How to thaw water in plastic pipes. How to defrost a metal-plastic pipe. Causes of pipeline freezing

There are both external and internal methods of influencing a frozen area. Naturally, the effectiveness and labor intensity of each method is different, as is the time to achieve a positive result. When preparing to defrost plastic pipes, you should be prepared for the fact that the length of the frozen section inside the building, as a rule, is no more than 3-5 m, and underground it can reach more than 20-30 m.

How to defrost plastic water pipe underground? To defrost underground water pipes, you can also use the feeding method hot water. Only for its implementation in field conditions A longer length of tubing will probably be required.

More effective option how to warm up plastic pipe in the ground, is heating water to the state of steam and supplying it under pressure to the place of freezing. To heat the liquid, you need to use a sealed vessel with a pipe at the top. A flexible and durable oxygen hose or hydraulic level tube is suitable as a supply tube.

How to warm up a plastic pipe of an internal polymer water supply? From the outside it may seem surprising that the pipes inside the room are frozen. The situation might look like this. A water pipe branch without sufficient thermal insulation runs inside an unheated room and, with a sharp, significant drop in temperature, freezes. This can also happen at the entrance of the pipeline to the house if the pipeline is not insulated and comes into contact with concrete or brick structures foundation or walls.

Let us immediately note that most heating methods steel pipes cannot be used. Below we will show how to defrost water in a plastic pipe without traditional burners and welding machine.
In our arsenal of tools there are several answers to how to defrost a plastic water pipe. But first you need to determine the place where the ice plug has formed and, preferably, its extent.

If there is no collapsible connection point or tap in the frozen area, or it is located far away, you can try to use the external impact method by watering the pipe hot water. In general, this method of defrosting plastic water pipes is ineffective due to the low thermal conductivity of the pipeline itself, but it can help with its small diameter and small frozen area.

The other method will also require hot water. Its essence is to supply coolant inside, directly to the place of freezing. For implementation you will need flexible pipes of small diameter, a funnel and a container for collecting thawed water. If the area to be defrosted has no bends, you can use metal-plastic pipe. The step-by-step process of how to defrost a plastic pipe in the ground is as follows:

• You can use a tap to enter the pipeline; if you don’t have one, disassemble the nearest connection point;
• We place a container near it to collect water;
• place the tube inside the frozen pipeline;
• we move it to the place of the ice jam;
• We supply hot water through the funnel;
• As it thaws, the water will come out, and the pipe needs to be pushed further.

This method is more effective than the previous one, but for its successful implementation you need to have constant access to hot water.
If the water in a plastic pipe freezes, what should you do? You can try to warm it up with a self-heating cable. For any pipe diameter, spiral winding will give the desired effect over time. And taking into account the fact that this material can be purchased both in the bay and finished product with a fork, the labor intensity of the process is minimal.

Heating a plastic pipe for sewerage

How to defrost a plastic sewer pipe? There is an opinion that it is correct installed pipe gravity sewer, even without thermal insulation, cannot freeze due to its slope, large diameter And elevated temperature drains. And if this happens, it should be checked for blockages, damage due to soil subsidence, etc.

Fundamentally, the ways to thaw a frozen plastic sewer pipe are not much different from defrosting a water supply. Here external heating is used with the opening of the trench, electric heating pipes and subsequent installation of heat insulation. The most commonly used method is heating the liquid inside the system. Why assemble a device from a flexible metal-plastic pipe and a water heating element.

How to heat a plastic pipe using electricity

Another means of heating a plastic pipe underground is electricity. This original method is at the same time simple, effective and extremely dangerous, since carelessness can cause short circuit and get an electric shock. When carrying out preparatory and main work, do not forget about the means personal protection and compliance with safety regulations. The material you will need is a copper two-core wire, as well as a compressor or pump to pump out the thawed liquid.

First you need to prepare the wire:

• from a segment of 70-100 mm we remove the upper insulator;
• one of internal wiring where the insulation is cut, we bend it and press it to the main wire;
• completely clear the second wiring;
• We also press it to the main wire and at the very edge, we make 2-3 tight turns on top of the first one, cut off the excess;
• retreating from the created turns, we expose the pressed first wire and also make several turns in parallel, without touching the turns of the second wire;
• We install an electrical plug at the other end of the wire.

In this design, it is important to ensure that the exposed wires do not move. During its operation, the wire is inserted into the pipe all the way to the frozen area and electricity is supplied, under the influence of which the ice quickly melts. As you progress, the thawed water must be removed and the wire must be pushed further.

But what if none of the proposed methods suits you? What to do with frozen water in a plastic pipe? The answer is simple. Call a team of specialists who, using an industrial steam generator, will restore the functionality of the pipeline, regardless of its purpose.

The answer to the question: the water supply is frozen, how to defrost it, interests many owners of private houses in Russia. The fact is that freezing of water pipes is far from a rare phenomenon 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 over large areas.

As for private households, a frozen pipeline can make almost any house unsuitable for living in it. In this case, if emergency measures are not taken to defrost it, the housing will have to be abandoned until spring, and irreparable damage will be caused to it and its 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. If the homeowner notices this in time, he can take measures to remove the ice in advance before it causes significant damage to the pipeline.

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

• Errors in design and installation pipeline.
• Homeowners are often too lazy to dig a deep trench, which leads to laying the line above the freezing point of the soil in this area. As a result, the soil “stands up like a stake” during severe frosts, which leads to pipeline breaks and pipe damage.
• Improper plumbing 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 inspection wells, which some homeowners have not looked into for years. As a result, almost ideal conditions for the formation of ice and frost in winter.

In addition, a great influence on freezing engineering communications also renders travel speed water flow through pipes, as well as their diameter. Thus, water constantly flows in the main pipelines of housing and communal services networks, which allows them to operate normally even in icy soil. In private households, where such flow is relatively weak, and the pipes have a diameter of one or two inches, pipes need to be laid approximately half a meter deeper ground freezing point in winter.

In order to get rid of this negative point, many homeowners leave their water taps open in cold weather. As a result, the system will be operational for the entire time it is used. If you close the tap, it is quite possible that the process of ice formation will begin.

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

How to find a frozen area

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

There are two ways to detect an ice jam:

• visual,
• tactile.

The visual method consists of carefully studying the external condition of the pipe. To do this, the water supply system is inspected throughout the areas to which there is free access. So, if the communications are made of plastic material, for example, metal-plastic, the homeowner will see swelling or deformation of a different shape.

A frozen section of metal-plastic pipes can be noticed by swelling or other deformation.

As for metal pipes, which are not ductile, it is difficult to detect a blockage visually. In this case, and also when communication is completed hidden method, you will need to use the tactile method. It consists of feeling for a jam using a feeler gauge:

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

There are also special devices designed to determine where ice forms 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 exactly the pipeline is located. So if it is installed indoors, then you can get rid of ice jams using:

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

hot water used for heating pipes in open sections of highways while this method can be used to clean products made of both metal and plastic. In this case, it is best when it is boiling water, since it is this that allows you to melt the ice 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. Location of suspected jam start pouring boiling water on or hot water. The process is lengthy, since the surface of the main 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 necessary 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.

Frozen water pipes can also be warmed up with hot air by applying it to open areas systems. 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 an ordinary household hair dryer.

The third common method of defrosting pipes is to use electricity. It is considered one of the most effective and can be used to remove ice from both metal and plastic products. It is worth noting separately that this method requires taking certain precautions.

Metal lines this method is heated using welding transformer.

1. The output cables of the device must be connected to a suspicious area at a distance from the jam at least 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 This impact causes the ice to melt, thereby restoring the permeability of the pipe.

As for plastic communications, then they are heated using a two-core copper wire with a cross-section 2.5 – 3 millimeters:

1. One of the cores is partially stripped and 5 turns around the cable.
2. The second core is lowered below the first and the same manipulations are performed on it. Trying to perform spiral winding at a distance of 3 millimeters from the first winding. The resulting device is a simple homemade boiler.
3. Ready product insert into the pipe and turn on the current. Under the influence of the potential that arises 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 outside

Defrosting pipelines outside has its own specifics due to the fact that the temperature here is usually much lower than indoors. At the same time, the pipes on fresh air They are also heated using electricity, a hair dryer and hot water, just like indoors. In addition, due to more severe weather conditions, powerful special equipment. So, for example, heating of lines is carried out using:

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

If you decide to use it to defrost a water supply or sewer system on the street electricity , then it is advisable to use for this not a welding transformer, as when performing a similar procedure indoors, but special device, because:

• it has great power
• allows you to adjust the current strength,
• allows you to regulate the voltage of the supplied current.
• safer to use than a welding transformer used for other purposes.

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 already formed ice, but to prevent this phenomenon. If you equip a pipeline with such a cable in dangerous areas, ice simply cannot form there.

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

• the cable can be inserted into the pipe at several tens of meters,
• he's flexible, which makes it possible to reach even ice in difficultly curved knees.

Construction hair dryer It is rarely used outdoors, since it is simply not able to warm up problem areas in windy conditions. If there is no other way out, you will have to build a temporary shelter from scrap materials to complete the work.

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

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

IN difficult cases they use industrial equipment: steam generators, autoclaves, hydrodynamic machines. Steam generator Defrosts using steam. To do this, a hose is inserted into the pipeline through a pipe or a disassembled elbow and hot steam begins to flow through it until it is completely cleared of ice.

A hydrodynamic machine creates hydrodynamic pressure that “breaks through” ice jams.

Autoclave can also generate steam, so it can be used to combat ice jams. Here the operating scheme 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 that “breaks through” ice jams. This machine is professional and is usually used by organizations specializing in the maintenance of utility lines.

Checking the water supply after defrosting

After the water supply has been thawed, it must be checked for damage. This can be done first of all visually. To do this, the surface of the pipes is inspected for the presence of cracks, tears and swelling. In severe frosts, such damage is usually visible to the naked eye.

When they are minor, you will need to perform a pressure test of the line. In this case, the defects that have arisen can be detected by emerging drips. Some malfunctions may appear much later, so the system should be left under observation for about a week to avoid an emergency.

Insulation and prevention of pipeline freezing

In order to prevent pipes from freezing in winter, it is necessary to carefully follow the procedure for assembling and laying the water supply system. So it must be placed in the ground at a depth below the freezing point of the soil in a given region. Information about this can be found in a special reference book, which shows freezing points in all regions of the Russian Federation.

In the case when weather In your region, severe and frosty conditions are not uncommon; all communications should be laid in special thermal insulation cases. In addition to saving heat, such devices prevent pipes from freezing. Such pencil cases do not rot, are not afraid of exposure to moisture and therefore can last at least 50 years without replacement.

As for the insulation of pipelines, they usually use glass wool or polyurethane foam. Also relatively recently, special thermal insulation covers, mounted on top of the existing insulation. If the pipe lies in the ground and needs to be protected from freezing, it is placed 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 ice from a pipeline if it freezes, but it is better not to resort to using them. In the case when all communications are carried out according to the requirements building codes and rules, no cold will be scary for them. At the same time, the service life of the water supply and sewerage systems will increase significantly, and the cost of their maintenance will decrease significantly.

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

• First method: use hot water.
  1. Feel for the coldest area - there is an ice plug there.
  2. Take a regular piece of fabric.
  3. Wrap the cloth around the frozen area (in addition to it, grab the upper and lower areas).
  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 prevent re-freezing.
• Second method: use a construction heat gun.
  1. Find the ice plug (described above).
  2. Set the heat gun to the minimum temperature (to avoid melting the plastic).
  3. Bring the flow warm air to the pipeline.
  4. Wrap the pipe with insulation.
• Third method: use electric heating.
  1. We wrap the frozen area with a special heating wire.
  2. We connect the wire to the electrical network.
  3. We wrap the heated pipe with insulation.

How to defrost ice in a plastic pipe underground yourself

When a plastic pipe freezes underground, homeowners begin to panic. After all, digging frozen soil with your hands is not an easy task, and using machinery can completely damage the pipe. We offer several alternative options, for defrosting underground communications.

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. Place a hose into the frozen plastic pipe. Continue entering until you hit an ice plug.
4. Fill the hose with hot water (use a pressure pump if possible).
5. Gradually move the hose forward.
6. As soon as the ice seal is melted, water will flow from the pipe.
7. Reconnect the pipe to the faucet.
8. Cover exposed sections of the pipeline with insulation.

We use electricity

1. Purchase two-core wire.
2. Separate one core and remove the insulation from it.
3. Twist the bare wire tightly to prevent it from unwinding.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 with the second wire.
5. Move the exposed twists a couple of centimeters away from each other.
6. Insert the wire into the pipe up to the ice plug.
7. Connect the wire to the mains.
8. Move the wire forward as it defrosts.
9. Pump out the melt water with a pump or compressor.

A few more ways to defrost a plastic pipe

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

• Defrosting with a steam generator: an excellent way out of this situation. Melting ice 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 double boiler): water is heated in the autoclave, after which a hose is connected to the device, the second end of which is inserted into the frozen pipeline. When water boils, steam enters and melts the ice.
• Defrosting by hydrodynamic machine: due to high blood pressure, which produces this car, the ice breaks in a matter of minutes. The hose is inserted into a plastic pipe closer to the ice plug and the device is turned on.

The lack of water in the water supply in a private house may be due to for various reasons. One of them is the formation of an ice plug in the pipe. This kind of trouble happens if it’s very low temperature, and the rules were violated when laying the water supply. You can try to fix the problem yourself, but it requires considerable effort. Let's consider the answer to the question: water in a pipe underground has frozen - what to do in this situation?

Before we figure out what to do if the water in the water pipes freezes, let's figure out why this might happen. Main reasons:

• laying pipes at insufficient depth;
• a small layer of insulation, it low quality or complete absence;
• insignificant or zero water consumption in severe frosts;
• abnormal weather conditions.

As a rule, pipes running outside freeze, either outside or underground. But in the absence of heating and significant sub-zero temperatures over a long period of time, the problem may occur indoors or at the point where the pipe enters the wall.

Finding a traffic jam

Before deciding how to thaw a frozen water supply, you should first find the place where the ice blockage has formed in the pipe. Most often they form at the joints of elements, but sometimes the structure freezes along its entire length. Search methods:

1. Visual inspection of external pipes. Because water expands in volume when it freezes, ice plugs cause expansion. plastic elements. In addition, these areas feel cooler to the touch than others.
2. Internal check. If it is not possible to inspect the pipeline, you should partially disassemble it and insert a flexible cable into the hole. As soon as an obstacle arises in the way of its progress, a traffic jam is detected. To determine its location, you should measure the length of the inserted cable.

The solution to the problem of how to warm a frozen water pipe depends on whether there is open access to 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 is frozen, how can you warm it up from the outside? If there is open access to the area where the ice jam has formed, it is not difficult to solve the problem. Before heating, be sure to open the taps so that the melted liquid can come out freely. 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 the cloth around the frozen area. This is necessary to protect the pipe and distribute heat more evenly.
2. Place a container under the pipe to collect water.
3. Run hot water over the area for several minutes.
4. Periodically wring out the fabric and repeat until the water supply is restored.

Warm air

It is best to use a hair dryer as a source of warm air. It should be aimed at the area with the ice plug and held for a while.

If the freezing area is small and the pipe is thin, then you can use a regular hair dryer, but it should not work for more than 15 minutes at a time. It is advisable to wrap the pipe with heat-insulating material and let it hot air under it. This “casing” will speed up warming up.

It is useless to use a fan heater or an electric radiator, since they cannot be used to create a concentrated air flow. Construction hairdryer can be defrosted safely metal pipes. Plastic structures If used carelessly, it can cause damage.

Heating cable

To heat a plastic pipe you will need electrical cable, which is used when installing “warm floors” or a special cable for heating pipes. Algorithm of actions:

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

On a note: Metal constructions can be warmed up using a welding machine by attaching it to a frozen section of the pipe. It is also allowed to use open sources of fire - a fire, a blowtorch. Such methods are not suitable for propylene and other plastic pipes.

Internal heating of pipes

Let's consider what to do when the water in a pipe underground freezes. If the soil is shallow and not very hard, it is worth digging a trench and using 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 require the possibility of penetration into the pipeline. If it is missing, you should disassemble or cut out part of the structure, first turning off the water supply.

Steam generator

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

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

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

Homemade boiler

You can warm up a plastic water supply using a homemade electric boiler. This method not suitable for metal structures. It involves working with high voltage, so you need to be careful.

Algorithm of actions:

1. Take copper wire with two insulated cores (cross section - 2.5-3 mm).
2. Separate the wires and move 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. Trim off the rest.
5. Depart from the turns 2-3 mm. Expose the end of the bent wire. Wrap it around the insulated wire 3-5 times. Trim off the excess part. The turns of the first and second wires should not touch.
6. Attach a plug to the other end of the wire.
7. Insert the “boiler” into the water supply until it stops.
8. Plug the plug into the socket. When exposed to heat, the ice should begin to melt.
9. As the plug decreases, the “boiler” should be moved deeper.

Tip: When using a steam generator or “boiler”, you should ensure the outflow of melt water. It is necessary 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 comes down to exposing the ice in the pipe to hot water. To “deliver” it to the plug you can use:

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

The first option is suitable if the question arises of how to warm up 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 (device for enemas);
• hardened steel wire.

1. Connect the hydraulic level tube and the wire along the length, making a loop at its end for greater rigidity. The edge of the tube should protrude 1 cm beyond the end of the wire.
2. Attach the second end of the hydraulic level to Esmarch's mug.
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 should flow through the hydraulic level tube to the ice and heat it. In this case, thawed water will pour out of the pipe hole.

This heating method requires a lot of time and effort. To thaw 5-10 cm of ice, up to 5 liters of hot water are needed. The entire process can take 5-7 hours depending on the length of the cork.

If there is a pump, then it should be installed in a container in which 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 melt water to exit the pipe. It can be reused for heating.

Note: In the warm season, it is worth inspecting the water supply system that has been defrosted. Deformed elements may need to be replaced. It is also worth taking measures to prevent pipes from freezing.

Prevention

Freezing of the water supply is a problem that owners of private houses periodically face during cold winters. You can remove the ice jam yourself. The easiest way to restore the patency of a pipe that has external access. If the structure is in the ground, then certain devices will be required. In difficult cases, it is better to seek the help of specialists who have powerful apparatus to destroy ice - with a hydrodynamic machine.

Considering the harsh climatic realities of our latitudes, protecting various communications from the cold and eliminating the consequences of its effects is a common thing. Moreover, the disadvantage preventive measures leads to the need for repairs. This is especially true for pipelines carrying water. Since polymer systems have recently been increasingly used for internal and external pipes, the question of how to defrost plastic pipes is becoming increasingly relevant.

The situation is not hopeless, and there are ways. However, this does not mean that pipe protection can be neglected. What to do if trouble does occur - further in the article.

Causes and consequences

Before defrosting water in a plastic pipe, it is better to reliably find out the reason why the accident occurred. Otherwise, there is a high probability that it will happen again next winter, or even worse, in the same winter. Therefore, in parallel with the work to eliminate the ice jam, it is worth strengthening protection from the cold and carrying out.

There are several main “culprits” of freezing:

• Insufficient depth of the external pipeline - it is calculated using special zoning maps, but in any case it is taken to be at least 600 mm. It is better to take it with a reserve, especially for regions with extreme frosts.
  Remedy: laying heat-insulating material heating cable, deepening a pipeline trench in the ground

Although theoretically a hot water supply or heating pipeline can be laid at a shallower depth, in the expectation that the pipe will heat itself, it is better not to do this.

A sudden stop in supply can lead to quite serious consequences, and being left without heat in the cold is not the best prospect.

• Violation of thermal insulation or its incorrect calculation - this applies to both external and internal pipelines. Eliminated by the same methods as the previous cause
• Incorrect calculation of the pipeline diameter, usually the outer one. Many homeowners, trying to save money, take it as the estimated minimum sufficient to supply the building with water. However, it should be remembered that with small volumes of consumption, water stagnates for a long time, and manages to freeze. Therefore, experts recommend using diameters of at least 40-50 mm for external systems.
  The larger the diameter of the pipe, the lower the risk of freezing, and the less severe the consequences will be. Corrective Action: additional thermal insulation, heating cable, replacing pipes with a larger diameter

• Absence or insufficient thermal insulation of the pipe where it passes through outer wall. Eliminated by laying mineral heat-insulating materials at the point of passage (if necessary, with the expansion of the hole in the wall to the appropriate distance)
• The connection of the pipeline to an artificial stone wall, for example, in a basement or basement. Corrected by laying a layer of thermal insulation between the pipeline and the wall, or eliminating direct contact

Important information!

Any fake diamond, the same brick or concrete, has thermal conductivity that is much better than natural soil, so it can freeze even in the underground part.

Therefore, the pipeline should not have direct contact with the walls of even heated rooms - its outer layer can still have a negative temperature, and the water freezes at this temperature.

Where they pass through the wall, defrosting plastic pipes is especially difficult.

Elimination of accidents

There are several main types of accidents; the decision on how to defrost a metal-plastic or plastic pipe depends on this:

• Water froze in the external underground pipeline
• The same, in a pipeline laid in an open way
• Freezing of water in internal pipeline with open gasket
• Frozen inner tube, mounted in a wall or hard-to-reach place

Moreover, in each of these cases, two options are also possible: the pipe or fittings are damaged, or there are no cracks in them. At the same time, the algorithm of actions for any pipe material in any of the options will not differ, whether we are talking about how to defrost metal-plastic pipes, polyethylene or polypropylene.

Important information!

The most resistant to freezing are polyethylene pipes, followed by metal-plastic, the layers of which also consist of polyethylene, polypropylene pipes They feel completely uncomfortable in the cold.

They can withstand about three freezes, but may burst after the first.

Possible solutions

Repairing cracks

If the pipe has obvious mechanical damage, then perhaps defrosting the plastic pipes will no longer be necessary, unless the section inside which the ice plug has appeared will have a very significant length. Usually the place of damage is simply cut out - and for this it is not necessary to melt the ice.

Installed at the scene of the accident new site pipe, which is connected to an existing pipeline using standard fittings for this type of pipe, usually some type of coupling.

With any method, the valve closest to the ice plug must be open.

If you need to insert something into the pipe for cleaning, it should be removed altogether.

But in this case, it is necessary to provide for how to quickly close the pipe after eliminating the plug - after all, the water pressure in the pipeline does not go away.

External heating

If you need to defrost plastic pipes inside a building, for example, in a basement, if you have access to them, the easiest way is to use any heat sources outside the pipe: electric heaters with a fan, hair dryers, electric blankets.

Some craftsmen are trying to use open heat sources like blowtorches or gas burners, but this method is not entirely safe - if you miss right moment, then the pipe wall can simply be burned through. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to use the device used for “metal” to defrost plastic pipes - its operation requires an electrically conductive material, which polymers are not.

Internal heating

If a blockage occurs in a closed section of the pipe, it is warmed up, as a rule, with hot water, which is poured into the system “toward” the ice, that is, from inside the building. However, water will not just flow into the pipe - an air and sometimes water (in the ascending sections) plug will form between the ice and the open end of the pipe.

In such cases, in short sections, a metal-plastic pipe with a diameter smaller than the pipeline itself is used, and if this is not possible, then an oxygen or other heat-resistant rubber hose.

And, for example, how to defrost a polypropylene pipe with many bends? There is a solution for this case too.

To do this, you will need an Esmarch mug (“bucket” enema), a hose similar to those used in water building levels and a piece of steel wire with a cross section of 2-4 mm of sufficient length.

The procedure for this is as follows:

1. Open access to the desired area pipes
2. The ends of the wire and tube that will move to the plug are fastened together parallel to each other. In this case, the tube should protrude forward at the junction by approximately 10 mm

1. So that defrosting metal-plastic pipes in this way does not cause damage to them (their inner layer quite gentle), it is better to round the wire at the end.
   The tube-wire pair moves to the plug location. After it becomes impossible to push them further, you can start pouring boiling water through the enema. In this case, at the open end of the pipe there must be a container for the “returning” working fluid.
2. The process will not be quick (at least several hours), especially if the frozen section of the pipe is of considerable length.
   Therefore, before defrosting polypropylene pipes, you should stock up on a sufficient amount of hot water for filling.

There are also tips on how to defrost a metal-plastic pipe using a homemade electric heater from a two-core cable, however, even under good circumstances, the process will be even more protracted. Therefore, it is better to turn to the “boiling water” classics. And the best thing is to think about this even when installing the system. And if trouble does happen, be sure to fix it by the next winter season.