Almost all homeowners have faced the annoying problem of freezing water in pipes. Naturally, for warm regions, this is not relevant.
But for places of residence with a harsh climate, certain actions have to be taken. Of course, they need to be insulated in advance so that the pipeline does not have to be heated. But, unfortunately, smart thoughts dawdle late.
There is some useful information to prevent and correct this problem.
Freezing point of water
Contrary to physical laws, which state that the hardening of any substance occurs below 0 degrees, the water in the pipe freezes at different temperatures.
In many ways, it depends on the material from which it is made, as well as the water supply. Freezing requires a stable minus temperature (5‒7 degrees) for several days or a sharp drop to -20 degrees.
What should be done to prevent the water supply from freezing?
First of all, you should decide on the type of pipes. If they are metal, then they should be replaced with plastic ones.
And the most correct decision is the purchase of reinforced thick-walled PVC pipes. They are not afraid of corrosion, they can withstand a pressure of 15 bar and a temperature of minus 35. There is no need to be afraid that they will crack in the cold.
Freezing can be prevented by proper piping. It is advisable to bury them deeply. The depth is influenced by the freezing of the soil and the type of land in the area of residence. For example, in the Moscow region, the freezing depth is 1.35 m.
Deep burial is good, but it is advisable to hedge. It is necessary to insulate the water supply system. It is better to make thermal insulation in a closed box, that is, from all sides.
In addition, there is a heating cable, which is laid during the wiring period or during pipe replacement. For example, there is a cheap resistive cable, but it has many disadvantages. It does not shorten, and in case of bending, it closes and quickly deteriorates.
There is a better quality cable - self-regulating. He has a high efficiency, heats only the desired area without additional sensors. The price is quite high.
What to do if the water supply freezes?
If the problem has already arisen, and there is no desire to make repairs, you will have to warm up the pipe. For metal and plastic products, these procedures are different.
Metal pipe:
- It is warmed up in the "old-fashioned" way - boiling water.
- Shock.
- The use of a building hair dryer.
- When the pipe is buried, a fire is made over it.
Plastic:
- Wrapped with rags and doused with hot water.
- Boiling water is poured into the water supply system.
- It is possible with a building hairdryer, but the procedure is lengthy, the plastic does not conduct heat well.
There are no other ways of warming up.
Non-freezing water supply
This topic requires special consideration. Many people care - is this a myth? There is no unequivocal answer to this question. If the pipe is laid above the ground, the water will freeze in case of frost anyway.
Non-freezing water supply is a complex structure made of concrete rings or the creation of a well with sediment. The methods are quite costly, but quite effective.
Our winters are harsh and can bring an unpleasant surprise in the form of frozen pipes. In this case, not only drinking water is lost, but also the ability to properly cook food, maintain cleanliness of the house and body. And this is a disaster for a person accustomed to comfort. In addition, if you have to dig out communications, it will take a lot of time and effort. In general, a frozen water supply system has serious consequences. This happens most often with metal pipes. Now they are being replaced by metal-plastic, which has established itself as a more frost-resistant material. But even such a water supply system can freeze at very low temperatures. Therefore, each owner should know what to do when the water in the pipes is frozen in a private house - the solution to the problem is in the article.
How to reheat into water in a pipe underground?
The best solution to the problem of frozen pipes is to properly install and use insulating materials. As they say, it's easier to avoid problems than to desperately solve them later. Therefore, dig trenches at a level that will not freeze even in the harshest of winters. But if you do not have this opportunity due to the peculiarities of the climate or soil, then be sure to use materials for thermal insulation and protection from moisture. Moreover, this is true for both metal and plastic.
The photo shows frozen water in a plastic pipe
And yet, what to do if water freezing in the pipe has already occurred? There are two options for icing the water supply system: inside the house (indoors) or outside (outdoors). The first is less common, but it is easier to fix the problem. The second case is more complicated, although fortunately, it is also not hopeless.
Anyway, there are some general tips:
- during defrosting, the water taps must be open so that the melt water can drain from the pipes. Its temperature is lower than usual, and this greatly increases the risk of re-freezing;
- The ice plug is easiest to identify by touch: the frozen area is much colder than the rest of the pipe;
- after the problem is fixed, it must be prevented from recurring. To do this, the open sections of the water pipe must be reliably insulated using special thermal insulation materials.
Nowadays, metal-plastic pipes are almost universally used, therefore, the methods below are primarily suitable for them.
Defrosting indoor water pipes
At first glance, the pipes in the house should not freeze. But in addition to residential premises, there are those that are not heated (attic or basement). This is where problems arise. It is easier to cope with the icing of pipes inside the room, due to more or less free access to them. Several tools at hand will help you to do this.
- Hot water. The pipe in the place of freezing is wrapped with a cloth, preferably in several layers: this helps to keep heat longer. Then it is watered with a constant stream of hot water. The larger and longer the ice plug, the longer the process. After the pipe is warmed up, it must be thoroughly wiped and insulated.
- Construction hot air gun. If there is no industrial hair dryer, and the cork turned out to be small, a household appliance may also work. But still, the construction hair dryer has a longer usage time, and the temperature range is higher. True, you cannot overdo it here: the air should not be too hot, otherwise the metal-plastic pipe may melt. PVC softens at a temperature of about 80 ° C, and already at 120 it begins to melt. Therefore, in an industrial device, the temperature is set to a minimum, optimally - 65 ° C.
- Electric heating. An electric heating wire is wound around the frozen section of the pipe, which is then connected to the network. Such a spiral should cover the entire frozen area; the tighter the coils fit, the faster the desired result appears. The defrosting time is proportional to the volume of the pipe and the length of the plug. This method can take up to 3 hours to fix the problem.
If the water in the pipeline is frozen underground: what to do?
It is much more difficult to rectify the situation when communications are frozen on the street, underground. If the trenches are shallow, then you can try to excavate them and warm the pipes using any of the methods described above. But this is still an extreme option. First, digging frozen ground is a dubious pleasure, especially if the weather hasn't improved. Secondly, it is difficult to find a problem area the first time, so pipes have to be dug out almost along the entire length.
And this not only takes time and effort, but can also exacerbate the situation when the temperature is very low outside. In addition, metal-plastic pipes can be corny damaged with a shovel.
How to heat water in a plastic pipe underground
- Hot water. In this case, the ice plug is warmed up from the inside. We disconnect the pipe and push the hose into it, all the way into the frozen water. A smaller pipe can be used instead of a hose. Then you need a container of hot water. By placing it near a heat source, you can maintain the desired temperature. Hot water is poured into the hose with a watering can or a pressure pump. In the process, the hose is pushed inward to defrost the entire plug. As soon as it is completely eliminated, water will flow. This usually happens with strong pressure. The advantage of this method is a quick result: preparation takes more time than rewarming.
- Electricity. You will need a rigid wire of two strands. We separate them and clean one end of the insulation. We turn the bare wire into a twist. Bend back the second core and repeat the same manipulations. As a result, the wire has two bare twists, a couple of centimeters apart. They should not be in contact with each other, otherwise you risk suffering from an electric shock. Therefore, the twists should be as strong as possible. After the wire is prepared, it is wound up to the stop inside the pipe and connected to the network. Different potentials at the ends heat up and gradually melt the ice. As with hot water, the wire must be gradually pushed inward. When using this method, you can be sure about communications, because only the contents of the pipe are heated, not its walls. Do not forget about additional safety measures: rubber gloves and boots. To avoid re-freezing of melt water, it is best to pump it out with a compressor or pump.
- Steam generator. This method, like those listed below, is not suitable for everyone: not every home has such devices. But they effectively help to cope with pipe icing. So, the steam generator hose is placed inside the pipe and steam is supplied under pressure. Its temperature is higher than that of boiling water, so the cork melts much faster. But due to a different state of aggregation, hot steam does not threaten pipe damage.
- Autoclave. It also helps to defrost the ice plug with steam. To do this, take a hose: put one end in the autoclave tube, and the other inside the tube. Then we heat the water, and as it boils, the steam heats up the water supply.
- Hydrodynamic machine. It is used in industry. An increased pressure is injected in the pipe, the ice breaks in a couple of minutes. The mechanism of operation is the same: we put a special hose as deep as possible into the pipe and leave the device to work until the plug is removed.
How to warm a water supply system from plastic pipes underground - Video.
Now you know exactly how to defrost a water pipe in a private house.
The water pipe can freeze for a variety of reasons. If the requirements of GOST were violated during the laying of the water supply system and the propylene pipes were laid at insufficient depth. Poor or lack of insulation. With a low water consumption or in the absence of residents, when the water consumption is zero, and there are abnormal frosts in the yard. Whatever the reason, the frozen water supply must be warmed up. The method of warming up will depend on whether the ice plug is located underground or in the house.
Search for a freezing point
Before you start defrosting the pipe, you need to find the area where the ice plug has formed. This can be done in two ways:
- visually inspect the pipe. When freezing, the water expands, and the ice plug can move the plastic plug. 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 way to visually inspect the pipeline. In this case, the tap is shut off and after it the nearest detachable connection is dismantled or the pipe is cut. Then a metal flexible cable is inserted into the pipe. By the length of the cable, you can calculate the distance to the freezing point.
The order of further actions to remove the ice plug will depend on where it is frozen.
Defrosting a water pipe with an electric current
You will need a copper wire with two conductors 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 it is possible to make several turns from the bare wire around the other. The cores must not touch each other to avoid a short circuit. A plug is connected at the opposite end of the wire.
Electric current wire
The wire is pushed into the water pipe until its ends abut against the ice plug and plug into the network. The heating process resembles that of a domestic boiler. The current flows through the water and heats it up. This method is safe for the pipe, only water is heated, so that the 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. Bubbles and a slight hum should appear. Never put your hands in the bucket to avoid 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 effective and fastest way to remove ice blockage. There is only one drawback - not every home has such a device. But if you have a steamer or autoclave, they can also be adapted for heating. When using them, the procedure is as follows:
You can use a steam generator to defrost the water supply
- Water is poured into one of the listed units.
- One end of the heat-resistant hose is connected to the autoclave fitting.
- Push the other end into the water pipe to the freezing point.
- We turn on the heating device and wait for the result.
- We monitor the water level in the autoclave.
Submersible pump and barrel to help
You will need a metal barrel, bucket, pump and hose.
Advice. Propylene pipes are connected with 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 available tools
This method is similar to the one we described above. But not everyone has an iron barrel with a pump and the opportunity to make a fire, but Esmarch's mug (popularly - an enema) is likely to be found in every home. So, for work you will need:
- enema;
- wire;
- a tube.
Scheme: defrosting a 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 tap on the Esmarch mug, which is pre-filled with hot water. Water enters the ice plug, and the melted water will pour out into the bucket provided. As the ice decreases, the wire is pushed further. It should be noted that this method will take a lot of patience and time.
External heating of a propylene water supply system
External heating of the water supply system is quite simple. This can be done in several ways. But first, they open the taps so that the melted water and ice can come out.
- Hot water... On top of the freezing area, any rags are wound around the pipe that absorb and retain water well. In order not to damage the pipe, the water temperature is raised gradually. Any container for collecting water is installed under the pipe. It will take more than one cycle of wringing out the rags and re-pouring hot water.
If you need to defrost a small area, you can use a hairdryer
- Hairdryer. A building hair dryer can be used as a heat source. This requires great care and skill in working with this power tool, since the propylene pipe can be melted inadvertently. 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 cover to trap warm air.
- Self-heating electrical cable, it is also used when arranging 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 up the propylene pipes - they will melt. Such methods can be used for frozen metal plumbing.
- Hydrodynamic machine. If all methods have been tested, but there is no result, call specialists. In a matter of minutes, they can eliminate the ice blockage with a hydrodynamic machine, the profile application of which is the cleaning of water supply and sewer pipes with water. The water equipment of the unit runs on diesel fuel, and the unit itself is powered from the mains. The machine creates a high pressure of hot water and is capable of breaking even harder materials than ice, therefore the use of such equipment requires qualifications 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 system in order to avoid such a nuisance in the future. Deformed areas will need to be replaced.
But while frost is bursting on the street, not all insulation methods can be applied, and it makes no sense to hammer the frozen ground. One effective action can be advised - even though it is a violation of safety rules: keep the tap 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 frozen water supply: video
Methods for defrosting the water supply: photo
The water supply system for apartment buildings, as a rule, is diverted from the main pipeline in the basements, and then divorced to apartments. Thus, small-diameter pipes are not exposed to open frost, and therefore, such pipelines rarely freeze.
In individual houses, the situation is somewhat more complicated: the water supply system is of a smaller diameter, it runs relatively shallow in the ground, and areas of open laying are also possible. That is why the water supply system in a private house freezes (well, due to frost, of course).
A frozen water supply means that it is impossible to use it, which is fraught with a number of domestic inconveniences. In addition, ice-bound pipes wear out faster. So, the water supply is frozen, what should I do?
There are several ways to thaw frozen water pipes. This will help restore the water supply to the home and eliminate the factor of increased wear and tear.
Hot water
If the pipeline freezes in open areas or in the basement, hot water can be used to remove ice. First of all, a rag is wound around the section of the pipe, where the presence of an ice plug is assumed. It will absorb water and prolong its contact with the pipe.
After that, we open the pipeline tap, and start pouring boiling water onto the rag. When water flows from the tap, it means that the ice has begun to thaw.
This method is suitable for open sections of pipelines. If the pipe is underground, this method will be ineffective as the water will cool down until it reaches the pipe directly.
This method should be practiced carefully with plastic pipes - some polymers are sensitive to high temperatures.
Construction or household hair dryer
If the water in the plumbing is frozen, you can warm it up with a hair dryer. It is recommended to build a small box over the area to be treated to restrict air movement (from a film, for example). This will help reduce heat loss and increase heating efficiency.
After that, the pipe is blown with hot air from a hair dryer from all possible sides.
The pipeline valve must also be opened to drain the thawed water. Separately, we advise you to use a hair dryer on the places of pipeline bends, connections and fittings, as fragments of ice may remain here.
Hot water spill inside the pipeline
For this task, a hose is used, which is pushed to the place of the ice block. Hot water is poured through the hose, which flows directly to the frozen area.
The tap, of course, also needs to be opened, otherwise there will be no water flow.
The method is good in that it can be applied regardless of where the blockage of the pipeline occurred - in an open or closed area.
Warming up with a welding transformer
Perhaps the easiest and fastest way. The positive contact of the transformer is connected to one end of the pipe, and the negative contact to the other. As a result, the pipe heats up and the ice plug melts.
Using a blowtorch
This method is only suitable for relatively thick metal pipes, with severe freezing. The frozen area is simply processed with a blowtorch until it warms up completely. Considering the presence of an open flame and the high power of the blowtorch, this method should be used extremely carefully.
Professional call
If your water supply is frozen, you can entrust the task of freeing it to specially trained people with professional equipment. But you have to pay for it.
Instructions
The possibility of heating a water supply system is largely due to the features of its design - in particular, the depth of the installation. It is easier to warm up the plumbing in the house, since its owner usually knows exactly where the pipes go and where they are most sensitive to frost.
As a rule, the water supply system freezes in open areas exposed to strong wind. This condition can be one of the keys to finding a section of water supply that needs to be warmed up. Usually, an ice plug forms first at the most problematic area: if it is melted in time, the water supply system can be restored. The more time elapses from the moment the water supply stops, the more the section of the pipe will freeze, and the more difficult it will be to resume the water supply.
Find an area where you think the plumbing may have frozen over. Clear this place of snow and make a fire on it. Be prepared to keep the fire going for more than one hour. The earth will warm up rather slowly, and the ice plug will melt just as slowly. The fact that your efforts are not in vain will be announced by the appearance of a thin stream of water from the tap. Open all the taps, let the water flow, this will help the ice plug melt.
In rural houses with an autonomous water supply, sections of the water supply system near a pump, well or well may freeze over. As a rule, for the convenience of prophylaxis - for example, to extract a submersible pump, part of the water supply system may not be covered with earth, but covered with light heat-insulating materials. In severe frost with wind, such protection may not be enough, and the pipe will freeze.
In this case, you will need one or two kettles of boiling water to warm up the water supply system. Remove thermal insulation to gain access to frozen pipes. Place rags under them - for example, bags, any old unnecessary clothes, etc. Then pour boiling water over the frozen pipes. After pouring out all the boiling water, wrap the pipes with wet hot rags, then cover with thermal insulation. As a rule, this procedure is sufficient to melt the ice in the pipes.
If a centrifugal pump installed next to the well is caught by frost, boiling water will also help you. Remove the thermal insulation, tuck rags under the pump, where possible. Then start the pump body with the impeller (but not the electric motor!), The outlet with the pipe section, and the pipe through which the water flows to the pump. These measures may be enough for the water supply system to work again.
To prevent the water supply from freezing in severe frosts, the water supply to the house must not be stopped for a long time. It is better to get up once again at night and turn on the water for a short time than in the morning with annoyance to find out that the water supply is frozen.