How to defrost a plastic pipe - several effective methods

Since recently, pipelines made of various polymeric materials have been increasingly used for external and internal highways, the issue of defrosting plastic pipes is highly relevant. This problem is a consequence of insufficient preventive measures to prevent their freezing, which is quite common.

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

Causes of freezing

Before you get acquainted with all the options for how to defrost a plastic water pipe or sewage system, you should understand the reasons for which they freeze, as it is likely that the situation will happen again.

So, there are several reasons:

• Laying of 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 in winter the temperature drops to extreme levels. This problem can also be solved by laying the heating cable and insulating the system.

• Incorrect calculation of thermal insulation or lack thereof may also cause freezing of internal and external pipelines.. The problem can be eliminated in the same way as in the previous case.
• Incorrectly made piping diameter - this reason usually applies to outdoor systems. In pursuit of savings, some homeowners use pipes with a diameter corresponding to the design minimum sufficient to supply the building with water. However, water at a small consumption stagnates, as a result of which has time to freeze.

Therefore, experts recommend the use of 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, lay a heating cable, insulate the pipeline or replace it with larger diameter pipes.

• Insufficient thermal insulation of the pipe or its complete absence in the area of ​​passage of the pipeline through the outer wall (foundation). Eliminate a similar problem can only be laying insulating material. In this case, most likely, you will need to expand the hole in the foundation.
• Fit pipes to walls made of artificial stone, for example, on the basement or in the basement. In this case, you just need to lay the insulating material between the pipeline and the wall that caused the freeze.

Tip! Theoretically, a heating or hot water pipeline can be laid at a shallower depth than sewage or cold water. However, in practice, it is not necessary to count on the fact that the pipe itself will be warm, since a temporary cessation of the water supply may lead to its freezing.

Accident options

The choice of method to defrost a plastic sewer pipe or plumbing depends on what type of accident occurred:

• The pipe was frozen in an external underground pipeline;
• Freezing occurred in an outdoor open piping;
• There was a freezing in the internal pipeline;
• Frozen pipe located in a remote place, for example, mounted in a wall.

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

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

Solution to the problem

Crack elimination

Before you defrost the pipe, you should inspect it for cracks. It is possible that defrosting plastic pipes will not be needed. If the pipeline has cracks, then the damaged area should just be cut, and for this, it is not necessary to melt the ice.

The cracked pipe is replaced with a new one, which is joined to the pipeline with sewer fittings.

Note! When performing defrosting, regardless of the method, the valve closest to the ice block must be open. If the removal of the plug will be performed mechanically, the tap should be removed altogether, but at the same time, after the plug has been removed, the pipe must be quickly shut off.

Outdoor defrosting

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

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

Unfortunately, it is impossible to use a special device for defrosting metal pipes, since it can only work with conductive materials. Naturally, polymers are not among those.

Internal heating

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

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

But how to defrost a metal pipe under the ground or another type of pipeline that has many bends? There is a solution in this case - it is necessary to use the Esmarkh mug, which is popularly called bucket enema, as well as a hose, similar to those used in construction water levels and steel wire with a section of 2-3 mm, of suitable length.

Instructions for the implementation of this work is as follows:

• First of all, you need to open access to the frozen area, for this you need to remove the valve.
• Next, the ends of the tube and wire must be held together so that they move along the system in parallel. The tube at the same time should protrude slightly forward, about 10 mm.
• Then a pair of "tube-wire" should be advanced to the ice block. When it becomes impossible to push the wire with the tube further, boiling water should be poured into it through the enema. At the same time, under the open end of the pipe it is necessary to substitute a container to which the water will return.

Keep in mind that this process is not fast and can last for several hours, especially if the frozen section has a significant length. Therefore, before you defrost the plastic plumbing pipe under the ground, you should stock up with enough water.

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

Tip! To prevent this operation from damaging the inner layer of the system, which is quite gentle, it is desirable to round off the end of the wire.

Here, perhaps, all the most effective ways to defrost pipes. Having eliminated this trouble, be sure to take care that it does not happen again in the next season.

Conclusion

Defrosting a frozen sewer or water pipe can be a rather daunting and troublesome task. Therefore, it is much easier to prevent this problem during the installation of the pipeline. However, if a similar situation nevertheless occurred, it is necessary to act according to the scheme described above.

From the video in this article, you can get more information on this topic.