Chemicals for defrosting sewer pipes. How to defrost a plastic sewer pipe? What to do if the sewer drain is frozen

If the sewerage system is not designed correctly, problems often arise during the cold season. This is due to the low penetration of communications into the ground, as a result of which when the ground freezes, the wastewater in the pipes also freezes. This situation can also arise if thermal insulation is installed incorrectly. Therefore, in order to avoid emergency situations in winter period preventive maintenance should be carried out in a timely manner. But if this was not done on time, then now there is no need to rush, but all actions should be carried out wisely, since you need to defrost the sewer pipe in a suitable and correct way.

How to localize a frozen spot in a pipe

Since plastic and cast iron pipes can be used in sewer pipelines, their heating methods are different. This is mainly due to differences in the properties of the materials. So, one fine day there was severe frost and the sewage stopped going down the pipe, or worse, went in the opposite direction. First of all, you should not despair, but you should understand the reasons for what happened and determine the source of the problems. The simplest thing that could happen is that the pipes become clogged and require cleaning. If it really is an ice jam, then you will have to localize it.

To do this, you need to take a long and stiff wire, insert it inside the pipe and reach the frozen area.

Note! At the same time, in plastic pipes it is important not to damage the inner surface and sealing joints.

If the pipes are cast iron, then almost any wire will do. Searches should be carried out in unheated rooms and places where there is access to pipes, that is, through sewer hatches. It’s good if the pipe joints are made removable flange connections and disconnecting them will not cause problems. Otherwise, you will have to break the tightness of the connections and look for the plug using an experimental method.

If freezing occurs near the pipes exiting the house, then eliminating them will not be difficult. It is much more difficult to do this work on street communications, since the ground is frozen and it will be quite difficult to dig manually. Therefore, it is advisable to hire an excavator.

Note! This method is not suitable for plastic pipes, as they can be easily damaged.

According to the sewer plan, pipe joints must be indicated, which will be a guide for digging a pit. It is advisable to make the hole several meters in length from the joint in both directions to provide enough space for work. If, during undocking, sewage poured out of the outlet pipe, then the plug is located further, from the inlet pipe - the search should be carried out between the house and the dug up area. In the first case, it is advisable to take a wire and check the location of the ice. If it is close, then you should dig the required distance towards the sewage drainage so that warming can be carried out. In the second - on the contrary, towards the entrance part. Before the heating procedure, it is necessary to prepare containers for draining sewage.

Universal methods of heating pipes

All heating methods are qualitatively divided into internal, used inside buildings, and external. Defrosting sewer pipes is based on local heating of the resulting ice plug.

Note! If you do this by simply pouring boiling water into the pipe, it will only get worse, since the temperature is reduced, the amount of water poured will not be enough, and as a result the plug will increase.

There are the following universal methods for heating sewer pipes:

The use of an Esmarch mug, which is a container with a flexible but fairly rigid tube soldered to the bottom. When using a flexible plastic tube, you will also need a wire to which it is attached for better passage through the pipe. This method is used when the distance from the joint is insignificant and the thickness of the plug is small. The hose is inserted into the pipe until it hits the ice, and then boiling water is poured inside the mug. In case water comes back out of the pipe, you need to substitute a bucket and keep a few more in reserve. It is advisable to temporarily wrap the heated area with thermal insulation material so that a minimum amount of heat is dissipated.
Heating the pipe with boiling water. It involves pouring boiling water over a localized area until the plug melts. In this case, you do not need any additional tools or devices. However, the applicability of this method is limited, since it will take a significant amount of time to warm up in the cold. In multi-storey buildings, where the sewage system is laid in a vertical direction, or in the walls, this method is also unlikely to be useful.

External heating using a hair dryer. It consists of uniformly heating the pipe in the place where the ice is supposed to be located. For plastic pipes, you should use hair dryers with a temperature regulator, since temperatures above 100 ° C can melt them. For cast iron pipes The temperature can be set higher, but the pipe should not be heated, as this may negatively affect the seals. The hairdryer is kept at a distance of several centimeters from the pipe and moves along it to the left and right, allowing it to be heated evenly. This method is applicable both indoors and outdoors when the plug does not exceed a length of 5 m.
Using a U-shaped heating element. The heating element is fixed inside a metal shell so that heating occurs in a directional manner. A piece is placed below it wooden board to prevent contact with walls, especially plastic pipes. It is advisable to select the heating element in a size significantly smaller than the internal diameter of the pipe opening. It is imperative to ensure high-quality insulation of electrical wiring to prevent short circuits and breakdowns. The heater does not turn on immediately, but the moment it reaches the ice. During operation, it is turned on alternately to allow the thawed water to flow out and control the speed of progress. This method is applicable when the plug is located on a straight section of the pipe, or there is no access to it from the outside. In places of bending, it will be almost impossible to control the process.

All of the above methods are effective to varying degrees and can be combined within reasonable limits for use in a specific situation. Therefore, before defrosting pipes, you should carefully consider the appropriate methods.

Methods for heating metal pipes

Methods for defrosting metal pipes are more effective because they are based on various properties of the material, such as electrical conductivity, heat resistance and strength. The most radical way to melt ice is to use a conventional blowtorch or torch.

Note! You need to heat the pipe evenly so that it does not burst. The application of the method is aimed at external use in open sections of the pipe and is effective in any frost. The method is quite mobile and does not require nearby electricity.

The second heating method is to use a heating tape, which is placed on the outside of the pipe and covered with heat-insulating material on top. When current is passed through it, it heats up, and the LATR controls the resistance and, accordingly, the temperature values. But to use it, you will need to use autonomous generators, or pull the cable from the nearest outlet.

The third method is also based on electric heating, but by passing current through a section of pipe. Terminals are attached to the ends and passed through electricity, the pipe in turn heats up and the ice melts. This device is intended for industrial use, so it is not worth buying for infrequent use. In addition, it requires sufficient experience.

Defrosting pipes is a rather labor-intensive process, since it takes time to localize the resulting plug and select the appropriate method and tool.

Autonomous life support systems allow you to increase the level of comfort in a private home. But all problems arising with local communications will have to be resolved by the owners themselves. Severe frosts are always a test for engineering systems. One possible problem is freezing of the sewer system. Let's figure out how to defrost a sewer pipe if an accident does occur.

The local drainage system used in a private home can stop not only because the pipes are clogged with debris. An equally serious problem is freezing of the liquid inside. The resulting ice plug makes it impossible to operate the pipeline, so it will be useful for owners to learn how to defrost a sewer pipe.

Let's do prevention

To avoid having to choose the most suitable method for defrosting the pipeline later, it is worth taking measures in advance to prevent freezing. What can you do? There are several ways to solve the problem.

Deep gasket. The soil in the area freezes to a certain depth, so if you lay pipes underground below this level, the water in them will never freeze. This method is very effective, but is not always acceptable, since it involves a rather deep laying. And given that the pipeline needs to be laid with a slope, the excavation work to prepare the ditches will require very serious work.
Insulation. To protect pipes from the cold, they can be insulated. For this purpose, polystyrene foam and other polymer insulation materials are used.
Application of active insulation. The most effective, but also the most expensive method is to use a heating cable.

Advice! The most effective protection can be achieved by using a combination of methods. For example, use a heating cable in the most problematic areas, and ordinary insulation in other areas.

Defrosting methods

If preventive measures were not taken in a timely manner or they turned out to be ineffective, then you will need to choose a way to warm the pipeline. To eliminate the accident, you must first find the place where the ice jam formed.

Bonfire

One of the most simple ways To warm up the pipeline is to build a fire over the place where the ice plug forms. The advantages of this method:

simplicity;
no costs.

low efficiency;
can only be used in the case of a cast iron pipeline; for plastic pipes it is categorically unacceptable;
can be used if pipes are laid shallow underground.

Boiler

You can remove the ice jam using a boiler. This method, like the previous one, is only suitable for cast iron pipelines. When trying to warm it up like this plastic pipe the result will be disastrous. Mode of application:

the boiler is attached to a rigid wire;
through an inspection (a special fitting for servicing the pipeline), the assembled structure is inserted into the pipe and supplied to the location of the plug;
After the boiler is immersed in water, it is connected to the network.

The method has many disadvantages, namely:

the distance to which the boiler can be moved is limited by the length of the cord;
if the plug is large, it will take a long time to destroy it;
After using the boiler in this way, all that remains is to throw it away.

However, the most significant drawback is the risk of a short circuit. To somewhat reduce the risk of short circuiting, it is recommended to use a homemade blade design instead of a conventional boiler. Its advantage is that heating will stop as soon as the water leaves.

Cable

It is much safer to use a heating cable instead of a boiler. If it is possible to get to the pipe, then it is simply wrapped with a cable from above and power is supplied.

However, most often the cable has to be inserted into the pipeline. Since this product is sealed, there is no risk of shorting. But the cable does not heat up much, so removing the ice plug will take a lot of time. But this method will allow you to warm up plastic pipes without the risk of damaging them.

Boiling water

The most obvious and easiest way to warm up a pipe is to pour hot water into the system. If the plug is located near the exit from the house, then you can simply open the hot water tap.

However, in most cases, the plug forms at a distance from the place where the pipe exits the house. Therefore, you will have to act through the well closest to the plug. To supply boiling water, you will need a hose that is inserted into the pipe and, as the ice melts, is pushed further.

If the hose is soft, then it will be impossible to push it through the pipe. To solve this problem, you will need to attach the hose with tape to a stiff wire.

Advice! To warm up the drainage system faster, you can feed a salt solution heated to a boil into the pipe. Salt melts ice well, so you can clear the jam faster. Moreover, a strong salt solution freezes at lower temperatures, so there is no fear that the ice plug will increase if you have to interrupt work.

So, there are several options for solving the problem of how to defrost a sewer pipe. But all methods are quite labor-intensive and each has certain disadvantages. Therefore, it is much wiser to take timely measures to prevent the formation of ice jams in the sewer pipeline.

Although plastic resists corrosion and mineral deposits, like metal water supply systems, it freezes at low temperatures. To start this communication in winter, you need to know how to defrost a sewer pipe.

Why do pipes freeze?

There can be many reasons: incorrect installation, extremely low temperatures for a certain region, a pipe break at a certain point. Various factors influence. For example, if you installed polypropylene pipes to a depth too close to the surface of the earth, then at the first frost the system will freeze.

In this case, you need to draw your attention to the fact that plastic (polypropylene or PVC pipes) it is not necessary to insulate, unlike metal ones. For insulation you can use:

Pillows made of sand, clay and sand or asbestos;
Special insulation;
Metal sewer pipes are often insulated mineral wool or modern reflective films with an aluminum layer.

Many may argue that the main reason is the improper slope of the sewer system, but this is not always true. It is quite possible that this is an isolated case in your practice due to extremely severe frosts.

Photo: insulation of sewer pipe

How to defrost pipes

The first thing to do is to find the location of the water line damage. To do this, you need to use a long metal wire with a rounded end so as not to damage the walls of the sewer. Such a cable is launched from two sides, from the side of the cleaning well and the house. When the wire hits an icy area, you will be able to accurately determine its location, and thanks to the presence of the wire on the side of the septic tank, calculate its size.

When you have found the place where the ice plug has formed, you need to choose a way to defrost a sewer pipe in the ground. It must be said right away that this is quite difficult to accomplish. You will need to make a special electrical device, akin to a heating element, that can heat the pipe locally. It must be attached to a wooden board and run through the pipe. We also recommend equipping the heating element with limiters that will protect the pipe from exposure to high temperatures. When you hit an ice jam, turn on the device and start heating.

Scheme: option for defrosting a sewer pipe

Another option for defrosting a plastic or metal sewer pipe is heating with chemicals. The method is completely safe, but it is advisable not to use it on metal communications. You need to ensure a continuous flow of hot water and salt into the pipe. Salt will speed up the process of cleaning the pipe, and boiling water will melt the pipe. The main thing is to pour at a normal pace, not too thin and not too large.

To save money, you can make the following system: pour 10–20 liters of boiling water into a pipe, and wrap a heating cable around it. First mix water with salt. It turns out that the temperature near the ice is always positive, which will affect its melting. You can, of course, pump out the liquid from the sewer and heat it up, and then put it into a repeat cycle, but this is a very troublesome task.

If you need to heat a plastic pipe at home that is accessible from the outside, you can use conventional heating cables, as for heating roofs or drainage systems. You need to buy a special wire and wrap it around the pipe. Then connect the device to the electrical network and leave it for a while.

A good option is to use improvised heaters. This could be a kerosene lamp, a heating element that heats the pipe from the outside. But you need to be very careful when using spot heating devices.

Sometimes, in a private house or country house, there are often simply no other options on how to defrost a sewer pipe other than calling specialists. Of course, this pleasure is not cheap, but you don’t have to do any work. To make the process easier, you just want to find the place where the ice blockage has formed.

Professional companies have steam generators for such work, which, thanks to the high temperature and pressure of the condensate, quickly defrost the pipe. The advantages of this method are its speed, efficiency and safety. The steam temperature can be adjusted depending on the communication material. Externally, this device resembles a car washing machine, but only steam, rather than water, comes out through a flexible hose.

Rules for heating pipes:

Do not use chemically active or aggressive substances. Acids or mineral mixtures can damage certain types of pipes; it is advisable to consult with professionals before starting the work process;
Plastic pipes are much more easily damaged by high temperatures than metal ones. You should not keep the heat source in one place for a long time - this may cause the formation of a crack or a through hole, which will require reinstalling the entire sewer system;
Particular care must be taken when heating connections, fittings, and rotating elements so as not to weaken the diffusion of plastic molecules;
If possible, be sure to additionally insulate the pipe. As we have already said, this can be done using a pillow made of asbestos, clay and additional materials;
Polypropylene, when exposed to low temperatures on both sides (inside and outside), bursts in the same way as metal. Under no circumstances should you let the process take its course.

Defrosting the pipe takes an average of 24 hours, depending on the size of the ice plug. In this case, you need to be very careful and careful. The golden rule for installers is not to stop defrosting until the process is complete, otherwise the pipe will freeze even more than the first time.

The problem of frozen sewerage is, unfortunately, not so rare. Therefore, the question of how to defrost a sewer pipe is often asked. To answer it, you need to understand the reasons for the formation of an ice plug. And they mainly relate to purely technical features of the construction of the sewer system. Namely:

the slope of the pipe was chosen incorrectly; optimally for sewerage it is 2-3 mm per 1 linear meter;
a large number of bends and elbows of the route;
the sewer network was laid above the ground freezing level and poorly insulated;
pipes of smaller diameter were installed, which reduced their throughput.

Even the presence of one of these reasons immediately becomes a problem, which will be determined by the question: the sewer is frozen - what to do?

Frozen sewer

In fact, what can be done, in what ways can defrost the sewer be carried out. Basically, there are not many options. The whole point is that sewer system usually laid deep underground; getting to it in winter by digging through frozen ground is not the easiest problem. But if there is no other way out, then you will have to dig.

However, it should be noted that you can only work with an open sewer pipe if it is made of metal. But before you defrost the sewer, you need to determine where the ice plug is forming. This can be done very simply.

A hose or wire is used for this.
One of these products must be pushed into the sewer line from the side of the house from the first inspection window or inspection well.
As soon as the wire rests against something solid, it means that there is an obstacle in front of it. Perhaps this is an ice jam.
To check this and be one hundred percent sure, it is necessary to perform the same action on the side of the septic tank. That is, a hose or wire is inserted into the open pipe and pushed all the way.
Now, on both sides, using the same wire, you need to mark the distances along the line of laying the sewer pipe. If they converge in one area, then this is a guarantee that the ice plug is located exactly here.

If there is a viewing well in the same area, this simplifies the process of defrosting the sewer system. Access to the traffic jam is simply reduced.

Forgot to insulate

Heating of metal pipes

So, the location of the ice plug has been determined, now you can dig a hole or trench all the way to the pipe. Typically, metal pipes for the sewerage system are cast iron samples with a socket connection system. We got to the track, now we can defrost it.

The simplest and most effective option is to pick up a blowtorch, light it and walk along the pipe. If it is not available, then you can make a fire on the spot. Someone even suggests connecting electric current on both sides of the pipeline, phase on one side, zero on the other. This is unlikely to help, although purely theoretically this option should work.

Metal pipe can be heated with a burner

Heating of plastic pipes

Fortunately, plastic pipes have almost completely replaced steel pipes in the sewerage system. They have a very smooth inner surface, which guarantees high drainage permeability. But, as mentioned above, improper installation of pipes can lead to the formation of an ice plug. Therefore, we will deal with the question of how to heat sewerage from PVC pipes?

As in the first case, it is necessary to find the exact location of the frozen drains. That is, you need to do all the manipulations with the wire or hose. There is no need to dig anything, any action on the plastic of high temperature, and especially open fire, will lead to its melting, accordingly the pipes will lose their integrity and become covered with holes. That is, there can be no talk about the tightness of the sewer system.

Steam defrosting

The ice plug must be exposed from inside the pipeline with hot water or steam. To do this, you first need to determine the distance from the septic tank to the plug. If it is large, then it is better to use water; if it is small (up to 5 m), then steam can be used. In any case, you need to prepare, that is, collect a large volume of hot water, for example, it could be a barrel placed on a fire. If steam is used, you will have to install a low-power steam generator. The first option is both simpler and more reliable.

So, a hose is inserted into the sewer pipe from the side of the septic tank until it stops. A funnel is installed at its other end. The higher it is installed, the better, but even the level above the ground will be sufficient to deliver hot water to the point of demand. Now you just need to pour heated water into the funnel. She will reach the ice through the hose and begin to melt it. In this case, the defrosted wastewater will flow by gravity through the pipe into the septic tank. This is why it is important that the hose is inserted from the side of the septic tank.

Of course, if the distance from the collection well to the plug is large, then it is probably easier to fill the hot water from the side of the house. But here a problem arises related to pumping out the melted wastewater. After all, they will collect above the plug, remaining in the sewer pipe itself. It's good if the ice blockage is not very large. Hot water will gradually melt it, and all the drainage, along with pieces of ice, will fall further down the pipe, and from there into the septic tank. And if the traffic jam is large, if the sewer pipe (a large section) is frozen, what should you do in this case? How to pump out defrosted sewage?

Pouring hot water into a sewer pipe

In principle, there is only one option. Install a sump pump and turn it on periodically. That is, you will have to insert another hose from the pump into the sewer pipe. How do you know when to turn on the pumping device? As soon as water appears from the hose input side, you can turn it on.

Alternative solution

There is another option. It is simpler, but not as effective as defrosting with hot water or steam. To do this, you can use a hair dryer (construction or household). It is simply inserted into the end of the pipe from the septic tank side and turned on. Hot air penetrates the pipeline, filling it with itself. Having reached the ice plug, he begins to thaw it. This process is not quick; it will take several hours until the entire ice jam melts.

Conclusion on the topic

So, what should you pay attention to before defrosting a plastic or metal sewer pipe? First of all, you need to decide on the size of the plug. The larger it is, the more difficult it is to cope with. But we can cope. The most important thing is that obvious defrosting methods cannot always be used immediately. It’s worth considering whether it’s worth all the effort to use this particular technology. Maybe there is an easier way? Or maybe you shouldn’t tinker with the sewer yourself, maybe it’s better to call specialists.

Don't forget to rate the article.

Despite the fact that plastic pipes are highly frost-resistant, sometimes they cannot stand the “surprises” that winter brings to them. To avoid getting into a hopeless situation, every homeowner should know how to defrost a plastic sewer pipe underground.

Frozen sewer pipe

Before you start defrosting, you need to understand the reasons for freezing of drains:

Water supply and sewerage are laid at a shallow depth. If the system is located above the freezing depth of the soil, it will constantly freeze in winter at low temperatures. To avoid these problems, before installing water supply and sewerage systems, it is necessary to clarify the depth of soil freezing in your area. If it is not possible to lay the pipes deep, take care of the heating system.
Poor quality insulation is another common cause of freezing.
Low water consumption with a significant decrease in temperature. If the temperature is predicted to drop sharply at night, it is best to leave the water on. This is not the most the best option solve the problem, but this way you will be able to prevent the formation of an ice jam.
If there is no heating in the room.
During design, the angle of inclination of the pipeline was chosen incorrectly. Water cannot move by gravity, as a result it stagnates and freezes.
Small pipe diameter. Even with a minimum volume of wastewater, pipes with a diameter of less than 110 mm cannot be laid, since they freeze much faster.
Blockages. If plaque has formed in the sewer or large debris constantly gets into the drain, an obstacle may form inside, near which water stands. In severe frosts it will freeze and the system will fail.

What you need to know before starting work

In order to defrost a plastic sewer pipe, you must first determine where the problem occurred. The location of the ice plug can be determined using a metal wire. It is advisable to run it from both sides in order to find out not only the location of the plug, but also its size. If necessary, before starting defrosting, dig a trench in the problem area and remove the insulation from the pipe.

If you want to defrost the sewer yourself, you must carefully carry out all the work, heating the pipes gradually. Rapid heating can cause the system to rupture, causing waste to return into the room.

When defrosting, waste water pressure must be present in the sewer system. In this case, hot water will displace the melted ice.

Defrosting methods

There are many options for heating a sewer pipe located underground. The choice of method depends on where the freezing occurs. The system's functionality can be restored in 5-10 minutes, but sometimes it takes several hours. To defrost plastic pipes with your own hands, you do not need any special equipment. The materials and tools needed for the job can be found in any home.

Boiling water

Sometimes, to defrost plastic pipes, simply pouring boiling water is enough. But this method only works if the ice plug is located a short distance from the drain. After using the water from the container you boiled it in, try opening the hot water tap. You can also pump out all the waste from the drain and pour boiling water over it. To get hot water to reach the ice, first place a hose inside the pipe. Its edge should touch the freezing area. After this, pour hot water through the hose.

Boiler

This method is used if other, safer methods do not work. Defrosting must be done carefully. First, make a boiler out of blades with a long wire and tie it with wire to a small piece of wood. After this, attach the structure to a thick wire or hose and push it into the sewer. When you are sure that the boiler is near the ice plug, plug it into the outlet and wait until it begins to melt.

Heating cable

The safest, but too slow way of defrosting is using a heating cable. It is desirable that it be self-regulating. In this case, the insulation will not melt even if it overlaps.

Wrap the cable around the edge of the rigid hose and slowly move it towards the problem area. The main thing is to ensure constant contact of the ice plug with the cable. This solution can be used to prevent freezing. If you live in an area with a cold climate, you should equip the sewer system with a self-regulating heating cable in advance and thereby solve the problem of freezing.

Bonfire

Plastic pipes laid at shallow depths can be thawed using a fire. This method is appropriate for moderate length ice plugs. A fire is lit along the entire length of the mash and the soil is heated for 2-3 hours. Be careful not to damage the pipes due to extreme heat. This solution will be effective if the sewer system is located at a depth of no more than 0.5 m.

Chemistry

Chemical heating can only be used on plastic communications. To work you will need soda and sulfuric acid. Don’t forget to also take care of protective equipment - a mask and gloves.

Sulfuric acid is poured into the pipe 1 glass every 30 minutes. After 2-3 hours it will react with wastewater and the pipe will begin to heat up. After this, you need to pour 5-10 liters of saturated soda solution. To remove any remaining plugs, pour 3 buckets of boiling water down the drain. It dissolves ice and hot salt solution quite well.

Blowtorch

A plastic pipe can be defrosted using a blowtorch. To do this, in the place where the sewage system runs, dig a trench, find a pipe and heat it with a lamp, starting from the side cesspool. You need to act quickly and carefully so as not to damage the pipe. If you are not sure that you can heat the sewer with a blowtorch without damage, use a hair dryer.