How to quickly defrost plastic water pipes underground. Defrosting plastic pipes Defrosting the water supply system in a private house

Low temperatures in winter, they become the causes of unpleasant moments associated with the water supply at home. If you approach the laying of water pipes illiterately, then in winter the question is whether the water in a private house has frozen - what to do will be encountered quite often. Moreover, there are always situations associated with road accidents. This is a rupture of the pipe, if it is steel, a rupture of valves. And if this problem in the summer can be dealt with quickly with minimal cost, then in winter everything gets more complicated. Therefore, it is very important to first of all conduct correct installation... And the condition here is only one - to insulate the pipelines or lay it below the freezing level of the soil.

Home water supply froze

How to defrost pipes

It should be noted that water supply network consists of two sections: external (external), it is most often both underground and internal. As for the latter, the main part of the route is laid inside heated premises, so the question is, the water in a private house is frozen over - what to do is not appropriate here. But partially internal water supply passes through unheated rooms. For example, in the basement and in the attic. It is there that freezing of pipes can occur. How to defrost them?

There are several options. Let's take into account that plastic pipes were laid inside the house.

Can be used for defrosting hot water... To do this, first, the pipe is wrapped with a rag, and only then boiling water is poured onto it. The process can take several hours, everything will depend on the length of the frozen area.

Defrosting hot water
You can use a hair dryer (construction or household). Very effective option, but requiring a certain approach to the process itself. The thing is, especially for a building hair dryer, that the air from the device comes out with a sufficiently high temperature that can melt the plastic. Therefore, it is necessary to precisely set the distance from the hair dryer nozzle to the surface of the pipe.
We use a hairdryer
Can be used for defrosting heating cable, which fits into an electric floor heating system or a special cable for plumbing systems. They wrap a frozen section of the track with it and plug it into an outlet. This is the most quick option... Usually in this way, you can defrost a fairly long water supply in 2-3 hours.

Attention! Before defrosting water in a private house, it is recommended that all shut-off valves open completely on the track. Defrost water must move freely through the pipeline and flow out of the taps.

Defrost pipes underground

It is clear that water pipes located in the ground are more difficult to defrost. The easiest of all the options is to excavate the place of their laying, get to the track and apply one of the above methods. But there are several problems with this.

Digging the frozen ground is not easy. It will take a lot of time, effort and labor. In any case, the owner of the house cannot do this on his own.
There is always the possibility that digging a trench could damage plastic pipe... And this is also additional problem, which will have to be solved immediately.

Therefore, it is better to use alternative options. One of the most effective defrosting methods is using hot water. True, for this you have to prepare. First, you need a supply of water itself, which must be heated. The easiest way to do this, without great expense, is to install a barrel under which to build a fire. Secondly, it is necessary to somehow organize the supply of water inside plumbing systems s. For this, it is best to install a small electric pump... It is even better if hot water is poured into a hose with a smaller diameter than the route, which will need to be pushed into the pipeline.

Defrosting a hot water pipe

That is, the hose is pushed to the ice plug, then hot water is pumped into it. It quickly melts the ice, and the hose must be pushed further as the track thaws. As soon as water flows out of the tap with a high pressure, that's it - the ice plug has melted. It should be noted that this option for defrosting a water supply system is one of the most effective. True, you prepare for it longer than you perform the process itself.

We use electricity

Another option that answers the question of how to heat water in a private house. For this, electricity is used. It is necessary to immediately make a reservation that the use of electric current is always a dangerous business. Therefore, it is not recommended to use this option for defrosting the water supply system. But, as an alternative, you need to know it.

For this, an ordinary two-core wire is used, the cores of which must be disconnected and stripped for a length of 20 cm, that is, freed from insulation. The bare wire is twisted to a size of 8-10 cm.

Attention! Do not allow both bare wires to connect to each other. This will lead to a short circuit, so it is imperative to install a jumper between them, preferably a wooden one. Its size should be less diameter water pipe.

Now the prepared two-core wire is pushed into the pipeline up to the ice plug. After that, it is connected to a 220 volt supply network. The water inside the pipe begins to boil and defrost the ice. In fact, the bifurcated wire serves as heating element... As it defrosts, it will need to be moved inward.

We use steam

And a few more alternative options which use steam. It should be noted that they are rarely used only because steam generating installations are not cheap.

Steam generator

Using a steam generator. Its hose is introduced into the pipeline where steam is pumped.
Using an autoclave. This is an installation that works on the basis of boiling water. The process itself is exactly the same as in the case of a steam generator. That is, a hose is inserted into the water pipe, connected to the autoclave, through which steam from boiling water enters the inside of the line.
Using a hydrodynamic machine. This is a professional equipment, which is based on the process of heating water and supplying it under pressure inside the water supply line.

All three options are very effective. If the water entrance to the house or the entire route is frozen, then they can be used to warm up the pipes in a few minutes.

So, the answer was given to the question, the water in the house froze - what to do? In the proposed technologies, there are very simple methods that do not require large expenses; there are quite serious options based on the use of special equipment. If the problem is not very big, then you can get by with small funds. If everything is very difficult, then it is better to call specialists. They will not only solve the problem of defrosting, but also help prevent further troubles.

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The situation when modern plastic water pipes freeze happens quite often. Naturally, such a problem should be eliminated as soon as possible, because otherwise the freezing area will begin to gradually expand. In addition, in any case, there is a risk of a "rupture" in the line.

So defrosting plastic pipes is a very important and urgent task. And, in the end, apart from purely technical nuances, sitting without water is also inconvenient, you must agree.

In this article, we will look at all the most popular and effective ways solutions to such a problem. Moreover, we will even figure out how to defrost a metal-plastic pipe underground, and not just the one on the surface.

Let's start with an overview of the most important point.

Why does this problem occur at all?

In fact, everything here is quite simple to understand. The reasons for freezing are considered in the table below.

As you can see, the reasons are quite logical and understandable. And if so, then before reviewing how to defrost a plastic water pipe, it is worth talking about preventive measures.

How to prevent freezing

For an external water supply system, measures can be as follows:

Thermal insulation of plastic with mineral wool... This work is done very simply - the plastic is wrapped in mineral wool. From above, the insulation is wrapped with rope or wire.

Advice: if communications take place in places with high humidity, then the mineral wool from above needs to be wrapped with a film, foil, or even better - a hydro-barrier.
Then the insulation will last for a really long time.

"Packing" the line into a special box... In fact, communications are simply sheathed on the outside with panels of wood, plastic or drywall (depending on where the communications pass). And the entire space between the plane of the box and the plumbing is filled polyurethane foam or foam crumbs.

Such are the technologies.

Note!
You can not "foaming" those points where important connections are located.
These areas include, for example, taps, brass adapters, threaded fittings, etc.
If you seal them up with foam, it turns out that in the case emergency access to such important elements will be blocked.

As for the communications that are laid in the ground, then the recommendations are very simple. It is necessary to mount everything below the depth of the soil freezing point. In this case, one should adhere to very simple rule- if it is not possible to lay the system at the required depth, then it should be insulated with very high quality.

However, do-it-yourself insulation is still not a 100% guarantee that the water will not freeze. Perfect option in this case, it is to organize at least some kind of heating system for communications.

Now let's look at how to defrost plastic water pipes, that is, we will figure out how to fix the situation when the formation of ice has already happened.

Methods for heating the line

One worth noting important point- as illustrative examples we will disassemble the most available solutions that do not require the purchase of expensive equipment.

In addition, these methods are distinguished by the fact that they have repeatedly proven their effectiveness in practice. Let's proceed to an overview of the simplest option.

Using boiling water

Warming up instructions outdoor system hot water is pretty simple.

In principle, using this method, you can warm up communications quite quickly - in just a couple of hours. The main thing here is to warm not even the entire diameter of the ice, but only a small part of it. Because even if there is a small "loophole" for the passage of water along the highway, then all the rest of the ice will gradually melt by itself.

As for the systems that are located underground, then in principle it is possible to influence them, but only the warming-up time will be much longer. And you still have to get to the plane of such communications. Therefore, this method is not the most the best solution for defrosting underground lines.

And if we talk about how to defrost a plastic water pipe underground, then it is best to do a little differently. The bottom line is that you need to deliver boiling water directly to the ice plug - that is, as if inside the pipe itself. If you simply cannot pour hot water into the main line, then you can try to do it using an ordinary flexible hose.

It works like this:

Insert one end of the rubber hose into the line and push the hose to the point where it meets the ice plug.
The other end of the product is put on the hot water tap. At the same time, it is important that the pressure force in the tap is sufficient to deliver water to the desired point.

Boiling water is turned on and the heating process begins. As for the exposure time, it all depends on how many meters the ice has spread.

Please note that you will need to prepare some kind of container for collecting water!
The fact is that the boiling water will rest against the cork and, under the influence of the pressure, the water will return "back" - that is, it will begin to flow out of the cracks between the hose and the pipe.

Consider another defrosting method that is suitable for both underground and aboveground water pipes.

With steam

This option in an amicable way requires special device- a steam generator. However, the price of the device is too high to purchase it for a one-time operation, so it is easier and more expedient to rent a steam generator.

The principle of operation here is quite simple - the device generates steam, which can be launched under pressure at any desired location.

The flow is usually directed using a hose.

We insert the sleeve into the pipe.
We turn on the device and begin to blow hot air in the direction of the ice plug.

Here the efficiency and speed of defrosting is very high level because the steam temperature is higher than the hot water degree. In an amicable way, even in very difficult cases, rewarming can occur within literally an hour.

You can also defrost ice using "artisanal" steam injection.

This is done something like this:

The autoclave heats up the water.
Take the hose. One end of it is connected to the autoclave, and the other is run inside the pipe.

It turns out that hot air will, as it were, come out of the autoclave through a hose and, accordingly, "rests" on the ice plug.

In principle, any analogue of an autoclave, even an ordinary double boiler, is suitable for small pipelines. The main thing is that the steam pressure is strong enough to get to the point where the ice begins.

But this method is suitable only when there is no risk of deformation of the line itself. So whether it is worth using such machines for plastic communications is a big question.

Well, now let's figure out how to defrost a plastic sewer pipe using more "folk" methods.

With a hair dryer and fan heater

In fact, this technology implies impact warm air on the plane of the plastic. That is, we take a hairdryer or a fan heater, turn on these devices and begin to pump a hot stream towards the problem point in the communications. As you can imagine, the method is suitable only for those who pass on open areas.

Conclusion

As you already understood, defrosting a line made of plastic pipes is a very real thing. Of course, situations are different, and therefore universal way there can be no warming up, but nevertheless the methods that we talked about above can “work”. We hope that this is how it will turn out.

By the way, if you want to read more visual instructions then watch the video in this article.

Uninsulated pipeline - sewerage, heating system or drinking water- with a high degree of probability, it can freeze together with the contents in winter, that is, in professional language, it can unfreeze. Such a situation - defrosting of heating pipes or other routes - often happens if local climatic realities were not taken into account when laying the route, or the conditions for laying pipes were simply grossly violated.

Causes of freezing pipelines

So, without thermal insulation of any communication pipes, they can defrost in severe frosts. This applies to both underground and surface communications with liquid. There is only one conclusion - you need to insulate the tracks on time. But what if the line is already frozen and the pipeline needs to be defrosted? Life experience provides quite a few do-it-yourself pipe thawing methods, both cheap and expensive, but always effective.

Firstly, in some pipes there may be little liquid, which creates conditions for its faster freezing, for example, in an incomplete sewage system;
Secondly, pipes can be incorrectly calculated in diameter, and this is a direct path to water freezing;
Thirdly, critically low regional temperatures may not be taken into account, and even correctly, but insufficiently insulated pipes can freeze in severe frosts.

Reliable defrosting of pipelines occurs in accessible or open sections of the route - for this it is often enough to use a powerful stream of hot air, for example, from a construction hair dryer. But thawing underground utilities is a much more complicated issue, and sometimes very original technologies have been developed here, for example, the Esmarch circle, which will be discussed below.

The main methods for defrosting heating pipes or water supply systems consist in the use of common improvised tools and materials: blowtorch, hot water flow, blowing with a building or household hair dryer, etc. Some points need to be clarified here:

It is easier to defrost steel pipes if you use a welding machine: the cables are connected to the ends of the pipe, this section is heated under the influence of current for 2-4 hours;
Polyethylene pipes high pressure now they are installed everywhere, and welding is not an option for them. Also, it is forbidden to clean them from internal ice with a crowbar or twig, so as not to damage the walls.

Based on these constraints, consider traditional technologies defrosting heating mains and other pipelines.

External heating of pipes

Since the methods of defrosting open heating pipes, sewer systems or water supply systems are clear to us, we are considering external defrosting of underground routes, which is immediately complicated by the fact that the pipes will need to be excavated. The technology depends on the diameter of the pipe and the length of the frozen section - you can dig it up manually, or you may have to rent an excavator.

After digging a trench and opening the pipe, determine what the pipeline was insulated with - the technology of its defrosting will depend on this: for example, polyethylene pipes cannot be warmed open flame or by supplying current. The temperature of a stream of hot air from a hair dryer or fan heater should not exceed 100-110 0 С, so that the water in the pipe does not boil and break it.

Steel or cast iron pipes can be heated with a blowtorch or gas burner, a fire or other open flame.

Internal heating of a plastic pipe

Defrosting sewer pipes, in contrast to heating or plumbing, has some peculiarities. The large diameter of PVC pipes allows them to be heated from the inside, and this is a plus. But pipes can be clogged not only with frozen water, but also with debris, and this is a minus. Therefore, the defrosting sewer must not only be warmed up, but also cleaned.

For defrosting from the inside of the plastic sewer, the simplest is collected homemade device: to a U-shaped heating element with a bend diameter slightly smaller than the pipe diameter, connect the cable and attach it to metal-plastic pipe Ø ½ ‘’ the desired length... Most often, the distance to the place of the frozen area is known, therefore, it will be easy to calculate the cable length and the length of the MF guide tube, even visually. After that, connect the device to the network and push it down the drain, as shown in the figure:

It is necessary to start the advancement of the heater from the side of the drain receiver so that the melt water can drain unhindered. In the same way, large-diameter water pipes can be warmed up.

Defrosting iron pipes

It will be most effective to defrost from steel or cast iron pipes through a dedicated industrial equipment... The principle of operation of this device is as follows: at the edges of the defrosting pipe, terminals are connected through which voltage is supplied, the pipe heats up under the action of the current, and the water thaws.

For example, the following data can be given: steel pipe length 25 m and Ø< 6 см оттает за 40-60 минут. Если диаметр трубы больше, то клеммы подсоединяют на более коротких участках, при этом нужно следить, чтобы в трубе находилась вода под некоторым давлением – это касается разморозки отопительной и водопроводной систем.

Unconventional technologies

The use of hot water implies one peculiarity of the behavior of ice: the ice plug will not let hot water into the pipe if it is simply poured from above. Therefore, hot water is supplied inside the frozen area using a hose or pipe of a smaller diameter. For example, when defrosting straight section water pipe Ø 25-30 mm will be effective using a piece of metal-plastic pipe Ø 16 mm.

The inner tube must be straight so that it can be pushed into the water supply to a freezing depth. As soon as the tube hits the ice, hot water can be poured into it. The flow of melt water will pour out through the gap between the pipes, at the same time increasing the gap. The ice will melt on all sides of the cork, making room for the further advance of the reinforced-plastic tube further. If the frozen area has bends and bends, then a flexible but rigid hose is used instead of a tube.

The garden hose for irrigation is not suitable for defrosting - from high temperature water, it will become soft, and it will be impossible to push it further. An oxygen or gas hose that connects to gas or oxygen cylinders is best suited for this purpose. Practice shows that such hoses can even be pushed softened up to a distance of 15 meters. It will be difficult to keep the hose firm.

But so far we have considered mild cases - defrosting in straight and short sections. But what to do if the pipe is frozen several tens of meters from the dwelling, and at the same time the route is difficult - with turns and bends horizontally or vertically?

Such complex problems are solved by using an Esmarch mug complete with a building hydraulic level and a coil of rigid steel wire. You can buy all these components without any problems, their cost is low, and the effect of their use is one hundred percent.

The wire and tube of the water level are aligned and terminated on one side of the device. For greater rigidity and permeability inside the pipe, the wire is bent at the end, making a small loop. The hydraulic level tube should be 1 to 2 cm in front of the wire loop. The other end of the water level tube is connected to the Esmarch mug, and the tube with the wire is pushed all the way into the pipeline.

Further, it is necessary to pour water into the tube of the water level - a kind of hot "enema". Do not forget, if you are thawing a pipe indoors, substitute some kind of container under it to collect melt water. It is easy to determine the volume of the container - how much hot water you pour into the device, the same amount will pour out of the pipe of cold liquid.

As the ice melts, the tube is pushed further until the ice plug disappears completely. This technology is time-consuming (1 running meter per hour), but it is very effective and inexpensive.

How to prevent pipes from freezing

In order not to apply all of the above methods, you need to do the prevention of freezing of pipes with water:

Pipe-laying should be carried out at a depth exceeding the level of soil freezing in the region. It is recommended to equip sewerage and water supply systems at a depth of ≥ 1200-1400 mm;
It is not recommended to lay iron pipes for sewerage, heating or water delivery in direct proximity to concrete surfaces- ceilings, walls, grillages and foundations, since the thermal conductivity of reinforced concrete is several times higher than the same parameter for the soil, and the risk of soil freezing from the side of reinforced concrete objects increases many times. If this cannot be avoided, then the pipes must be insulated, and it is advisable to make it solid thermal insulation materials- extruded polystyrene foam, bulk substances;
Additional protection against freezing of pipes will be the laying of the heating self-regulating cable next to the pipes;

It is recommended to insulate the places where pipes are laid through walls or ceilings with soft heat insulators - assembly foam, mineral wool (basalt, fiberglass, stone), ecowool or other loose materials, so that there is no contact between pipes and walls;
When arranging a pipeline on your land plot it is recommended to take pipes Ø ≥ 50 mm, as small pipes freeze faster;
When choosing synthetic pipes, remember that PU foam (polypropylene) pipes can crack after several freezing and thawing cycles, and PSE (polyethylene) pipes will last as long as you need;
If sewerage, heating and plumbing are not used in winter, then the water from the pipes must be drained.

Since in winter the owners of private houses and apartments are sometimes faced with the need to unfreeze pipes with water, it must be remembered that the faster you react and take the necessary steps to thaw a pipeline of any purpose, the smaller the section of the route will fail. For defrosting pipelines, all methods are good - both traditional and invented out of vital necessity - your comfortable further stay in the house depends on it.

How to warm up a pipe in the ground? In winter, the water in the pipelines often freezes. This can happen by various reasons... For example, if the depth of the pipeline is insufficient or the insulation is ineffective. Freezing of the pipeline can occur in winter with very strong frosts. Accessible piping is easy to defrost. For example, you can defrost it with a household hairdryer. But what to do with pipes that lie underground far from home?

Defrosting metal

If the pipeline is frozen at the entrance to the building, you can simply heat the wall. But there are times when the water pipe froze 10-20 m from the house. If it is made of metal, warm it up quickly enough. This requires welding machine... It needs to be connected to different ends of the pipeline.

By heating with a welding machine, you can defrost the water in the pipe in 3-4 hours.

The duration of the work depends on the length of the pipeline.

Warming up plastic

How to defrost a plastic pipe? Currently, plastic structures are being made that can withstand a pressure of up to 10 atmospheres, easily tolerate frost and are not subject to corrosion. Plastic pipes do not conduct electricity, which means that it is impossible to defrost them with a welding machine. It is also impossible to break through the ice mechanically with steel wire. Often the length of the frozen area is more than 5 m. Therefore, the only way out is to melt the ice with hot water. If hot water is simply poured into the pipeline, then the ice plug will not melt from this, and hot water will not go inside.

Therefore, hot water must be supplied directly to the ice mash area. This can be done with a smaller pipe. For example, if plastic pipes have a diameter of 32 mm, the section on which the ice plug is located is straight, the pipe should be made of metal-plastic with a diameter of 16 mm. It is necessary to straighten the pipe with a smaller diameter and push it into the pipeline until it reaches the ice plug.

Then hot water is poured into the smaller pipe. In the gap between the smaller and larger pipes, there will be cold water... This water can be used, it is warmed up and refilled into the system. It is necessary for the ice plug to thaw. As the ice plug gets smaller, you need to push the smaller pipe further.

If the plumbing has sharp bends, then a rigid hose can be used. A simple irrigation hose will not work for this, because it will soften from the hot water and cannot be pushed further. Therefore, you can use the oxygen hose that is served gas cylinders... It has sufficient rigidity, but it can only be extended 15 m from the inlet. It is difficult to move through the pipeline, since it is too heavy.

The first way

How to defrost a pipe correctly? If the pipe has 2-3 turns and is frozen 20 m from the house, a more effective technique can be applied.

Materials and tools:

Esmarch's irrigator;
hardened steel wire 2mm;
construction hydraulic level.

First, the pipe of the hydraulic level is leveled, with its help the steel wire is leveled. Then the end of the wire is screwed with electrical tape to the hydraulic level. The end of the wire can be bent for greater strength. It is necessary that the wire does not stick out and the end of the tube protrudes 1 cm in front of it. After that, the hydro level is connected with the other end to Esmarch's mug. The wire and tube are pushed into the water pipe until they reach the ice plug.

The hydraulic level tube has no large diameter and weighs little. Therefore, it easily passes through the pipeline and overcomes all bends. After that, the water is heated and fed into the pipeline using the Esmarch mug. Place the bucket under the water pipe. How much hot water is poured in, the same amount of cold water comes out of the pipeline. The wire and tube are pushed through as the ice plug melts. This kind of work takes a long time. It takes 1 hour for 1 m of the frozen system. Therefore, in order to defrost 6 m of pipe, you need to work all day. Pour at least 10 liters of hot water. Then the tube is pushed through. This method is often applied in practice and leads to positive results.

Method two

Materials and tools:

two-core copper wire;
plug for the socket;
fuel hose for diesel engines with a diameter of 8 mm;
compressor.

They take a two-core copper wire and remove the insulation from it. Of the two wires inside, one is bare, and the other is bent along the wire in reverse side... Then 5 turns are made with a bare wire at the very edge of the wire. Then, at a distance of 3 mm from the end of the turns, another wire is exposed and wound in a similar way... Make sure that the wires do not touch each other. Otherwise, a short circuit may occur.

Attach a plug to the other end of the wire. This is how a warming device is made. When the device is turned on, a current flows through the water. As a result, a reaction occurs and is released significant amount heat. During the operation of the device, only water heats up, and the wires do not heat up. Due to this, the penetration of the plastic pipeline cannot occur.

It is necessary to push the wire into the pipe until it rests against the ice plug, it is not necessary to press hard so that it does not bend. After that, plug the device into a power outlet and press on the wire. The warming-up process begins. Then you can choose excess water compressor in order to spend less time heating the water. The product will be defrosted after a long enough time. The twisted pipe is sometimes warmed up for several days.

After the pipe is defrosted, care must be taken to ensure that it does not freeze again. For this, it is necessary that a certain volume of water constantly passes through it. Therefore, you need to turn on the tap more often and use more water. Leave a thin stream of water in the water supply overnight. As long as the water flows through the pipes, the risk of re-freezing is reduced.

To avoid freezing of water in the pipeline, when laying pipes, it is necessary to place them at a depth that is below the level of soil freezing. After laying, the pipeline must be insulated. Then the pipes will not freeze in winter.

Almost every private house has gutters and sewer pipes through which water and waste water is supplied and discharged. Since this system is the property of residents, in the event of any breakdowns or problems, they often have to cope with everything on their own. One of the most pressing and unpleasant situations that one has to face is the freezing of water in pipes in winter period... It is very important to be able to properly defrost pipes so that the ice does not break them during thawing, violating the integrity of the entire water supply system.

Peculiarities

For plumbing in a private house, both metal and plastic pipes can be used, but that some or others are not protected from freezing in winter, if the process of their laying was done incorrectly. The most main reason the fact that water freezes in a pipe underground in frost is an insufficient deepening of the water supply system. If the laying technology is carried out correctly, then the entire system is located at the level where frosts do not get.

Thanks to main pipelines have a large diameter, even in winter they do not freeze, because water moves in them all the time. Home systems are installed using pipes with a diameter of 20 mm or more - 32 mm. It is important to deepen such thin elements well so that the frost does not get to them, but this is not always possible, therefore you need to know about what means you can insulate the pipes in order to protect them from the cold.

In the event that all the recommendations have been followed, and the water still freezes, then in this case it is necessary to keep the system on all the time so that the water always flows through the pipes at least in a thin stream. This is quite expensive, given the cost of water, but you will not need to spend time, effort and money on defrosting the entire system.

In order not to have to carry out work on heating pipes with water annually, it is important to prevent all possible problems even at the stage of laying the entire network.

During installation, it is important to follow these rules:

The depth of the trench should be greater than the level of soil freezing, which is typical for the region... There are relevant SNiP standards that will help you correctly design a water supply system.
When choosing the location of pipes, it is important not to lay them next to reinforced concrete products, because their thermal conductivity is greater than that of soil.
If the laying is carried out under the foundation, then the pipes are insulated from the reinforced concrete using a large layer of thermal insulation, which is best shown by mineral wool.
When planning a water supply system underground and over its surface, it is best to use pipes with a diameter of 50 mm, because thinner products freeze much faster.
When choosing a material for pipes, it is worth giving preference to polymer products that can increase in size by several millimeters, which saves them from cracking during freezing and thawing.
In order to ensure a calm winter for yourself, it is worth laying a heating cable near the pipes, which will support optimal temperature and will not let the system freeze.
If the house is used only in summer and is empty in winter, then it is important to drain all the water from the system so that there is nothing in the pipes in frost. This will protect them from freezing.

What is required?

If in a private house a pipe that supplies water or drains is frozen, the first step is to determine the place of the plug in order to eliminate it and not aggravate the situation. The most simple option search will be using an iron cable, which is inserted into the water supply system, which was previously blocked and immediately spun under the tap at the junction of the structure. It is important to choose the longest cable, because the problem area can be both at the beginning of the system and at its end.

Once the plug has been found, the affected area of the pipeline can be excavated. and take everything necessary measures for defrosting. If the structure is old and the pipes are metal, then the most in a simple way there will be a current to warm up the water inside, for which a welding machine is used. But for a pipeline made of HDPE, this method is no longer suitable. For them, the use of external means brings little result, a different approach needs to be taken.

The most effective, but expensive, would be to use a hydrodynamic machine, which can deliver a stream of water at such a speed that ice and some other substances are melted by this action. Only a professional can work with the device, because it is important to know the technology and follow the work algorithm. If you need to quickly eliminate the problem, but you do not have the necessary skills and equipment, you can simply call a foreman who will easily do everything necessary to restore the water supply.

Another way to heat a pipe involves a steam generator, which looks like this:

pour water into the container in the amount of 2-3 liters;
connect the heat-resistant sleeve to the place where the safety valve is located;
insert the hose into the pipe to the point where the plug has formed;
turn on the device and wait for the result.

Work needs to be carried out only in correct sequence and it is better to have assistants with you, because after removing the hose from the pipe, where there was ice, the fountain will simply beat. This water must be collected in buckets, which must be prepared in advance. More rags can be prepared.

If there is no steam generator, it does not matter; a boiler will also work for defrosting pipes. To use this option, you need to prepare a wire, it must be copper, two-core and have a cross-section of 0.5 mm, and its length must be equal to the pipe. In addition, a steel wire is also needed, the diameter of which is 3 mm. Copper wires are stripped 60 cm, and the second - 1 cm from the cut. Separate turns are made on each wire so that there is no contact, otherwise a short circuit will occur.

Electrical tape copper wires screwed to steel and all this is immersed in the pipe. In this simple way, it turns out to build a homemade boiler. It must be connected to the network in order to warm up the pipe, which will push the plug out of the heat. Once the problem is resolved, the boiler is turned off and pulled out, and the pipe is closed. When the system starts up again, everything works as it should.

Pipe defrosting can be done welding inverter... This is a wire that connects to the pipe at the icy spot and heats it up. It is important to work correctly with the device and not to overheat it, giving different voltages. After just ten minutes of such exposure, the ice turns into a liquid and the cork dissolves.

Heating water pipes in case of ice blockage is one of the most effective options. For iron pipe the method of external influence is suitable, and for the plastic one - the internal one. The means with which it is convenient to deal with icing can be any, and everyone chooses what he likes and can afford, the main thing is that there is a result, but it is best not to bring to such situations, properly laying the water supply system and insulating it well.

How to rewarm?

In order to warm up the metal-plastic water pipe in which the water is frozen, several techniques can be used, including:

The effect of hot water, for which the structure is wrapped with foam rubber or rags and very hot water is poured inside, almost boiling water. This option is quite simple, but it is effective for pipes inside the house. In the case of underground ice plugs, this method can be used to break through the barrier up to ten hours.
The use of hot air, for which you need to have a hair dryer or heating device. The place of icing is warmed up by any of the devices for two or more hours, it all depends on the degree of freezing of the water inside. It is not difficult to do such work, but it is important to carry out all activities carefully, because the pipes can be deformed from the high temperature, which will further exacerbate the problem. Efficiency this method not too large, because with large energy and heat losses, the real result does not come soon.

Heating using thermal conductivity. It is a winding of pipes with a cable that is used in the underfloor heating system. When everything is ready, the resulting structure is connected to electricity and begins to heat the pipe itself. The work process lasts approximately three hours and allows you to bring in readiness only those pipes that are above the ground and in the house. Wires for underfloor heating are quite expensive, so buying them in order to defrost the system once is unprofitable due to their high cost.
The process of heating pipes inside allows you to effectively solve the problem. For work, it is important to have access to the problem area in order to pour hot water into it using a special device that drives liquid under great pressure, but you can also use an apparatus that looks like a boiler. The work is proceeding slowly, the problem is completely solved in at least three days. It is forbidden to use this option for those sections where the pipes run vertically. The system must be in a horizontal position to ensure operability.

If you have to deal with plastic pipes, then you can deal with defrosting them with your own hands, the main thing is to know what exactly needs to be done. For those pipelines that are located underground and the system is a network of bends and various bends, then all the previously listed options will not be able to help. The most the best option in this case, there will be a welding machine that must be connected to different ends of the pipes and turned on. If not suitable equipment, you can just use hot water.

To do effective remedy to defrost pipes, you need:

find a rigid hose or small diameter plastic pipe;
place a hose or pipe in the water supply and move until it hits the ice;
pour hot water or brine;
for water that will form from the ice plug, you need to put a container;
as soon as the problem area is completely eliminated, you need to turn on hot water at the tap and thoroughly clean the system.

If have been laid metal-plastic structures, then to defrost them, you need to do a number of actions:

Find a problem spot, for which it is enough just to probe all the pipes. The freezing point will be much colder than the rest of the surface.
The place of icing is wrapped up with rags and all water supply taps are opened. Make sure you have a supply of hot water.
The pipe surface is processed gradually, cold water is immediately used, therefore hot. This is important in order not to damage the structure. a sharp leap temperature.
The melted water will begin to come out of the pipes through the taps that were open earlier.

If there is no desire to carry out such operations annually, or even several times during the winter, it is worthwhile to quickly organize the insulation of the area, which is especially prone to freezing.

In cases where water freezing occurred in areas inaccessible to humans, for example, under a foundation, then you can deal with problem situations using a number of measures:

You need to purchase a barrel, a pump and a hose with oxygen. It is necessary to collect hot water into the barrel, the temperature of which will constantly rise.
Insert the hose into the pipe and push until it hits the ice.
You need to open the tap and connect it to the hose that goes into the barrel. If you don't have one, you can use a simple bucket.
The pump starts up, with the help of which hot water is supplied to the pipes for defrosting the ice. From time to time, the pump must be turned off in order to drain the formed water.
As soon as the problem goes away, the hose must be removed and the water in the pipeline drained.

If the problem has affected the sewage system, then you can cope with it if you know how. Usually sewer pipes do not freeze, because the used water is usually warmer, but in very severe frosts it is possible.

To combat ice plugs in the sewer, you can:

Make a fire in the place where the collector is located. This option will be effective if the pipes are not far from the surface. The flame must be maintained as long as possible in order to be able to heat up the earth, and with it the sewers.
Using table salt. Homemade but very effective method is to place in the sewer pipes a large number of a solution of concentrated table salt, which will not freeze even in severe frost, and salt, upon contact with ice, will begin to dissolve it.
You can use an electric cable, which can be inserted through the toilet or inspection hatch before the icing occurs. Once the device is installed, plug it in.
You can use inspection hatch a septic tank where an irrigation hose is inserted through the outlet garden plants... It must be promoted to the place where the presence of ice is expected, after which hot water from the water supply system is poured inside. You need to continue the process until the ice is completely gone.

In case of severe frosts in winter time and freezing of water in pipes you need to know how you can handle the situation. First of all, it is important to understand what material the pipes with which you have to work are made of, how deep they are laid and a number of other nuances, after which it will be much easier to choose correct option anti-ice plugs.

In the event that problems with pipes were found in a private house, namely their freezing in winter, then you need to know some secrets in order to prevent such phenomena or skillfully deal with them.

To prevent similar phenomena, follows:

Install water supply and sewerage pipes lower than the frost sinks, and this is at least a depth of 120-140 cm. In case of problems with such a deepening, the pipes are carefully insulated.
Using pipes large enough in diameter, you can avoid their rapid freezing. The optimal size will be 50 mm.
In order to avoid stagnation of water in the system, when arranging it, it is worthwhile to provide an angle of inclination so that it flows faster into the source.
When laying pipes, it is worth staying away from beams, foundations, the thermal conductivity of which is higher than that of the ground, which is a danger to pipes. If possible, it is worth making good insulation if there is reinforced concrete nearby.
If the water supply is in non-residential premises, where there is no heating, then it is important to additionally insulate it, for which you can use mineral wool, glass wool and foam.
Living in regions with very harsh winters, when arranging a water supply system, it is better to lay a cable nearby that will heat the pipes. Its advantage is that it itself determines the moment when it is necessary to turn on and off, but there are also manual models.
When choosing a pipe, it is worth giving preference to polyethylene rather than polypropylene, because they withstand well the process of freezing and defrosting ice.

There are a number of other tips to help protect your system from freezing or deal with it more effectively:

To protect the pipeline from freezing, it is worth studying temperature regime region and lower the structure one meter below the mark where frost usually falls. This will allow you to forget about any problems with water in cold weather.
If the pipes freeze at the intersection of the soil with open space, then an ordinary hair dryer can help, and in especially difficult cases - a construction one.
If problems with pipes occur annually, then it is worthwhile to set a goal to remake the system, than to constantly deal with the consequences.
When the freezing is very serious or difficult to solve on your own, it is best to call a professional who will remove the ice plug without any problems.
If you manage to deal with ice on your own, but at the same time you have to constantly clean the system by running water, it can be collected in special containers and then used for household needs.

For those who still use metal water or sewer pipes, ice plugs can be dealt with with the help of terminals that are attached to the problem area, after which the current is supplied, which heats the pipe and the ice inside begins to melt. If freezing occurs in a pipe leading directly from the toilet, then one of the options may be to heat the water directly in the plumbing, for which you will need a heating element or a boiler. Metal pipes they also warm up with a blowtorch, for which you need to make a trench at the location of the sewer and heat the pipe with a lamp, going from below to the top. The work is carried out from the side cesspool or a septic tank, if there is one, to allow unhindered water outflow after thawing.