How to unfreeze underground frozen pipes...

Xcellor · 10-01-2010 01:35AM #1

I can't believe that there is no way to do this apart from wait for a thaw. Is there anyway to send something hot along the pipe. Something flexible that would bend in the direction that the pipe takes. So far I have tried.

1) Lots of boiling water - No good. The heat just disappears within seconds and doesn't penetrate far enough.

2) Hot blowers. - No good too much area and with no idea where the block is its a waste of time

3) Sending pressure from hot water down cold water pipe - The pressure of hot water is not enough

4) Sending pressure from cold water against the block from the opposite direction - No good either.

So I was thinking about putting something into the actual pipe. I'm sick of having no water!!

X

cork1 · 10-01-2010 02:55AM

just be careful not to melt the pipe!

2 stroke · 10-01-2010 03:15AM

Why not try a temporary bypass?

kaizer13 · 10-01-2010 03:20AM

Concentrate your 'hot water and /or blower over the pipe' treatment only to the sections of pipe that are above ground level or those sections that are no more than about 15 centimetres in the ground. Have a tap left open as you do this and start work on the sections of pipe nearest to that tap and work your way along the exposed parts of pipe in a direction away from the tap. Dont try to thaw too much pipe in one go, do a small section then wrap cloths or towel around it immediately to keep that piece thawed whilst you move on to the next section. Good luck.

P.S. Even in these conditions, it is not very likely that the pipe underground will be frozen, concentrate on the exposed sections.

steamengine · 10-01-2010 12:42PM

Xcellor wrote: »

I can't believe that there is no way to do this apart from wait for a thaw. Is there anyway to send something hot along the pipe. Something flexible that would bend in the direction that the pipe takes. So far I have tried.

1) Lots of boiling water - No good. The heat just disappears within seconds and doesn't penetrate far enough.

2) Hot blowers. - No good too much area and with no idea where the block is its a waste of time

3) Sending pressure from hot water down cold water pipe - The pressure of hot water is not enough

4) Sending pressure from cold water against the block from the opposite direction - No good either.

So I was thinking about putting something into the actual pipe. I'm sick of having no water!!

X

Yes you are correct IMO. But as usual simple in theory - difficult in practise. Between `DIY` and `LIFEHACKING` forums 2 or 3 posters have solved this problem in areas where their neighbours are without water.

Briefly involved applying heat to the stopcock, stuffing the hole with attic insulation and running lenght's of insulation - eg Kingspan - along the lenght of the pipe. The insulation seems to be effective because it stops the cold descending into the ground and lets the heat below the surface conduct back up. I don't have the data but I'll guess that 2ft down the temperature is just above above zero.

Also by keeping a lot of heat on the house, the walls start to absorb and emit heat and so this should be transferred to any cold water pipes in the house and entering the house.

There are pipe tracing elements which are used in industry, sort of electrical cable which runs along the lenght of pipes. They provide a low heat to prevent freezing and that is as close as i can get to answering you. Electrical forum would be a good place to ask.

SIX PACK · 26-12-2010 12:54PM

I know this is an old thread but im having the same problems myself

@ least the freezing tempertures are gone, So hopefully this warmer weather is here to stay & the next time its over -6 + il be leaving a tap trickling just to keep the water in motion,
Id reckon everyone will have water back within next 48hrs.Great thaw outside thank god

neeb · 26-12-2010 07:16PM

Xcellor wrote: »

3) Sending pressure from hot water down cold water pipe - The pressure of hot water is not enough

The heat of the hot or ideally warm water will dissolve the ice if you continue to do this, let the water run and do it again. Might take a while depending on the amount of ice involved.

How to unfreeze underground frozen pipes...

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