Defrosting the water supply system. What to do if tap water in a private home freezes. Heating using hot water

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. Direct a stream of warm air onto 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 with a hydrodynamic machine: due to the increased pressure that this machine generates, 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.

Many people like winter for its beauty, fluffy snow and a wide range of entertainment, but there are also those who suffer from this amazing time of year, for example, those with frozen water pipes. Is this a tragedy or a minor problem? Everything depends on you. If you couldn’t keep track of the correct installation of the network, then you will have to learn how to save it from the cold. So, how to defrost a HDPE pipe in the ground and return water to the house?

Causes of pipeline freezing

It has been wisely noted: it is better to prevent a problem than to solve it later. Therefore, if you are just conducting communications, and do not want to deprive your house of water with the onset of winter, frantically looking for tips on how to defrost a pipe in the ground, it is better to install the utility network wisely, taking into account the climate and relying on the advice of professionals.

So why do pipes in the ground freeze?

• errors in the design and/or installation of the network;
• shallow laying depth (the norm is below ground freezing, about 2 meters);
• ignoring climate data (you may not expect that winter temperatures in your area are so low);
• insufficient water flow (the pipeline does not like downtime; if it is used occasionally, the system can be ruined);
• lack of insulation or its poor quality.

Meanwhile, plastic pipes withstand frost better than their metal “brothers”

Determining the location of freezing

When faced with a problem, you will naturally look for information on how to defrost water in a pipe underground, but this is not enough - you still need to determine exactly where the structure is frozen in order to act precisely.

The underground location of communications does not allow for a visual inspection, so you will have to be content with the tactile method. What does it mean? The technology is simple: stop the water, remove any detachable connection (the main thing is that it is located after the tap with which you shut off the pipeline). Insert a plumbing cable into the hole (of course, you should choose the maximum length). As you insert it, measure the distance. When the cable hits the ice, you will know at what distance from the starting point the ice jam occurred. In principle, you don’t have to measure it, but simply attach the fragment of the cable that has passed into the structure to the ground, and thus calculate where the problem is.

Snow is a natural insulation that protects water pipes from freezing

Pipe heating technologies

So, how to defrost a plastic pipe underground? Homeowners accustomed to metal communications often pick up a welding machine. Alas, in the case of HDPE networks, it is not your help: plastic does not conduct current.

Breaking ice with steel wire is also an ineffective method. The best ally in such a situation is hot water. But there are a few more secrets on how to defrost a pipe underground. First things first.

The most effective technologies for heating plastic communications are internal; external heating of a frozen area is ineffective.

Hardware ice crushing

The easiest, but also the most expensive way is to crush the ice using a powerful jet of water, which is supplied from a special device called a hydrodynamic machine. This unit is special, capable of accelerating water to such a speed that it can cut not only ice, but also harder materials. It’s a good “device,” but expensive, and it shouldn’t be given into the hands of non-professionals. Meanwhile, if you are an expert in the field of heating pipes, why not?!

What does the process look like in practice? Take a hydrodynamic machine. A flexible hose is connected to the pressure pipe of the unit, which is inserted into the frozen pipe. The device turns on, and in a matter of seconds it breaks the plug. That's it, water supply has been restored.

If you don’t have such a machine, or you don’t know how to use it, you can always find a master who is ready to do a block of work for you, for a fee, of course.

This is what a miracle unit looks like - a steam generator that can restore the water supply to your home

Warming up with a steam generator

This is also a fairly effective method - a meter-long ice plug can melt in a minute. However, keep in mind: in addition to the apparatus, you will need buckets, rags and working hands. The fact is that while the hose is removed, the “cured” pipe will turn into a fountain. That is why it is important to do everything correctly and promptly.

Worth paying attention! If you do not have the opportunity to purchase a factory model of a steam generator, then you can get a so-called “pressure cooker” or an autoclave. They, too, can defeat the ice, naturally, with proper management of the “devices.”

How to use a steam generator? It's quite simple, remember:

• pour several liters of water into the container;
• connect the heat-resistant hose to the safety valve;
• insert the hose into the system until the ice forms;
• turn on the unit and wait for defrosting.

The wisest way to protect communications from frost is to lay the pipes deep enough and insulate the network

Method with a boiler

Why not turn ice into boiling water? Imagine, it's not difficult at all. The method is not only time-tested, but also budget-friendly.

For such heating you will need a wire (copper, two-core, with a cross-section of 0.5 mm). The length must correspond to the same pipe parameter. You also need the same amount of steel wire, but with a smaller diameter - 3 mm. You will also need tools, but simple ones - available in every home.

So, the copper wires should be stripped - about 60 mm (the second - 1 cm away from the cut), so that there is enough for several turns. Turns should be made on each wire separately - so that they do not touch, otherwise a fatal short circuit cannot be avoided. Now the wires need to be attached to the steel “brother” using insulating tape. Make sure that the structure does not shorten. Also tie the ends to steel wire so that they do not interfere with pushing the homemade “boiler” into the frozen pipe.

Place the finished structure into the system and connect to the network. After a certain period of time, the pipe will warm up and simply “spit out” the ice plug. When this happens, the boiler must be turned off and the pipe closed. After cleaning and restoring the connection, the pipeline will work like clockwork.

Imagine, an ordinary Esmarch mug can save pipes from freezing: here is the technology for heating the network

Using a pear

This option, although cheap, is quite labor-intensive. If you like challenges and like to experiment and test new technologies, then let's get started.

For the technique you need to stock up on the following materials:

• Esmarch's mug or the so-called “pear” (from any pharmacy);
• steel wire (length - depending on the situation in accordance with the length of the pipe, diameter - several millimeters);
• water level;
• insulating tape.

Worth paying attention! Can't find the right length of water level? Make a “device” yourself by purchasing two levels and extending the tube using improvised means, for example, a regular fountain pen.

So, the tube from the level should be attached to the wire using electrical tape. If you doubt the reliability of the tape, you can use a heat-shrink tube of suitable size. Then everything is simple: you fill the “pear” with hot water and use it to pour it into the system. The water flow rate may vary depending on how severely the pipe is frozen, as well as the diameter of the system itself. However, you should try to pour boiling water quickly, then the result will not take long to arrive. Yes, the process is labor-intensive, but it is less expensive (both in terms of strength and finances) than digging ditches and replacing the pipeline if it becomes completely unusable due to frost.

But the problem may lie in the distribution valve

Non-standard situations

If the cause of freezing pipes is improper design or installation of the system, then the situation may have to be resolved by other methods.

Let's look at the most common mistake - shallow laying of communications. If there is no snow and the frost is severe, you are guaranteed ice in the pipes. This situation (shallow laying of the network and lack of an insulating layer) is observed mainly in old estates, the owners of which are accustomed to winters that are snowier than now. Trouble, as a rule, happens to the section of the network from the distribution well to the residential building. Under such circumstances, work on heating communications should begin with a well - a unit that distributes water to several neighboring houses. Sometimes the problem lies in the lid - don’t be surprised, because the product is made of cast iron, so it does not protect the taps and pipes located in the well from frost. The frozen contents of the water distribution unit will have to be warmed up. Professionals recommend doing this using a blowtorch, of course, carefully - so as not to damage the rubber gaskets, otherwise the well will turn into a fountain. If you don’t have a blowtorch on your household, a hair dryer will do. Don't own either one or the other? Warm the unit with boiling water and then insulate it (with a vapor barrier and mineral wool).

Have a cozy winter

And don’t forget to show your neighbors how to defrost HDPE pipes in the ground, because they, too, have probably helped you out with advice more than once.

Video presentation of the steam generator operation

Since recently pipelines made of all kinds of polymer materials are increasingly being used for external and internal highways, the issue of defrosting plastic pipes is very relevant. This problem is a consequence of insufficient preventive measures to prevent them from freezing, which occurs quite often.

In this article we will look at several effective ways to defrost plastic water and sewer pipes.

Reasons for freezing

Before you familiarize yourself with all the options for defrosting a plastic water pipe or sewer, you should figure out why they freeze, since there is a high probability that the situation will repeat itself.

So, there are several reasons:

• Laying the external pipeline at the level of soil freezing - the depth of soil freezing is calculated using special zoning maps, however, in any case it must be at least 600 mm. However, it is better to lay the pipeline a little deeper, especially in regions where winter temperatures drop to extremes. This problem can also be solved by laying a heating cable and insulating the system.

• Incorrect calculation of thermal insulation or its absence can also cause freezing of internal and external pipelines. The problem can be eliminated in the same way as in the previous case.
• Incorrect pipeline diameter - this reason usually concerns external systems. In pursuit of savings, some homeowners use pipes with a diameter corresponding to the calculated minimum sufficient to supply water to the building. However, with small consumption, water stagnates, as a result of which it has time to freeze.

Therefore, experts recommend using water pipes with a diameter of at least 40-50 mm for external systems, since the increased diameter reduces the risk of freezing and the severity of its consequences. To prevent freezing, you should lay a heating cable, insulate the pipeline, or replace it with pipes of larger diameter.

In the photo - thermal insulation of pipes

• Insufficient thermal insulation of the pipe or its complete absence in the area where the pipeline passes through the outer wall (foundation). This problem can be eliminated only by laying heat-insulating material. In this case, most likely, you will need to widen the hole in the foundation.
• The connection of pipes to walls made of artificial stone, for example, on the ground floor or in the basement. In this case, you just need to lay heat-insulating material between the pipeline and the wall that caused the freezing.

Advice! Theoretically, a heating or hot water supply pipeline can be laid at a shallower depth than cold water. However, in practice, you should not count on the pipe itself to heat, since a temporary interruption in the water supply can lead to its freezing.

Accident options

The choice of method for defrosting a plastic sewer pipe or water supply depends on what type of accident occurred:

• A pipe has frozen in an external underground pipeline;
• Freezing occurred in an external open pipeline;
• Freezing has occurred in the internal pipeline;
• A pipe located in a hard-to-reach place, for example, mounted in a wall, is frozen.

In any of these cases, freezing may be accompanied by cracks in pipes or fittings.

Note! Polyethylene pipes are the most resistant to freezing, followed by metal-plastic layers, which also contain polyethylene. But polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride pipes do not tolerate frost well and can burst after the first freeze.

Solution

Repairing cracks

Before defrosting the pipe, you should inspect it for cracks. It is quite possible that defrosting plastic pipes will not be necessary. If the pipeline has cracks, then the damaged section simply needs to be cut out, and for this it is not necessary to melt the ice.

The cracked pipe is replaced with a new one of the same type, which is joined to the pipeline using.

Note! When defrosting, regardless of the method, the tap closest to the ice plug must be open. If the plug is removed mechanically, the tap should be removed altogether, but at the same time, after removing the plug, the pipe must be quickly shut off.

External defrost

If the internal pipes are frozen, for example, in the basement, you can defrost them yourself by heating them with some kind of heat source, for example, an electric heater, a hairdryer or an electric blanket.

It must be said that some craftsmen use open heat sources for these purposes, such as gas burners and blowtorches. However, it should be borne in mind that this method is unsafe, since carelessness can simply burn the pipeline.

Unfortunately, it will not be possible to use a special device for defrosting metal pipes, since it can only work with conductive materials. Naturally, polymers are not one of these.

Internal heating

If a traffic jam occurs in a closed section of the pipeline, for example, located in the ground or built into a wall, external heating is not suitable, since the price of such an event will be too high, not to mention the labor costs.

Therefore, the most affordable option is to melt the plug with hot water, which is poured into the system, from inside the building. However, water will not simply pass through the pipeline to the ice plug section, since most often it contains air and water plugs. In short sections, a solution to the problem can be a metal-plastic pipe of a smaller diameter or an oxygen-resistant heat-resistant hose that is inserted into the pipeline.

But how to defrost a metal-plastic pipe underground or another type of pipeline that has many bends? There is a solution for this case as well - you need to use an Esmarch mug, which is popularly called a bucket enema, as well as a hose, similar to those used in construction water levels, and steel wire with a cross-section of 2-3 mm, of a suitable length.

Instructions for performing this work are as follows:

• First of all, you need to open access to the frozen area; for this you will need to remove the tap.
• Next, the ends of the tube and wire must be fastened so that they move parallel through the system. The tube should protrude slightly forward, about 10 mm.
• Then the tube-wire pair should be advanced to the ice plug. When it becomes impossible to push the wire and tube further, you need to pour boiling water into it through an enema. In this case, under the open end of the pipe it is necessary to place a container into which the water will return.

Keep in mind that this process is not quick and can take several hours, especially if the frozen area is long. Therefore, before you defrost a plastic water pipe underground, you should stock up on a sufficient amount of water.

It must be said that there is another way to defrost plastic pipes - this is to use a homemade heater made of a two-core cable. However, we will not consider this method, since even under the best circumstances, this process will take much longer than defrosting with hot water.

Advice! To prevent this operation from damaging the inner layer of the system, which is quite delicate, it is advisable to round the end of the wire.

These are, perhaps, all the most effective ways to defrost pipes. Having eliminated this problem, you must make sure that it does not happen again next season.

Conclusion

Defrosting a frozen sewer or water pipe can be quite a difficult and troublesome task. Therefore, it is much easier to prevent this problem at the pipeline installation stage. However, if such a situation does occur, you need to act according to the scheme described above.

You can get more information on this topic from the video in this article.

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

If serious violations were made when laying the pipeline to the house during the preparation for winter operation, you will sooner or later be faced with the problem of freezing and, as a result, the need to become familiar with how to defrost a water pipe.

Causes of water freezing in pipelines

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

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

To avoid all the violations listed above, you should ensure in advance that when laying the pipeline, the following conditions must be met:

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

Defrosting methods

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

• While heating the pipes, you need to keep the valve open so that the thawed water can flow freely from the pipeline.
• It is not advisable to start defrosting the water supply from its middle part.
• The generally accepted heating procedure is from the valve tap towards the riser. When working with sewer pipes, the heating order is reversed (from the riser to the valve).

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

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

• regular blowtorch (gas torch);
• professional construction hair dryer;
• a device that operates on the principle of electric heating (a coil from an old stove, for example).

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

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

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

How to defrost a plastic pipe

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

But if an ice plug forms in the plastic, none of the methods of external influence we have listed are applicable to them. Indeed, the use of open fire to heat a plastic pipe will cause its destruction, and the use of external thermal heating (a hair dryer, for example) is, as a rule, ineffective due to the poor thermal conductivity of the material.

All electrical methods of heating such pipes are also absolutely useless, since all types of plastic simply do not conduct electricity. By mechanically influencing the ice jam (by inserting a steel rod inside the pipe), it may be possible to break through a small plug, but this poses a risk of damaging the walls of the plastic pipe.

From all that has been said, it follows that the only real way to defrost a plastic pipe is to pour hot water inside the channel. Let us immediately note that this technique is quite effective, but its use is only advisable on small-diameter pipes.

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

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

Use of metal-plastic pipes

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

After this, you can start pouring hot water into it, trying to maintain the temperature at a high level.

After some time, the thawed water will begin to flow out of the gap formed at the junction of the pipes; so an arbitrary container for collecting waste water should be installed in this place. As the jam melts, the metal-plastic tube will be pushed deeper into the freeze, until the ice jam is completely removed.

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

For a similar situation, there is another way to defrost the pipeline - using an Esmarch mug. When implementing this method, as a rule, the following manipulations are carried out:

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

The described method of defrosting a pipeline is quite effective, but it will require some time investment from you. In one full hour of work, you can clear an area of ​​no more than 0.8-1.0 meters from ice.

Almost every private house has drainage and sewer pipes through which water and wastewater are supplied and discharged. Since this system is the property of the residents, in the event of any breakdowns or problems, they often have to deal with everything themselves. One of the most pressing and unpleasant situations that we have to deal with is the freezing of water in pipes in winter. It is very important to be able to defrost pipes correctly so that the ice does not break them during melting, compromising the integrity of the entire water supply system.

Peculiarities

For water supply in a private home, both metal and plastic pipes can be used, but some and others are not protected from freezing in winter if the installation process was carried out incorrectly. The main reason that water freezes in a pipe underground in cold weather is insufficient deepening of the water supply system. If the installation technology is carried out correctly, then the entire system is located at a level where frost does not reach.

Due to the fact that the main pipelines have a large diameter, even in winter they do not freeze, because water moves through them all the time. Home systems are installed using pipes with a diameter of 20 mm or more - 32 mm. It is important to deepen such thin elements well so that frost does not reach them, but this is not always possible, so you need to know what means you can use to insulate pipes to protect them from the cold.

If all the recommendations have been followed, but the water still freezes, then in this case it is necessary to keep the system turned on all the time so that water always flows through the pipes at least in a thin stream. This is quite expensive, considering the cost of water, but you will not need to waste time, effort and money on defrosting the entire system.

In order to avoid having to carry out heating work on water pipes every year, it is important to prevent all possible problems at the stage of laying the entire network.

During installation, it is important to follow these rules:

• The depth of the trench should be greater than the level of soil freezing, which is typical for this region. There are relevant SNiP standards that will help you design a water supply system correctly.
• When choosing a location for pipes, it is important not to lay them next to reinforced concrete products, because their thermal conductivity is greater than that of the soil.
• If the installation is carried out under the foundation, then the pipes are insulated from reinforced concrete using a large layer of thermal insulation, which works best with mineral wool.
• When planning a water supply system underground and on its surface, it is best to use pipes with a diameter of 50 mm, because thinner products freeze much faster.
• When choosing a material for pipes, you should give preference to polymer products that can increase the size by several millimeters, which saves them from cracking during freezing and freezing.
• To ensure a calm winter, you should lay a heating cable near the pipes, which will maintain the optimal temperature and prevent the system from freezing.
• If the house is used only in the summer and is empty in the winter, then it is important to drain all the water from the system so that there is nothing in the pipes during frosts. This will protect them from freezing.

What will you need?

If a pipe that supplies water or discharges wastewater is frozen in a private house, you must first determine the location of the blockage in order to eliminate it and not aggravate the situation. The simplest search option would be to use an iron cable, which is inserted into the water supply, which was previously shut off and immediately untwisted under the tap at the junction of the structure. It is important to choose the longest cable, because the problem area may be either at the beginning of the system or at its end.

Once the plug has been discovered, you can excavate the affected area of ​​the pipeline and take all necessary measures for defrosting. If the structure is old and the pipes are metal, then the easiest way to heat the water inside is with current, for which a welding machine is used. But this method is no longer suitable for a HDPE pipeline. For them, the use of external means brings little results; a different approach needs to be taken.

The most effective, but expensive, would be to use a hydrodynamic machine, which can deliver a stream of water at such a speed that ice and some other substances melt from such an impact. Only a professional can work with the device, because it is important to know the technology and follow the work algorithm. If you need to quickly eliminate the problem, but do not have the necessary skills and equipment, you can simply call a specialist who can easily do everything necessary to restore the water supply.

Another method of heating a pipe involves a steam generator, the operation of which looks like this:

• pour 2-3 liters of water into the container;
• connect the heat-resistant hose to the place where the safety valve is located;
• insert the hose into the pipe to the place where the plug has formed;
• turn on the device and wait for the result.

The work must be carried out only in the correct sequence and it is better to have assistants with you, because after removing the hose from the pipe where the ice was, a fountain will simply flow. This water must be collected in buckets, which must be prepared in advance. You can prepare more rags.

If you don’t have a steam generator, it doesn’t matter; a boiler will do for defrosting the pipes. To use this option, you need to prepare a wire; it must be copper, two-core and have a cross-section of 0.5 mm, and its length must be equal to the pipe. In addition, you also need steel wire, the diameter of which is 3 mm. Copper wires are stripped to 60 cm, and the second wire to 1 cm from the cut. Separate turns are made on each wire so that there is no contact, otherwise a short circuit will occur.

Copper wires are screwed to steel wires with electrical tape and the whole thing is immersed in the pipe. In this simple way you can build a homemade boiler. It must be connected to the network to warm up the pipe, which will push out the plug from the heat. Once the problem is solved, the boiler is turned off and pulled out, and the pipe is closed. When the system starts again, everything works as it should.

Defrosting of pipes can be done using a welding inverter. This is a wire that connects to the pipe where there is icing and heats it up. It is important to work with the device correctly and not overheat it by giving different voltages. After just ten minutes of such exposure, the ice turns into liquid and the plug dissolves.

Heating water pipes in case of ice blockage is one of the most effective options. For an iron pipe, the method of external influence is suitable, and for a plastic pipe - internal. The means by which it is convenient to deal with icing can be anything, and everyone chooses what they like and can afford, the main thing is that there is a result, but it is best not to lead to such situations by correctly laying the water supply and insulating it well.

How to warm it up?

In order to warm up a metal-plastic water pipe in which water has frozen, Several techniques can be used, including:

• Exposure to hot water, for which the structure is wrapped with foam rubber or rags and very hot water, almost boiling water, is poured inside. This option is quite simple, but it is effective for pipes inside the house. In the case of underground ice jams, this method can break through the barrier for up to ten hours.
• Using hot air, for which you need to have a hair dryer or heating device. The icing area can be heated by any of the devices for two or more hours, it all depends on the degree of freezing of the water inside. Doing such work is not difficult, but it is important to carry out all activities carefully, because high temperatures can cause the pipes to become deformed, which will further aggravate the problem. The effectiveness of this method is not very high, because with large energy and heat losses, the real result does not come soon.

• Heating using thermal conductivity. It consists of winding pipes with cable, which is used in a heated floor system. When everything is ready, the resulting structure is connected to electricity and begins to heat the pipe itself. The work process lasts approximately three hours and allows you to prepare only those pipes that are above ground and in the house. Wires for heated floors are quite expensive, so buying them in order to defrost the system once is unprofitable due to their high cost.
• The process of heating the pipes inside can solve the problem quite effectively. To work, it is important to have access to the problem area in order to pour hot water into it using a special device that forces liquid under high pressure, but you can also use a device that looks like a boiler. The work proceeds slowly, the problem is completely resolved in at least three days. It is prohibited to use this option for those sections where the pipes run vertically. The system must be in a horizontal position to ensure functionality.

If you have to deal with plastic pipes, then you can deal with defrosting them yourself, the main thing is to know what exactly needs to be done. For those pipelines that are located underground and the system is a network of turns and various bends, then all the previously listed options will not be able to help. The best option in this case would be a welding machine, which needs to be connected to different ends of the pipes and turned on. If you don't have the right equipment, you can just use hot water.

To make an effective means for defrosting pipes, you need:

• find a rigid hose or small-diameter plastic pipe;
• place the hose or pipe in the water supply and move until it hits the ice;
• pour hot water or brine;
• for the water that will form from the ice plug, you need to place a container;
• As soon as the problem area is completely eliminated, you need to turn on the hot water in the tap and thoroughly clean the system.

If metal-plastic structures have been laid, then to defrost them you need to do a number of actions:

1. To find the problem area, simply probe all the pipes. The freezing point will be much colder than the rest of the surface.
2. The icing area is covered with rags and all water taps are opened. It is necessary to ensure that there is a supply of hot water.
3. The pipe surface is treated gradually; cold water is used immediately, so hot water is used. This is important in order not to damage the structure with a sudden temperature rise.
4. The melted water will begin to come out of the pipes through the taps that were opened earlier.

If there is no desire to carry out such operations annually, or even several times during the winter, it is worth quickly organizing insulation of the area, which is especially susceptible to freezing.

In cases where water freezing occurs in areas inaccessible to humans, for example, under a foundation, then You can deal with problematic situations using a number of measures:

1. You need to purchase a barrel, a pump and a hose with oxygen. You need to fill the barrel with hot water, the temperature of which will constantly rise.
2. Insert the hose into the pipe and push until it hits the ice.
3. You need to open the tap and connect it to a hose that goes into the barrel. If you don’t have one, you can use a simple bucket.
4. The pump starts, with the help of which hot water is supplied to the pipes to defrost the ice. From time to time the pump must be turned off to drain the accumulated water.
5. As soon as the problem goes away, the hose must be removed and the water in the pipeline drained.

If the problem concerns the sewer system, then you can deal with it if you know how. Typically, sewer pipes do not freeze because the water used is usually warmer, but in very severe frosts this is possible.

To combat ice plugs in the sewer, you can:

1. Light a fire in the place where the collector is located. This option will be effective if the pipes are not far from the surface. The flame must be maintained for as long as possible in order to be able to heat the ground, and with it the sewer.
2. Using table salt. A homemade, but very effective method is to place a large amount of a solution of concentrated table salt into the sewer pipes, which will not freeze even in severe frost, and the salt will begin to dissolve it upon contact with ice.
3. You can use an electric cable, which is inserted through the toilet or inspection hatch until icing occurs. Once the device is installed, turn it on to the network.
4. You can use the inspection hatch of the septic tank, where a hose for watering garden plants is inserted through the outlet. It needs to be advanced to the place where ice is expected to be present, and then hot water from the water supply must be poured inside. The process must be continued until the ice is completely gone.

In the event of severe frosts in winter and freezing of water in pipes, you need to know how to cope with the situation. First of all, it is important to understand what material the pipes you are working with are made of, how deep they are laid and a number of other nuances, after which it will be much easier to choose the right option for dealing with ice plugs.

If problems with pipes are discovered in a private house, namely their freezing in winter, then you need to know some secrets in order to prevent such phenomena or skillfully deal with them.

To prevent such phenomena, you should:

• Install water supply and sewerage pipes lower than the frost, and this is at least a depth of 120-140 cm. In case of problems with such a deepening, the pipes are carefully insulated.
• By using pipes that are large enough in diameter, you can avoid their rapid freezing. The optimal size would be 50 mm.
• To avoid stagnation of water in the system when arranging it, it is worthwhile to provide an angle of inclination so that it flows faster into the source.
• When laying pipes, you should stay away from beams and foundations, the thermal conductivity of which is higher than that of the ground, which poses a danger to the pipes. If possible, it is worth making good insulation if there is reinforced concrete nearby.
• If the water supply is located in a non-residential area where there is no heating, then it is important to additionally insulate it, for which you can use mineral wool, glass wool and foam.
• Living in regions with very harsh winters, when installing a water supply system, it is better to lay a cable nearby that will heat the pipes. Its advantage is that it itself determines the moment when it needs to turn on and off, but there are also manual models.
• When choosing a pipe, you should give preference to polyethylene rather than polypropylene, because they withstand the process of freezing and defrosting of ice well.

There are a number of other tips that will help protect the system from freezing or deal with it more effectively:

• To protect the pipeline from freezing, it is worth studying the temperature regime of the region and lowering the structure a meter below the level where frost usually falls. This will allow you to forget about any problems with water in cold weather.
• If pipes freeze where the ground intersects with open space, then a regular hair dryer can help, and in particularly difficult cases, a construction hair dryer.
• If problems with pipes arise every year, then you should set the goal of redoing the system rather than constantly struggling with the consequences.
• When the freezing is very serious or difficult to solve on your own, it is best to call a professional who can remove the ice blockage without any problems.
• If you manage to deal with ice on your own, but at the same time you have to constantly clean the system by running water, it can be collected in special containers and then used for household needs.

For those who still use metal water or sewer pipes, ice plugs can be dealt with using terminals that are attached to the problem area, after which a current begins to flow, which heats up the pipe and the ice inside begins to melt. If freezing occurs in the pipe leading directly from the toilet, then one of the options may be to heat the water directly in the plumbing, for which you will need a heating element or a boiler. Metal pipes are also heated using a blowtorch, for which you need to make a trench at the location of the sewerage system and heat the pipe with the lamp, going from bottom to top. The work is carried out from the side of the cesspool or septic tank, if there is one, to allow the unhindered release of water after melting.