How to defrost a sewer in a private house. How to warm up a sewer pipe underground with your own hands

Freezing of sewer pipes in winter is a common problem in private homes. A dense ice plug forms on the structure, which prevents wastewater from leaving; in the process, it begins to stagnate in the system and makes the life of the home owner unbearable. In order to avoid the problem of freezing pipes, it is necessary to properly design, lay and, most importantly, insulate the system. Insulation of the system should be done in summer or spring.

The main reasons for system freezing are:

• when laying the structure, the depth of soil freezing was incorrectly calculated;
• lack of insulation;
• small pipe diameter;
• partial blockage of the system, which does not allow free flow of waste;
• lack of central heating in the house.

To prevent problems with water supply and sewerage, you can follow these recommendations:

• lay pipes below the ground freezing level;
• if the drain is constantly used, it is necessary to thermally insulate the system before laying it in the soil;
• When laying the system, avoid counter slopes, because they contribute to the formation of clogging;
• When laying the system in a pipe, you can lay a heating cable, in which case you will not have to defrost the structure.

The problem of defrosting sewer pipes can be solved in winter without any particular difficulties, but nuances may arise that will require major changes. If your home's water supply freezes, water can be delivered, but it may be difficult to resolve the sewer problem. The video shows how to defrost a sewer pipe in a private house.

Methods for defrosting water pipes

Using boiling water. To do this, you need to organize a supply of hot water to the ice plug. The hose is pulled to the side as the ice melts. It is better not to use a soft hose, otherwise it may become twisted and not reach the freezing point.

Using a boiler. This method is ideal for cast iron structures, but it is not recommended for plastic, because... the product may melt. The boiler is fixed on a rigid wire and carried to the frozen place through the nearest revision. The boiler should only be turned on after immersion in water; as it heats up, the ice will begin to melt. This method has one drawback: if the boiler cord is short, you may not be able to reach the problem area. Melting the plug can take a long time; if after the water has left the boiler heats up, this will cause the insulation to melt and a short circuit in the system will occur.

Using a heating cable. This method is the most effective and safe, because... The cable is sealed and allows you to melt the ice without deforming the water supply and plastic pipes.

Using a fire. To eliminate the problem, it is necessary to light a fire in the problem area of ​​the system. This method is only effective for shallow pipe laying. The only downside is that you have to keep the fire going until the ice melts.

Use of chemistry. To eliminate the problem, chemicals are used that are poured directly into the sewer pipe. As soon as the liquid enters the system, the process of its dissolution occurs due to which a large amount of heat is released and the ice begins to gradually melt.

All these methods can be done both in a private house and in a multi-storey one.

Attracting specialists

If your attempts have not been able to solve the problem of a frozen water supply in a private home, you can contact specialists. Many companies offer their services and perform work of any complexity through the use of modern special equipment. You can remove ice plugs in the following ways:

External method. To carry out the work, it is necessary to dig a trench and get to the sewer system, which is frozen. In winter, the ground is hard and this will complicate the work a little, but if the measurements reveal that the size of the plug and ice is small, get to work. As soon as plastic pipes become available, it is necessary to use an electric heater with a temperature of at least 100 degrees. While the water supply is heated, it is better to cover it with heat-insulating material to avoid heat loss. The video shows the technology of how to melt ice in the water supply of a private house.

Internal method. You can melt ice in water supply and sewer plastic pipes using a reverse heating element. To do this you will need:

• fix the Y-shaped heating element on a board with rounded corners;
• the bend of the heating element should protrude slightly beyond the boundaries of the board;
• the remaining parts of the product should not protrude beyond its limits, this is necessary to avoid direct contact with the plastic pipe;
• we attach the wire to the contacts of the heating element, and fix a piece of metal-plastic pipe to the board, this is necessary to weight and push the structure;
• the entire structure is carefully inserted into the pipe from the side of the drain receiver, because if you place it at the top, the water will not be able to drain;
• The heating element is turned on only after being entered into the system.

The video shows how to perform all the steps correctly.

There are several important rules that allow you to understand how and what to do:

• it is strictly forbidden to sharply heat the problem area from the middle;
• for unimpeded outflow of melt water, it is necessary to open the water tap;
• Ice removal must be done from the supply valve towards the common riser;
• Cast iron pipes are heated from bottom to top, moving from the riser.

As you can see, there are many ways to defrost a sewer pipe in a house without damaging the main structure.

Autonomous engineering systems, such as sewerage, provide owners of private houses with a certain degree of freedom and provide the necessary level of comfort. At the same time, you need to understand that all problems that arise that relate to these communications will have to be resolved independently. As you know, winters in our country are quite severe, which places additional requirements on the installation of almost all engineering systems.

Still, with the onset of cold weather, one of the most asked questions of private home owners is: “How to defrost a sewer pipe?” In this article we will reveal the main reasons for freezing pipes and tell you how to get rid of this problem yourself.

	The main reasons for freezing sewer pipes.
	Effective methods for defrosting sewer systems.

Causes of freezing sewer pipes

In order for the external wastewater drainage system to be effective and work regardless of the outside temperature, it is necessary to take the installation process seriously. In this case, it is necessary to take into account all technical requirements taking into account the climatic characteristics of a particular area.

The main culprit for freezing is the owner himself or the contractor company that laid the pipes. In most cases, the sewer freezes for the following reasons:

• If they are laid above the soil freezing level. This is the main reason for freezing of drains in our country.
• Lack of thermal insulation. It must be remembered that even if installation is carried out below the soil freezing level, insulation should be used.
• A slight slope of the pipes towards the cesspool or septic tank. In this case, wastewater can stagnate and freeze in severe frosts.
• Another reason for sewer freezing is the formation of blockages. If wastewater constantly accumulates in one area of ​​the system and there is severe frost, it will certainly freeze.

All this emphasizes the importance of following installation technologies. To avoid such problems, it is necessary to lay pipes below the freezing level of the soil with the required slope, and also do not skimp on the purchase of thermal insulation.

What do you need to know before you start defrosting pipes?

To defrost a sewer pipe, you can use several very effective methods. But the choice of method depends on the following factors:

1. What material is the pipeline made of?
2. The size of the formed plug.
3. How far is the ice jam from home?

Nowadays, plastic and metal pipes are used to create sewer systems. As for the last option, it is extremely rare, since polymer products are actively being pushed out of the market due to their low price and high quality. However, if the sewer system consists of metal elements, then the possibility of external heating opens up, even with the help of an open fire. As for plastic analogues, if such an aggressive method is used, they will simply fail.

Before talking about specific defrosting techniques, it is necessary to accurately determine the location of the ice plug in your system. This is quite simple to do; for this you will need a standard sewer cable. Initially, it is launched from the side of the house through the toilet, which allows you to determine the distance to the frozen water. If the cable is not long enough, it needs to be run from the side of the septic tank. These steps will allow you to determine the exact location of the problem.

In the case of complex geometry of the sewer pipeline, freezing can form at turns and joints, which subsequently leads to a violation of the integrity of the entire system. Such breakdowns can be repaired independently or with the help of specialists; to do this, it is necessary to replace the damaged elements.

How to defrost a sewer pipe? Effective methods

If you are faced with a problem such as freezing water in the pipes of the sewer system, you should use the following techniques:

1. Using boiling water.

This is the simplest and in most cases effective way to deal with ice jams. This raises a completely logical question - how to properly defrost a drain pipe without flooding the house with its contents? To do this, you need to insert the hose from the side of the well and slowly push it to the place of freezing as the ice melts, while adding hot water.

If you only have a soft garden hose, it is recommended to attach a steel wire with a diameter of 4-5 mm to it. This will prevent the hose from curling.

1. Boiler.

To defrost sewer pipes, you can use a household boiler. Important! This method is only possible for cast iron pipes, since the plastic can, at a minimum, melt from high temperatures. The essence of the technique is to attach the device to the wire and launch it through the inspection closest to the plug. You can turn it on only after immersion in water.

Disadvantages of the method:

• First of all, you need to understand that for a boiler this is a one-way road. It is unlikely that you will have the desire to use the device for its intended purpose after diving.
• The cord length is limited, which may limit its use. It is not possible to use extension cords to avoid causing a short circuit.
• It takes a lot of time to fix the problem.

1. Heating cable.

As you know, heating cables are often used as a method of preventing pipes from freezing. It is placed in a box together with the installation of pipes. But if you did not use it when arranging the sewer system, it can be used to remove ice plugs. Due to its complete tightness, it can be passed to the problem area. Gradually it will heat the water and melt the cork.

The main disadvantage of this option is a large loss of time, since the cable power is low. This does not require supervision on your part. The owner can go about his business and not worry about potential problems.

1. Open fire (Bonfire).

If your sewer system consists of plastic pipes laid at shallow depths, you can use a fire. To do this, you need to determine the exact location of the plug and build a fire over it. It is necessary to maintain the combustion process for a long time, since it will take at least several hours to warm the soil to a depth of half a meter.

1. Use of chemistry.

How to properly defrost plastic pipes using household chemicals and special reagents:

• The first method involves pouring concentrated sulfuric acid into the pipe. Reaction with water in the pipe will release a lot of heat.

• Another option is to use a solution of table salt in hot water. This is an effective method of dealing with ice jams. It is also worth noting that the saline solution turns into a solid phase at very low temperatures. Accordingly, there is no need to worry that the plug will increase even after cooling.

As a result, we can say that there are quite a lot of answers to the question of how to defrost a sewer pipe. The methods presented above will allow you to cope with the problem as quickly as possible and with minimal discomfort.

The work of the sewerage system is invisible as long as everything goes as expected. The design and installation of a sewer system is accompanied by taking into account many factors, including operation in conditions of low temperatures. However, a situation cannot be ruled out when the sewer freezes in the ground (a certain section of the pipe freezes). Under normal conditions this should not happen, but installation errors may appear in winter.

By the way, when trying to understand at what temperature the sewage system freezes, you should take into account not only the location of the pipes, but also the material from which they are made (the thermal conductivity of plastic and cast iron is very different), the diameter of the pipe, the slope angle, i.e. the action of many factors in combination.

Why does the sewer freeze?

Reasons for freezing sewer pipes:

• incorrect design of the angle of inclination of the sewer pipeline. Water is not able to move by gravity and stagnates in the pipes, which leads to freezing in the winter;

• insufficient burial depth. According to SNiP, the septic tank is installed at a depth of at least 2 meters from the soil level, the pipe system is located below the freezing point characteristic of the region. But a situation is possible when you are simply too lazy to dig a trench for laying pipes deep (or there is no possibility) or frosts exceed the average and the soil freezes deeper;

• lack of insulation. Sewage pipes laid above the freezing point of the soil require insulation. The place where pipes exit the room must also be insulated. However, in practice, such a requirement is either ignored, or an unsuitable thermal insulation material is used, or its installation is carried out incorrectly;

• small pipe diameter. If we consider consumer reviews, then most often those who have laid pipes with a diameter less than the recommended 110 mm are faced with the problem of sewerage freezing. Owners of summer cottages and houses that are used seasonally are especially often guilty of this. Due to insufficient diameter, the sewer pipe freezes faster;

• blockages. They happen due to large objects getting into the system or insufficient water flow, which causes plaque to form in the pipes.

Causes of septic tank freezing:

• The drainage from the septic tank is broken. In this case, the septic tank overflows, heavy fractions settle, and the water freezes;

• the septic tank is removed from the source of wastewater. Then the water, moving to the waste pit, cools, which leads to its freezing at the junction of the pipe and the septic tank.

Many users who do the work themselves do not even think about whether the sewer system is freezing. After all, the very principle of operation of a septic tank is that it is a container for storing wastewater with actively occurring decomposition processes. Since heat is released during the decomposition of solid residues, freezing is practically excluded. In addition, according to standards, the septic tank is installed at a considerable depth.

However, no one is insured against force majeure, and it is better for the owner of a country house to know in advance what to do if the sewage system is frozen.

How and how to defrost a sewer in a private house

There are different ways and means to warm up a frozen sewer (than to melt the ice in a pipe). All methods can be combined into two large groups:

• thermal method. Provides for the organization of heat supply to the freezing point. The work is progressing slowly, but there is no risk of causing damage to the pipeline system. This method is most suitable at home, when special means are not at hand, and calling specialists is impossible or too expensive;

• chemical method. Currently, chemical defrosting is rarely practiced. Firstly, because not every chemical can cope with icing. Secondly, because this is a costly method. And thirdly, because many users prefer local sewers, i.e. systems that are capable of performing partial wastewater treatment.

One of the components of local systems is the presence of biological treatment, and chemistry can negatively affect the life of bacteria. However, its simplest variety - steep saline solution - is still used, according to reviews.

A more technologically advanced option is to use a drug like Mellerud. The components of Mellerud pipe cleaner react with water to produce heat.

Note. You should carefully use a chemical method to defrost plastic sewer pipes. Because Severe overheating can cause them to deform.

Defrosting the sewer - the procedure for performing the work

If a problem arises and the sewer system in a private house is frozen, you must first determine the location of the ice jam. Craftsmen note the importance of following the order of work, and it is better to start from the place where the water exits the septic tank. This order of work is due to the fact that the sewer pipe system is designed with the obligatory condition of ensuring unhindered flow of water. This means that all pipes, incl. The drain pipe is located at a slope to the exit point.

Ice plugs must be melted so that the water can drain naturally. Otherwise (when performing work outside), you need to be prepared for the drains to flow in the opposite direction, which will necessitate pumping them out. This convincingly proves that work should begin in the direction from the septic tank to the internal pipes.

But there are exceptions to this rule. Ultimately, the order of work will be determined by factors such as:

• the location where the ice plug forms. If the water is frozen in the inside of the sewer (unheated house), then it will be much easier to defrost;

• cork sizes. Perhaps the size of the ice plug will be only a few centimeters, then the volume of water that needs to be pumped out can be neglected;

• geometry of the sewer system. The more straight sections in the system, the easier it is to remove the ice plug;

• laying method. Typically, sewerage is located underground. And if ice has formed in pipes located at a sufficient depth under a layer of frozen earth, the number of options for use is sharply reduced. You can’t get through the septic tank - you have to carry out work from inside the house.

The easiest way to organize the winter functioning of the sewer system is to contact specialists who provide sewer defrosting services. The craftsmen not only know how to defrost a frozen sewer, but also have special equipment and also provide a guarantee on their work. However, for various reasons, many people prefer to solve the problem on their own. And as reviews from forum members testify, it was quite successful and fast.

What to do if the sewage system in a private house is frozen

Heating methods will differ depending on where the ice jam occurs. Let's look at each problem and possible solutions.

Frozen sewer drain

The sewer drain or drainage from the septic tank rarely freezes, because... it is located deep in the ground. However, if the water is not drained, it will cause the septic tank to overflow and freeze.

What to do if the sewer drain is frozen?

To defrost the drain, experts advise filling the septic tank with hot water or saline solution. Then you should pump out the wastewater from the septic tank and repeat the filling of water. Over time, warm water will remove the ice blockage and the system will function normally.

A sewer drain is also a pipe that removes wastewater from the source of its formation: in the sink, toilet, or bathtub. It can freeze if the room is not heated and the water from the drain has not been drained. Or, the water flow is too weak. As a rule, indoor drains freeze where they meet the source of drainage and can be easily removed by using a hair dryer. In the same way, the problem is solved if the sewer riser in a private house freezes.

Septic tank frozen

This is possible if the drainage is not organized correctly.

What to do if the septic tank freezes?

To fix the problem, you can take the following measures:

• heating with a light bulb. The light bulb on the carrier is placed inside the septic tank. Thanks to the power of the lamp, the environment heats up and the ice gradually thaws. The method is very slow, and you also need to monitor the water level and lower the lamp lower. From practice: 1 m of ice melts in a day, at an outside temperature of -15 degrees;

• pouring hot water and then pumping it out;

• pouring quicklime into the septic tank. Users note the effectiveness of the method in a cesspool, but this method is unlikely to be suitable for a septic tank.

Frozen sewer pipes

The most difficult possible situation, since there are two obstacles: firstly, the pipes are located underground, which makes the use of external heating problematic, and secondly, it is difficult to accurately determine the specific place where the pipe froze.

How to detect places where ice jams form?

You can determine the location of freezing using two pieces of wire. To do this, one of them needs to be introduced into the sewer system from the side of the house, and the second from the side of the septic tank. Knowing the length of the sewer and the sum of the distances over which the wire was moved, you can not only find (identify) the place where the ice plug formed in the pipe, but also its dimensions.

What to do if a sewer pipe freezes?

Methods for removing ice jams by heating.

External heating

Involves the extraction of soil to the level of pipe laying. Once you have direct access to the pipes, you can:

• use open fire: burner, blowtorch. You can wrap the pipe with rags or cover it with firewood and set it on fire. The method is only suitable for metal and cast iron sewer pipes;
• wrap with foil, then with a heating cable and connect to the network;
• use heating tape;
• use a heat gun for plastic pipes.

Recommendation. Users advise covering the heating area with insulation, so defrosting will happen faster. At the same time, passive heating itself is not suitable in case of frozen sewer pipes, because... Thermal insulation material does not heat, but only conserves heat.

External heating is not very popular due to the difficulty of removing frozen soil above the piping system. This begs the question, how to warm up a frozen sewer that is impossible to access? The answer is obvious - only from the inside.

Internal heating

The technology involves influencing ice from the inside, i.e. directly inside the sewer pipe. Options include:

• heating the wall if the sewer pipe is frozen indoors;

• use hot water.

In order to clean a straight pipeline, you need to insert a rigid hose into the sewer and connect it to a funnel into which you pour water. As the ice melts, the hose can be advanced further. You can increase the effectiveness of the procedure by using water with salt. The ratio varies from 1:10 to 1:1 (salt: water).

To defrost a sewer pipeline of complex configuration, the same steps are performed, but a flexible hose is used. The hose is wound to a flexible wire in increments of 500 mm, so that the edge of the wire protrudes 20-30 mm above the edge of the hose. The end of the wire is bent inward for rigidity. The free edge of the wire should be 10-15 mm; its task is to avoid obstacles and guide the hose. As the water melts, the hose is pushed further. Instead of a funnel, you can use a pear.

When choosing this method, you need to consider that:

a) the water temperature must be more than 80 °C;

b) water supply is continuous;

c) excess water will come back out, so you need to install a container under the pipe to collect it.

The productivity of the method is 1 m per hour, with a pipe diameter of 110 mm.

• using a welding machine connected on both sides to the pipe. Suitable for metal pipes;

• using any intoxicating liquid, such as alcohol. From practice, volume 1 m.p. pipes with a diameter of 110 mm is 8 l. This method is expensive;

• use of a steam generator.

What to do to prevent the sewer from freezing in winter?

To prevent re-freezing, it is necessary to periodically drain (especially during severe frosts) significant volumes of hot water into the pipeline.

The solution to the problem of water freezing in the sewer system should not be limited to bringing the system into full functional readiness. After all, the possibility of re-freezing is not excluded.

Measures to prevent sewer freezing include:

• correct . This procedure must be carried out at the stage of laying the pipeline;
• laying pipes to a depth below the freezing point of the soil;
• connecting a heating cable (resistive or self-regulating).

Autonomous engineering systems provide a certain degree of freedom and the opportunity to provide yourself with the necessary level of comfort in the house. But all the problems that arise have to be solved independently. From time immemorial, winter in Russia is a “surprise”, and its character is becoming more and more unpredictable and absurd. And the question of defrosting the sewerage system already clearly claims to be an eternal one.

Causes of freezing pipes

In order for the entire system to work regardless of the temperature outside the window, the pipes must be laid below the ground freezing level and, just in case, wrapped in heat-insulating material. Ignorance does not excuse responsibility, and violation of installation rules results in a search for a simple solution on how to heat the sewer.

How to defrost sewer pipes in the ground

First of all, it is necessary to find the location of the ice jam, dig a hole above it and send household members to search for rags and other flammable debris that can burn for a long time. Everything you decide to sacrifice is pushed under the pipe, doused with flammable liquid and set on fire. Remember that many petroleum products ignite very violently and you will have to be extremely careful when lighting a life-saving flame. An alternative way to defrost sewer pipes is to wrap the exposed area with foil, then with a heating cable and plug the cable into the network. The safest option is to warm up the sewer using a special heating tape.

These methods of heating the sewer are completely unsuitable for plastic pipes, and digging the ground to free metal pipes at -30? Not everyone will dare. In this case, all that remains is to defrost the pipe using hot water.

How to warm up plastic sewer pipes

The defrosting procedure is somewhat reminiscent of clearing a sewer blockage, only here you need to think about how to warm up the ice. Simply pouring boiling water down a pipe is a pointless exercise. In order to defrost sewer pipes, it must be fed directly to the ice floe. If the problem is very close, on a straight section of pipe, this is done relatively simply. You need to push a metal-plastic pipe or a rigid hose of smaller diameter into the pipe until it stops and pour in hot water. The effectiveness of this method of heating sewers can be slightly increased if salt is dissolved in boiling water; the more, the better.

If the problem is hidden more than 10 m from the house and there are turns along the pipe, the method will have to be modified. To do this, you need hardened steel wire, a hydraulic level and an Esmarch mug. If you don’t have one on your household, you can take a plastic bucket from mayonnaise or pickles and solder a piece of tube of suitable diameter into the bottom. The hydraulic level and wire should be aligned. The end of the wire can be bent for greater rigidity. Secure the wire along the length of the hydraulic level with electrical tape, with the end of the tube protruding approximately 1 cm in front of the wire, attach the entire structure to Esmarch's mug (bucket). Then it’s just a matter of small things: push the tube to the ice plug, pour in hot water and move forward as the ice melts. As practice shows, it takes about an hour to defrost a meter of ice, and you won’t be able to push the tube until 10 liters of boiling water has flowed. All modifications of this method have an unpleasant feature: its contents will pour out of the pipe, so you will have to stock up on large containers to collect the liquid.

One of the unpleasant consequences of prolonged severe frosts is the freezing of water in the heating pipeline, hot and cold water supply or home sewage system, so owners of private houses need to know how to defrost a pipe underground, preventing it from being damaged by the formed ice crystals. Indeed, in addition to the formation of an ice plug that completely blocks the internal lumen of the pipe, crystallization of water is accompanied by an increase in the volume of frozen ice in a limited space, which can lead to rupture of the outer walls of the pipeline.

To prevent water from freezing, external pipes must be carefully insulated, but if for some reason this still happens, they need to be properly defrosted using the technologies described below.

Defrosting water and sewer pipes

In order to substantively consider this issue, this article will describe several ways to combat this dangerous phenomenon, used using ordinary household tools and available household chemicals.

In addition, the reader will be presented with detailed instructions and useful recommendations for installing water pipes, the implementation of which will help avoid unpleasant consequences.

What to do to prevent pipes from freezing

Most often, the main reason for freezing water in pipes is a violation of the technology for laying external or underground pipelines and non-compliance with the rules for using water supply systems in winter. To avoid having to deal with a similar problem in the future, it is enough to follow simple rules for the installation and operation of the supply or drain pipeline in the cold season.

1. The bottom of the trench for laying the pipeline must be located below the maximum depth of soil freezing for a given region, in accordance with the requirements of SNiP II-G.3-62 “Water supply. Design standards".
2. It is not allowed to lay pipes in the ground near structures made of monolithic reinforced concrete., since its thermal conductivity is significantly higher than the thermal conductivity of the soil. I recommend reading about that in the previous article on our website.
3. When the pipeline passes through foundations, walls and other building structures, it is necessary to ensure thermal insulation from monolithic concrete using a thick layer of mineral wool.

1. For laying underground or external water supply lines, pipes with a diameter of at least 50 mm should be used, since Reducing the pipe diameter promotes faster freezing.
2. If possible, pipes made of polymer materials should be used for these purposes, since they have moderate elasticity and do not collapse when an ice plug forms, but only slightly increase in volume.
3. For guaranteed frost protection, One or two lines of heating cable should be laid parallel to the pipe, which, regardless of frost, will constantly maintain a positive temperature.
4. In unheated residential buildings for seasonal residence, before the onset of the cold season, you need to completely drain the water from all water supply networks, including water supply, heating and sewerage.

In any case, when installing an external or underground water supply system, it should be remembered that the price of thorough thermal insulation will be much lower than the cost of repair work to replace a damaged section of the pipeline in winter.

Note!

Advice! To completely remove water from all utilities, their pipes should be located at an inclination of 1-2° to the horizon, towards the lowest point of the water supply, sewer or heating system.

Pipe defrosting technology

Option 1: defrosting a steel water pipe

In practice, two methods are used to warm frozen pipes. They differ from each other in the method of thermal exposure - internal and external heating:

• For metal pipelines, both the first and second methods can be used, however, external heating is usually more effective because it allows the surface to be heated over a large area at once.
• As an external heat source, you can use electric heating devices or an open flame source, such as a heating cable, hair dryer, blowtorch or gas torch. When heating steel pipes using these tools, the following rules must be observed:

1. First of all, you need to determine the location of the ice plug formation and provide free access to the pipe, after which open the nearest water tap to allow free flow of thawed water.
2. Connect a heat source or light a gas burner flame and gradually begin warming up the frozen area, slowly moving the tool from the water tap to the inlet riser.

1. As the temperature rises, water will begin to appear from the tap, which indicates the gradual thawing of the ice plug.
2. It is safer and no less effective to use a household heating pad or a heating electric cable, which must be evenly wound around a frozen section of the pipe and then plugged into the electrical network. To speed up the process, I recommend wrapping the heating cable in a thick cloth or old blanket.
3. To heat a long section of metal pipe that is located on the street or in a wall, you can use a welding machine. To do this, you need to connect the leads of the low-voltage winding of the transformer to different ends of the frozen section using thick cables.

Note!

Advice! When using open fire, you must follow fire safety rules. This method cannot be used to heat pipes that are wrapped in roofing material or covered with a layer of bitumen waterproofing.

Option 2: defrosting metal-plastic pipes

Metal-plastic water pipes, as a rule, are used to carry out intra-apartment or intra-house wiring of the water supply system, so they can freeze if they are filled with water for a long time in an unheated room with a negative temperature.

1. In most cases, to eliminate an ice jam, it is enough to turn on the heating system in the house and warm the air in the room to above-zero temperatures.
2. If a plug has formed in the heating system, you can place an electric heater or a medical lamp with a deflector next to the radiator or battery.
3. You can warm up an open metal-plastic pipe in the house with your own hands if you wrap it in several layers of thick fabric and pour hot water on it, after placing a bucket or bowl under it.
4. For metal-plastic pipes, the use of a heating pad or an electric heating cable is also effective, but the use of open fire in this case is strictly prohibited.

Note!

Advice! Beforehow to defrost heating pipes, you need to check the water level in the expansion tank and make sure that no air gets into the autonomous heating system during operation.

Option 3: defrosting a plastic water pipe

Plastic water supply made from polypropylene or polyethylene pipes is most often used to supply water to a house from a well with an autonomous water supply system or to connect to a centralized water supply system. It is also often used for internal distribution of hot and cold water supply in many apartments and residential buildings.

Most often, freezing of water supply networks occurs at the entrance to a residential building or at the exit from the water metering unit., and this area is usually located underground. In this case, the methods described above will not work, so you need to use the internal heating method. To do this you will need Esmarch's medical mug and a thin long hose.

1. Before defrosting polypropylene pipes underground, you need to roughly determine the location of the ice plug and disassemble part of the water supply to provide free access to the supply pipe.

1. Attach the end of an elastic steel wire to the free end of the flexible rubber hose so that it protrudes 10 mm in front of the end of the hose.
2. Insert the hose with the wire attached inside the supply pipe and gradually push it deeper, correcting its progress with the help of the wire.
3. Having reached the location of the supposed ice plug, connect the free end of the hose to the outlet of Esmarch’s mug and pour hot water into it.
4. After this, you need to raise it as high as possible and open the drain valve, directing the heated water to the place where the ice forms.
5. As it warms up, thawed water will flow out of the end of the inlet pipe, so you need to place a bowl or bucket under it.

The diagram shows how to defrost a pipe using an Esmarch mug

Note!

Advice! In order to prevent flooding of the house as a result of a sudden supply of water after removing the ice plug, you must first, slightly not completely, turn off the inlet valve, which is located between the metering unit and the main pipeline.

Option 4: eliminating ice blockage in the sewer

Freezing of the sewer system rarely occurs because, as a rule, it receives waste heated water from the drain holes of plumbing fixtures located in the house or apartment. If this does happen, several methods will be presented below, which will describe in detail how to defrost a sewer pipe in a private house when an ice plug forms.

1. If the underground drainage collector is located at a shallow depth, you need to light a fire above the place where it is located and keep it burning until the entire layer of earth warms up.
2. Pour a large amount of concentrated sodium chloride solution down the drain. Such a solution has a very low melting point, so it will not freeze, and the salt included in its composition will slowly dissolve the ice plug.
3. Through the toilet drain hole or the inspection hatch window, insert an electric heating cable into the sewer system until it stops against the ice obstacle, and connect it to the power supply.
4. Open the inspection hatch of the septic tank and insert a flexible garden hose into it through the outlet of the drain pipe. Having reached the location of the suspected ice plug, supply hot water from the water supply system into the hose until the ice completely thaws.

Conclusion

After reading this article, it is easy to conclude that there are a large number of simple and effective methods that allow you to independently eliminate the consequences of water freezing in any pipeline of a private home.

Additional information on this issue can be obtained by watching the video in this article, or reading similar materials on our website. All your questions and suggestions can be left in the comment form.