What to do if the water in the tap freezes. What to do if tap water froze in a private house Water in the plumbing froze what to do

Plastic pipes have become a very common material in recent years. To date, they are used both for laying pipelines in apartments, and for arranging risers and long highways.

Plastic pipes owe their popularity to a considerable number of advantages, among which it is worth noting:

• Good visual qualities;
• Complete resistance to corrosion;
• Simple and fairly quick installation;
• Conductivity of electric current.

Despite good performance, plastic pipes can freeze just like any other. A pipeline that has stopped its work due to frost is always a serious problem that needs to be addressed promptly. This article will discuss how to warm water in a plastic pipe.

Causes of pipes freezing

The main reason for the freezing of water pipes located in the ground is the too small depth of the pipeline. When installing pipes on the street, it is necessary to calculate the depth of their occurrence so that they are below the freezing level of the soil. If this condition is not met, then the pipes will freeze annually.

An exception to this rule is any large-diameter main water supply: in such systems, the movement of water is constant, so it cannot freeze. However, such pipes are usually used for laying industrial routes, and in private construction, pipes with a diameter of 20 to 32 mm are used, which must be laid at a greater depth.

In some cases, installation of pipes at a sufficient depth is not possible. To avoid freezing, you will have to use active or passive insulation, which will protect the system from exposure to low temperatures.

If the pipeline freezes with noticeable regularity, then to prevent this factor, it is worth leaving the system running even at night. A very important nuance is that the pressure increase in the system is inversely proportional to the probability of its freezing. The desire to save money, for the sake of which the pressure in the system is deliberately reduced, can also lead to its freezing, so you should avoid such situations.

Methods for heating pipes

If the water in the plastic pipe is frozen, there are several ways to warm it up:

1. Heating with hot water. To warm the pipes in this way, they must first be wrapped with a material like foam rubber or rags. After that, the pipes should be regularly watered with water heated to a state of boiling water. This method of heating pipes is very simple, but it can only be implemented in a building - plastic pipes located underground will have to be heated for at least ten hours.
2. Heating with hot air. To warm the pipes with hot air, you need a building hair dryer or some good heater. It will take from 2 to 10 hours to warm up the pipe, and there are some risks: firstly, uncontrolled heating can lead to softening and deformation of the pipes, and secondly, the efficiency of such heating is too low due to the large dissipation of thermal energy. See also: "".
3. Heating by conduction. The pipe is wrapped with cables that are used in underfloor heating. The cables are connected to power and begin to warm the pipe, which can take about three hours. This method of heating does not allow pipes laid underground to be brought into working condition. In addition, heating cables are quite expensive, so buying them for a one-time use is unprofitable.
4. Warming from the inside. Heating the pipe from the inside allows you to completely melt the ice plug formed in the pipe. The main requirement for this method is good access to the pipe so that hot water can be poured there. The water supply is carried out either under pressure, or using devices similar to a boiler. It takes a lot of time for such heating of pipes (up to three days), and there is a limitation - internal heating is suitable only for horizontal sections of the pipeline.

Do-it-yourself heating of plastic pipes

If the pipe to be heated is underground, and the pipeline itself has turns or a bend, then the methods of heating the structure described above will not help. In this case, it will not be possible to break through the ice plug with the help of a wire, because the length of the frozen pipe section is unknown.

One of the methods suitable for solving such a problem is a folk remedy: the welding machine is connected to the two ends of the pipe and started. There is another effective way to heat pipes, which is to supply hot water directly to the area where it cannot get on its own.

The sequence of actions required to heat the pipe with hot water is as follows:

• First you need to take a high-rigidity hose or a metal-plastic pipe with a smaller diameter;
• The hose or pipe is pushed into the frozen pipeline until it hits resistance in the form of an ice plug;
• Hot water or strong brine is poured into the pipe;
• Melting water will gradually flow out of the pipe, so you need to take care of the container in which it will be collected in advance;
• When the ice plug resolves, it is necessary to run running hot water in order to completely eliminate the effects of freezing.

Heating of metal-plastic pipes

Before you warm up a plastic pipe, you need to study well the algorithm for performing this work, which includes several stages:

1. The first step is to localize the frozen part of the pipeline. To do this, you need to carefully examine the pipes located right next to the house. As a rule, the problem area is tactile - it is usually much colder to the touch than the functioning part of the pipe.
2. After the localization of the ice plug, the pipe is wrapped with a rag. Next, you need to open all the taps of the water supply, having a supply of hot water with you. If not, you can melt the snow.
3. The pipe is poured with water in two stages: first it is cold, and after it - hot. A gradual increase in water temperature is necessary so that the pipe is not damaged due to sudden temperature changes.
4. Water that has changed from solid to liquid will exit through open taps.

So that the defrosted pipe does not freeze in the future, it is better to immediately take measures to insulate it - then in the future you will not have to think about how to warm the pipe with water.

If the water is frozen in plastic pipes located under a layer of soil or foundation, then to warm them up you will need a barrel, a pump and an oxygen hose, with which you need to carry out the following steps:

1. The barrel is filled with hot water, the temperature of which is constantly rising.
2. The hose is inserted into the pipeline exactly until it hits the ice crust.
3. The tap opens and connects to the hose, which must be brought into the barrel. If the barrel itself or the possibility of installing it near the tap is not available, then an ordinary bucket will do.
4. The pump starts, after which the water heated in the barrel is pumped into the plastic pipeline. The hose must be constantly pushed inside the pipe so that it defrosts all the ice in the system. The pump periodically turns off to drain excess water.
5. When the blockage has resolved, the hose is removed and the water is drained from the pipeline.

Heating a plastic pipe can be done in other ways. For example, a hydrodynamic machine can always be used for these purposes. Her hose is launched into the pipe, after which the device starts. The ice in this case will break with the help of pressure.

A safer option for plastic pipes is a steam generator, which eliminates ice by turning it into a gaseous state. A pressure gauge and a valve designed for a pressure of 3 atm are attached to the thick-walled pipe of the device. When working with a steam generator, you must strictly follow the instructions in order to avoid possible troubles.

Conclusion

Questions like “a pipe froze underground - what to do?” quite common among owners of private houses. Solving the problem with a frozen pipeline is not so difficult, but the task itself is quite troublesome and time-consuming. It would be much better to design the pipeline in advance so that the water in it does not freeze even in the coldest times.

A water pipe can freeze for a variety of reasons. If the requirements of GOST were violated during the laying of the water supply and propylene pipes were laid at an insufficient depth. Poor or no insulation. With a small flow of water or in the absence of residents, when the water flow is zero, and there are abnormal frosts in the yard. Whatever the reason, a frozen plumbing needs to be warmed up. The method of heating will depend on where the ice block originated: underground or in the house.

Finding a place of freezing

Before you start defrosting the pipe, you need to find the area where the ice plug has formed. You can do this in two ways:

• visually inspect the pipe. When freezing, the water expands, and the ice plug can push the plastic one. Externally, there will be a visible thickening on the pipe;

First of all, it is necessary to determine the location of the ice plug.

• the second method is used if there is no possibility to visually inspect the pipeline. In this case, the valve is closed and after it the nearest detachable connection is dismantled or the pipe is cut. Then a metal flexible cable is inserted into the pipe. According to the length of the cable, you can calculate the distance to the freezing point.

The procedure for further actions to eliminate the ice plug will depend on exactly where it froze.

Defrosting the water supply with electric current

You will need a copper wire having two cores with a cross section of 2.5 mm. The veins are separated and bred to the sides. Then the end of one core is exposed in such a way that several turns of the bare wire can be made around the other. The cores must not touch each other to avoid a short circuit. At the opposite end of the wire, connect the plug.

Wire for electric current

The wire is pushed into the water pipe until its ends rest against the ice plug and the plug is plugged into the network. The heating process resembles the operation of a household boiler. The current passes through the water and heats it. This method is safe for the pipe, only water is heated, so that melting of the propylene water pipe is excluded.

Advice. Before pushing the boiler into the pipe, you should test the device. Dip the end of the bare wire into a bucket of water and plug in the plug. Bubbles and a slight buzz should appear. In no case do not put your hands into the bucket, so as not to get an electric shock.

We use a steam generator

A steam generator is a special machine that regenerates steam and supplies it under pressure. The fitting is inserted into the water pipe and hot steam melts the ice plug. This is the most efficient and fastest way to clear an ice block. There is only one drawback - not every home has such a device. But if you have a double boiler or autoclave, they can also be adapted for heating. When using them, the procedure is as follows:

To defrost the water supply, you can use a steam generator

1. Pour water into one of the listed units.
2. One end of the heat-resistant hose is connected to the autoclave fitting.
3. We push the second end into the water pipe to the freezing point.
4. We turn on the device for heating and wait for the result.
5. We monitor the water level in the autoclave.

Submersible pump and barrel to help

You will need a metal barrel, a bucket, a pump and a hose.

Advice. Propylene pipes are connected by fittings that do not narrow the inner diameter of the pipe at the joints, so the process of removing the ice plug is greatly simplified in comparison with pipes made of other materials.

Internal defrosting from improvised means

This method is similar to the one we described above. But not everyone will have an iron barrel with a pump and the ability to make a fire, but Esmarch's mug (popularly an enema) will surely be found in every home. So, for work you will need:

• enema;
• wire;
• a tube.

Scheme: defrosting the water supply using Esmarch's mug

The tube with the wire is connected with electrical tape so that the end of the wire is shorter than the end of the tube. Push the tube all the way into the ice. Open the faucet on Esmarch's mug, which is pre-filled with hot water. Water enters the ice plug, and melted water will pour out into the substituted bucket. As the ice decreases, the wire is pushed further. It should be noted that this method will require considerable patience and time.

External heating of propylene water supply

External heating of the water supply system is implemented quite simply. This can be done in several ways. But first, the taps are opened so that the melted water and ice can come out.

• hot water. Over the freezing area, any rag is wound on the pipe, which absorbs and retains water well. In order not to damage the pipe, the water temperature is increased gradually. Under the pipe, any container is installed to collect water. It will take more than one cycle of wringing out the rags and re-dousing with hot water.

If you need to defrost a small area, you can use a hair dryer

• Hairdryer. A building hair dryer can be used as a heat source. It requires great care and skill in working with this power tool, since a propylene pipe can be melted by negligence. Fan heaters and other electric heaters are used, but this method is not effective enough, since a large amount of heat generated is wasted. For a very small area of ​​freezing, a regular hair dryer will do. Additionally, build a small casing to trap warm air.
• self-heating electrical cable, it is also used in the arrangement of a warm floor. The cable is wrapped around the pipe and connected to the network.

Advice. Do not use a blowtorch, wax candles or a fire to heat propylene pipes - they will melt. Such methods can be used for frozen metal plumbing.

• hydrodynamic machine. If all the methods have been tested, but there is no result, call the experts. In a matter of minutes, they can eliminate the ice jam with a hydrodynamic machine, the main application of which is the cleaning of water and sewer pipes with water. The water equipment of the unit runs on diesel fuel, and the unit itself is powered by the network. The machine creates a high pressure of hot water and is able to break even harder materials than ice, so the use of such equipment requires skill and knowledge of safety.

Measures to prevent freezing of the pipeline

At the first opportunity, when warm weather sets in, it is necessary to take measures to insulate the water supply in order to avoid such a nuisance in the future. Deformed sections will need to be replaced.

But while frost is cracking on the street, not all methods of isolation can be applied, and it makes no sense to peck the frozen ground. One effective action that can be advised - although this is a violation of safety rules: keep the faucet ajar so that the water flows in a small thin stream, and then the moving water stream will not allow ice to form.

How to warm up a frozen water pipe: video

Water supply defrosting methods: photo

The lack of water in the water supply 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 is very low outside, and the rules were violated when laying the water supply. You can try to fix the problem yourself, but it requires considerable effort. Consider the answer to the question: water froze in a pipe underground - what to do in this situation?

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

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

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

Cork Search

Before deciding how to warm up a frozen water supply, first of all, you should find the place where an ice plug forms in the pipe. Most often they are formed at the joints of the elements, but sometimes the structure freezes along the entire length. Search methods:

1. Visual inspection of the outer pipes. Due to the fact that water increases in volume when it freezes, ice plugs lead to the expansion of plastic elements. In addition, these areas feel colder to the touch than the rest.
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 there is an obstacle in the way of its progress, the traffic jam is detected. To determine its location, you should measure the length of the included 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 whether it needs to be heated from the inside of the water supply system.

External pipe heating

If the water in the pipe is frozen, how to warm it 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 heating, be sure to open the taps so that the melted liquid can freely exit. 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 temperature of the water should be increased gradually so that the structure does not crack.

1. Wrap fabric 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. Spray the area with hot water for a few minutes.
4. Periodically wring out the fabric and repeat the steps until the water supply is restored.

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 an 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 longer 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 accelerate 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. With a building hair dryer, you can safely defrost metal pipes. Plastic structures with inaccurate use, it can damage.

Heating cable

To heat a plastic pipe, you will need an electric cable that is used when installing a “warm floor” or a special cable for heating pipes. Action algorithm:

1. Wrap the pipe section 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.

Note: Metal structures can be heated 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. For propylene and other plastic pipes, such methods are not suitable.

Internal heating of pipes

Consider what to do when water froze in a pipe 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 missing, you should disassemble or cut out part of the structure, after blocking 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. Pour water into the reservoir.
2. Connect a heat-resistant hose with a small diameter 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 flow of melt water.
4. Turn on the steam generator. Wait until the ice begins to defrost. This usually takes 5-15 minutes. The amount of water in the steam generator tank must be monitored.

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 must be connected to the fitting of the appliance.

Homemade boiler

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

Action algorithm:

1. Take a copper wire with two insulated cores (section - 2.5-3 mm).
2. Separate the wires and spread apart.
3. Remove the winding from one wire. Bend the second core in the opposite direction along the wire.
4. Tightly wrap the "bare" part 3-5 times around the fold. Cut off the rest.
5. Retreat from the turns of 2-3 mm. Strip the end of the bent wire. Wind it around the insulated wire 3-5 times. Trim off the excess. The turns 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 until it stops.
8. Plug in the plug. Under the influence of heat, the ice should begin to melt.
9. As the cork decreases, the "boiler" should be moved deeper.

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

Hot water

The essence of this method is reduced to the impact on the ice in the pipe with hot water. For its "delivery" 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 up a frozen pipe underground when the plug is far from home, and the system has turns and bends. Required:

• building 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 hydro level to Esmarch's circle.
3. Push the device into the water supply as far as it will go.
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. In this case, defrosted water will pour out of the hole in the pipe.

This method of heating requires 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 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 should be such that there is a gap for the melt water to exit the pipe. It can be reused for heating.

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

Prevention

Freezing 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 to restore the patency of the pipe, which has external access. If the structure is in the ground, then certain devices will be required. In difficult cases, it is better to turn to the help of specialists who have a powerful apparatus for breaking ice - a hydrodynamic machine.

If the water in the house froze - what to do?

Sections of the article:

Problems with freezing plumbing in a private house are not uncommon. Most often this is caused by various errors made during the installation of pipes. So, for example, pipes can easily freeze under drywall if they are attached close to the outer wall of the house and are not insulated enough. In this case, it will be necessary to insulate the water supply or heat it all the time with a special heating cable.

However, in order to prevent such problems with the operation of the water supply system in winter, it is required not to make mistakes during its installation. If, nevertheless, trouble happened and the water in the house froze, then you can warm it up in various ways and devices.

If the water in the house froze - what to do?

Frozen water in the pipes can damage the plumbing, especially if it is metal. In most cases, the plumbing freezes at the entrance to the house, as a rule, due to insufficient insulation of the pipes. In this case, boiling water is used to freeze the pipes, after which they are subjected to additional insulation.

Warm pipes with boiling water should be carefully. It is not recommended to pour hot water directly onto the pipe. Before that, you should wrap it with a piece of dense fabric. This procedure is very long, so the best option here is to connect the hose to the hot water supply.

When defrosting the water supply, you can use various other available methods, as well as devices. Warm the pipes, possibly with a construction or, in extreme cases, a household hair dryer.

To reduce heat loss at the same time, in that section of the pipe that requires defrosting, something like a box should be built. The materials for its manufacture can be cardboard, polyethylene, etc. In the same way, it will turn out to warm the pipes if you use the most common incandescent lamp installed for some time in the assembled box.

In general, as you can see, there are plenty of ways to heat the water supply, and all of them, as a rule, work only indoors. If the pipes are frozen underground, then, alas, it will not work to warm them up with either a lamp or a hair dryer.

To melt the ice in the pipes, deep underground, you have to try hard. In some cases, this is completely impossible, or you will have to dig a pit in order to get to a frozen water supply.

Whatever it was, but there are proven ways to defrost pipes underground. For their implementation, you need to use a welding machine or a hose with hot water.

In both cases, it will not be possible to quickly warm the pipes. For example, in the case of using a hose and hot water, the hose will have to be gradually pushed into the pipe. After a while, hot water will melt the ice, and the plumbing will warm it up.

However, this method is ideal when the ice plug is not so far from the draw-off point. With its own considerable remoteness, you can try to warm the pipes with current.

If water does not enter your house, and the sewage system does not fulfill its direct “duties”, and this happened when the thermometer dropped below the “-30” mark, most likely you fell victim to severe frosts. Most likely, an ice plug has formed somewhere in the pipeline section, which should be eliminated. And now we will tell you how to do it right.

One of the biggest troubles that can happen when wintering in a private house is the lack of water. We are not talking about those cases when it is turned off due to non-payment or for preventive purposes, but about those when “yesterday it was in the tap, but today it is not.” If your home has undergone a sudden “blockade” in the cold, it means that the pipes have frozen and they need to be urgently “reanimated”. Usually, for this it is better to use the services of professionals or wait for warming, but if you need to live in the house right now, you can try to defrost it on your own.

Why does water freeze in pipes?

An unpleasant surprise in the form of a sewer or water pipe tightly clogged with ice can await you in the following cases:

• if they are laid underground at a shallow depth. External wiring of water and waste channels must pass below the freezing point. Otherwise, do not be surprised when at -30-35ºC the liquid stops circulating;

• pipes are not insulated or the tightness of the insulation is broken;

• if an appropriate slope for sewerage is not made at the rate of 20 mm for every 1 m running. With careless laying, drains clog passages and freeze with the onset of cold weather;

• insufficient diameter of pipes of both types in particular below 110 mm. In narrow channels, the liquid flows more slowly, becomes viscous and crystallizes;

• leaks and cracks in pipes arising from temperature fluctuations or due to the use of low-quality materials. At first, a few drops ooze through the crack, which freeze in the cold. Gradually, the "ice plug" expands and clogs or even breaks thin metal and plastic walls;

• mistakes when using a septic tank. When a small amount of water is discharged into the sewer in winter, both its remainder in the channels and part of the septic tank may freeze. Suppose you have the following “composition” installed: a 10-15 m long channel with a revision well, a septic tank made up of several reinforced concrete rings and a filtering well has been removed from the building. If the septic tank is not deep enough (for example, it is at a depth of 1 m), then at first the drain into it, and then the “waste” inside, may freeze, blocking the outlet into the filter well. As a result, the flushing of water in the room will not work.

ON A NOTE! Most often, the cold "attacks" metal and plastic elements of pipes at the joints, as well as where the nozzles come to the surface.

The water in the pipe froze ... but where?

The liquid may freeze in one or more zones, or along the entire length of the structures you have at your disposal. It is quite possible to determine the scale of the disaster "by eye", without special equipment. What to pay attention to first of all:

• gently tap on the pipe - where the ice has formed, the sound will be deaf, not sonorous;

• remember that most often water stagnates in joints and fittings. Take apart a few of these problem areas and check them for hard, frozen clumps;

• check for strong drafts in areas where utilities are on the surface. A strong wind, combined with frost, can freeze a sluggish substance in a few hours;

• if, as a result of inspection and warming up of the outer parts, the water did not flow, then the worst thing happened - the pipeline was caught in the soil with ice. If this happens, immediately proceed to "revive" it.

Options for warming up communications

Depending on the severity of the disaster, the material of manufacture of plumbing and plumbing, the nature of their laying, and the required speed of "resuscitation", there are several ways to warm up the pipes.

1. Quick and daring methods

If the matter is urgent, you can use express methods of heating.

• Use boiling water. This option is chosen in cases where the water stagnation zone is precisely defined and it is small. Wrap an open frozen "compartment" of the pipe with a rag or rag and pour hot water over them. Turn on the faucet - this will speed up the melting of the ice, and the moistened rags will retain heat for a while and allow the plastic or metal to thaw. At the end of defrosting, “pack” the problem part in a heater to avoid re-freezing.

Advantages method: instant effect, minimal costs, suitable for pipes of any material.

disadvantages: not suitable for underground and hidden parts in walls.

• Apply a building hair dryer. You can use any powerful device that generates a stream of warm air. To a greater extent, this technique is suitable for heating small areas, but you can simultaneously "process" fittings, turns and valves. It is better to carry out blowing with an open tap - this way you will speed up the defrosting. Blow the area from all sides, and then "wrap" it with a piece of old fabric or a blanket and tie it to the surface of the pipe to avoid heat loss.

pros this method: “dry and work for half an hour”, the use of improvised equipment, the ability to melt any area.

Minuses: the plastic case can be overheated and melted, it is impossible to heat communications in the ground and in the wall (in the latter case, you can try to use a heat gun, if there is one on the farm).

• Use a gas burner or blowtorch. This is the most radical action that allows you to quickly raise the temperature in the channel. Point the flame at the problem areas and move it evenly from all sides until they thaw in the planned place. Why is it effective: instant result, ease of execution. Why is it ineffective: fit only for metal pipes in open spaces. Doing this indoors is dangerous, it can cause a fire!

2. We act carefully and tastefully

This group of life hacks is distinguished by a more gentle approach to plumbing and sewerage. However, all of them have also proven to be effective.

• Run hot water through the pipe. If the center of sub-zero temperature is not defined or it “hid” at a depth, the easiest way is to let hot water through the system using a pump. Standard garden hoses will not work for this, it is better to purchase hoses for supplying oxygen or used to connect to gas cylinders. If it is frozen somewhere near the sink or toilet drain, pour a solution of hot table salt into it at the rate of 1 kg of salt per 10 liters of water.

• On straight lines just insert the hose into the outlet and organize the supply of warm water. For curved parts, you need to make the design more complicated. On the already mentioned elastic hose, fasten a strong wire with a curved tip. The wire will help break the ice block and push through the pieces of ice. Push them all the way (to the "mini-iceberg"), and then start dispensing hot water. You can also use the pump or Esmarch's mug. The final contraption is a type of medical enema that allows the use of water heated to 40°C. In fact, you are "washing" your communications. Do not forget to install a bucket to collect the resulting liquid. Advantages method: only water and simple tools are needed, an environmentally friendly and safe way, even for polypropylene pipes. disadvantages: it will take about 1-1.5 hours to walk one meter of a frozen area, and up to 5-8 liters of boiling water will be needed to melt a 5-10 cm ice layer.

• Experience the hydrodynamic machine. This device is often brought with them by professionals from the relevant services for cleaning blockages and as a preventive measure. Compact but powerful hydraulic units inject liquid under high pressure into the pipeline and clean it. For operation, it is enough to connect the unit to a source of water and electricity and follow the instructions. Why is it profitable: reliable cleaning not only from ice, but also blockages, the procedure does not take much time, and one person can handle the device. Why is it expensive: high cost of equipment, dependence on electricity and water supply, as well as the likelihood of damage to pipes by high pressure.

• Build a fire over a frozen network underground. This solution is suitable when you have neither water nor electricity, but you need to warm up the pipes located at a depth of 1-1.5 m in the ground. Maintain the flame for several hours (you will also warm yourself at the same time), then hide the coals under the "hut" of slate and leave for 6-8 hours. In addition, by warming up the soil, you can dig out the area and determine what is wrong with the system - maybe the pipes have burst at all. positive: smooth heating of the earth and the elements laid in it without affecting the collectors themselves. negative: you should accurately determine the freezing area, you will have to maintain the flame for a very long time and wait for the results.

Do not forget ! Any work with open fire is dangerous! You do them at your own risk!

3. The situation is heating up - electricity comes to the rescue

Very often, electricity is used to thaw pipes. Advanced site owners do this using the following techniques.

• Heating with a step-down transformer. Take a copper wire, remove the insulation from it and wind it around a piece of frozen pipe. First remove the thermal insulation (if any) and paint residues from the pipe. Bring the ends of the wire to the secondary winding of the welding transformer and fasten to them ( the device must be turned off!). Set the unit to the minimum running current. By turning it on, you will melt any ice within a couple of hours, since the high current and low voltage will gradually warm up the case and eliminate ice “congestion”. Advantages: point action on the frozen element and simplicity. disadvantages: you need access to communications, you can only work with metal pipes, and you must have experience with electrical devices.

• Bare wires for plastic casings. Take a two-core cable with 2.5 mm cross-section (for example, an installation power cable), strip the outer insulation at a length of 8-10 cm and separate one core from the other. Bend the “blue” core for the time being, strip it to half and twist it in a spiral so that the core does not unwind (as shown in the figure below).

Strip the “red” core almost completely, bend it back and wrap its tip of the cable, grabbing the insulation of the “blue” core. Pass the tip wrapped with wires through the pipe to the first plug, and power the other end from the mains. A discharge will pass through the two resulting windings, which will heat the ice and melt it. As this happens, “drive” the wire, move it forward to the next “checkpoint”, and pump out the melt water with a pump. pros: only ice melts, water supply and sewerage elements, wires do not heat up, so the method can be applied to plastic materials. Minuses: you should carefully handle the "homemade" so as not to get an electric shock and operate the cables only on plastic pipes with similar fittings, taps and locks.

How to prevent pipes from freezing

• And yet, it is better to ensure that your communications have enough heat and take care of the safety of drains and water supply parts in advance. You will have to carry out a set of preventive measures and take care of some of them even at the stage of construction and laying of the main systems.

• Lay pipes to a depth of at least 1.5-2 m and accurately determine the freezing points of the soil on the site in order to lay communications below these values. Remember that in Belarus frosts at -30°C can last for almost a week and this is also vitally important to take into account during construction.

• Use pipe insulation. The wiring protected from the cold does not freeze and does not burst. Mineral wool, polystyrene foam, basalt compositions, foamed polyethylene, etc. can be purchased as heaters.

• Install additional protection along the entire length of plumbing fixtures in the basement or basement. Concrete cools faster than the ground, so the communications are hidden in a casing of a larger diameter, and the voids are sealed with mounting foam.

• Use cable to insulate pipelines. This measure has two indisputable advantages: the system can lie shallow and the heating will be adjustable. The cable is wrapped around the pipe, and the level of its activity is controlled by sensors that respond to the ambient temperature. The only drawback of this type of insulation is the increased consumption of electricity.

• Lay larger diameter pipes made of polyethylene. They remain elastic, do not tear due to the constant formation of ice, and a strong flow of water prevents them from freezing.

• For the waste subsystem, apply chemicals and reagents that prevent it from freezing. They usually come in the form of a liquid or granules. However, before buying, read the recommendations for use, as not all substances are suitable for plastic elements, for example.

Periodic freezing of water supply or sewerage is a phenomenon that any owner of a private house faces sooner or later. It is much easier to prevent it at the construction stage than to fight the ice later. However, with our advice, you can return your home "arteries" to their former mobility and be able to enjoy all the benefits of civilization. The main thing - be careful, and best of all - entrust the work to professionals.

Text: Vladimir Marchenko

Used photos from sites: abclocal.go.com, flickr.com, obustroeno.com, propertycasualty360.com, septikvdome.ru, teploizolyaciya-info.ru, tesisatturkiye.com, uniontool.ru