into thermal energy, which allows it to melt the ice. At the same time, with its help, you can clear the ice jam in the most inaccessible place, since:

• the cable can be inserted into the pipe for several tens of meters,
• he is flexible, which makes it possible to achieve with its help even ice in difficultly bent knees.

Construction hairdryer on the street it is rarely used, since it is simply not able to warm up problem areas in wind conditions. If there is no other way out, you will have to build a temporary shelter from scrap materials to get the job done.

As for hot water, then in this case it will need to be poured into the system. For this it is used

• funnel,
• a flexible hose that moves deeper into the pipeline as the ice thaws.

In difficult cases, industrial equipment is used: steam generators, autoclaves, hydrodynamic machines. Steam generator defrosting with steam. To do this, a hose is introduced through a branch pipe or a disassembled elbow into the pipeline and hot steam is supplied through it until it is completely free of ice.

The hydrodynamic machine creates hydrodynamic pressure that "breaks through" the ice jams.

Autoclave can also generate steam, so it can be used to combat ice mash. Here, the scheme of work is approximately the same as with a steam generator. In this case, it is preferable to use a steam generator, since it is more suitable for performing the described operation. As for hydrodynamic machine, then it creates hydrodynamic pressure, "breaking through" the ice jams. This machine is professional and is usually used by organizations that specialize in utility services.

Checking the water supply after defrosting

After the water pipe is defrosted, it is necessary to check it for damage. This can be done visually first of all. For this, the surface of the pipes is inspected for the presence cracks, gusts and swelling... In severe frosts, such damage is usually visible to the naked eye.

When they are negligible, a line pressure test will need to be performed. In this case, the resulting defects can be detected by emerging drips. Some malfunctions may appear much later, so it is worth leaving the system under supervision for about a week in order to avoid an emergency.

Thermal insulation and prevention of freezing of the pipeline

In order for the pipes not to freeze in winter, it is necessary to carefully observe the order of assembly and laying of the water supply system. So it must be placed in the ground at a depth below the freezing point of the soil in the region. Information about this can be found in a special reference book, where freezing points in all regions of the Russian Federation are indicated.

In the event that the weather conditions in your region are severe and frosts are not uncommon, all communications should be laid in special heat-insulating pencil cases... In addition to saving heat, such devices prevent pipes from freezing. Such pencil cases do not rot, do not be afraid of moisture and therefore can serve at least 50 years old without replacement.

As for the insulation of pipelines, it is usually used for this glass wool or polyurethane foam... Also, relatively recently, special insulating covers mounted on top of the existing insulation. If the pipe lies in the ground and it is necessary to protect it from freezing, it is laid in a trench with it expanded clay or the same pencil case made of insulation.

Summing up

In conclusion, it can be noted that there are many ways to clear the pipeline from ice if it freezes, while it is better not to bring the matter to their use. In the event that all communications are completed in accordance with the requirements of building codes and regulations, they will not be afraid of any cold. At the same time, the service life of the water supply and sewerage system will increase significantly, and the cost of their maintenance will decrease significantly.