# Frozen Pipes



## AlbacoreShuffle (Aug 28, 2011)

Any tips on how to thaw poly pipe from the meter to the house ?


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## Relic (Sep 30, 2012)

I rigged up a heat trace line to one I did last year. Was a 1-1/2 temp water line for a new project. Can use battery or wall outlet pug.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

I would use a brand new 1/8 jetter hose and just push it in. Ice needs flow, not pressure to melt.


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## AlbacoreShuffle (Aug 28, 2011)

Relic said:


> I rigged up a heat trace line to one I did last year. Was a 1-1/2 temp water line for a new project. Can use battery or wall outlet pug.


 That sounds great for a new line , but what about an existing line thats 4' deep ?


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## AlbacoreShuffle (Aug 28, 2011)

gear junkie said:


> I would use a brand new 1/8 jetter hose and just push it in. Ice needs flow, not pressure to melt.


Where would you push it to ?
line starts 4' deep in the meter box and then go's through the finished basemnet wall .


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## UN1TED-WE-PLUMB (Oct 3, 2012)

The only one I've ever had was in the meter box. I cracked the union on the meter and when water started flowing I tightened everything back up and it was good to go.


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## Relic (Sep 30, 2012)

Are you talking about a frozen meter inside the meter box? I'd do a battery heater from Walmart or battery operated heating blanket. Just no instant way to unfreeze this really.


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## AlbacoreShuffle (Aug 28, 2011)

Relic said:


> Are you talking about a frozen meter inside the meter box? I'd do a battery heater from Walmart or battery operated heating blanket. Just no instant way to unfreeze this really.


 Not sure where it is frozen, I warmed up the meter box with an electric heater and still have no flow. 
The only pipe I can get to without digging it up is in the meter box.
The rest of the pipe is in the house and in conditioned space.


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## UN1TED-WE-PLUMB (Oct 3, 2012)

Use your torch on the meter


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## AlbacoreShuffle (Aug 28, 2011)

UN1TED-WE-PLUMB said:


> Use your torch on the meter


 Ive done that, pretty much eliminated the meter box as the frozen area.
The home owner said he replaced the line a few years ago ( no permit ) and doesn't think its 42" deep as required by code.
My guess is there is a high spot somewhere between the box and the house and that is the problem area.


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## Relic (Sep 30, 2012)

Only one solution then. Grab a shovel :thumbup:


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

AlbacoreShuffle said:


> Where would you push it to ?
> line starts 4' deep in the meter box and then go's through the finished basemnet wall .


Go find the pipe coming into the wall and cut it....hopefully it's a straight shot to the meter. If the hose wants to back out, tape the hose to a new fish tape. Catch the overflow in a trashcan while jetting it out. Heck, use the water out of a sink....hot water would probably work better.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

UN1TED-WE-PLUMB said:


> The only one I've ever had was in the meter box. I cracked the union on the meter and when water started flowing I tightened everything back up and it was good to go.


On both sides you cracked the union? Are you sure the water wasn't coming from the house?


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## antiCon (Jun 15, 2012)

Relic said:


> Only one solution then. Grab a shovel :thumbup:


Or an ice pick o.0


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## saysflushable (Jun 15, 2009)

gear junkie;3641 Heck said:


> Hmmmm I don't think that would work!


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## UN1TED-WE-PLUMB (Oct 3, 2012)

gear junkie said:


> On both sides you cracked the union? Are you sure the water wasn't coming from the house?


 On the house side I cracked it. Then heated with torch. When water started spraying I buttoned it up. It was crazy though, it was so cold outside that it was basically raining ice. When the water started to run.


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## SewerRat (Feb 26, 2011)

Greg you must have been in the inversion over there in Boise too. I've had more frozen pipe calls lately than I know what to do with. For several days me and two competitors were basically keeping each other posted so whoever was closest could take the call so we could keep up.


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## Optimus Primer (May 20, 2009)

Move to Florida. 8:41pm and it's 75 degrees.


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## AlbacoreShuffle (Aug 28, 2011)

SewerRat said:


> Greg you must have been in the inversion over there in Boise too. I've had more frozen pipe calls lately than I know what to do with. For several days me and two competitors were basically keeping each other posted so whoever was closest could take the call so we could keep up.


Yep we've been getting a lot of frozen pipe calls.
I love the people that want to bicker over price,
" That MUCH can you come down to ---- " 
" Yes Mame I can do it for that price if your willing to wait tell I get caught up with the dozens of people that need my help right now"


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Optimus Primer said:


> Move to Florida. 8:41pm and it's 75 degrees.






















Sent from my iPhone 10.5


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## Catlin987987 (Nov 12, 2010)

I have done this before. Feed 1/4 poly line into frozen line. Put to water through it and have a shop vac at the end where ou are feeding it, once to hit the house, close up the line and quickly pressurize it.


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## SewerRat (Feb 26, 2011)

Optimus Primer said:


> Move to Florida. 8:41pm and it's 75 degrees.


It'd be tough to make much money off all our snow removal equipment if I came down there lol!


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## redbeardplumber (Dec 4, 2012)

You need this, a home made steamer, one gallon of water, a tiger torch and some 1/4" line....


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## redbeardplumber (Dec 4, 2012)

But better yet.... Move to florida


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

redbeardplumber said:


> You need this, a home made steamer, one gallon of water, a tiger torch and some 1/4" line....


How's it work ??


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

Didn't we talk about this last year. And isn't ther some electric equipment that's seends a current through a froz line to thaw it ??


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## Catlin987987 (Nov 12, 2010)

TX MECH PLUMBER said:


> Didn't we talk about this last year. And isn't ther some electric equipment that's seends a current through a froz line to thaw it ??


We have a ridgid thawing machine. It only works on copper or steel though.


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

Won't the ice/ water carry the electric current ?? Hook a the welding leads to it !! Lol


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## Catlin987987 (Nov 12, 2010)

TX MECH PLUMBER said:


> Won't the ice/ water carry the electric current ?? Hook a the welding leads to it !! Lol


Or melt the service. Then your screwed.


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## redbeardplumber (Dec 4, 2012)

TX MECH PLUMBER said:


> How's it work ??


This one, put a gallon of water in
With rad cap. Hook up 1/4" or 3/8" hose. Feed hose into line, when u hit the ice put the torch in chamber..... When u get steam, u will slowly fed line up ice. It can b slow, but I get paid by the hour.
Pretty Mickeymouse, but works, was cheap to make


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## PLUMBER_BILL (Oct 23, 2009)

AlbacoreShuffle said:


> Any tips on how to thaw poly pipe from the meter to the house ?


From a trade standpoint I think we as tradesmen must 
re-think frozen pipes. Electrically [pipe thawer] and plastics don't work. But if you go to Google Images and type in thawing steamer or click on this link
http://www.google.com/search?num=10...0.10.0.47.171.5.5.0...0.0...1ac.1.dRhqgoCUa8c
you will see a few alternatives most with steam. But what they don't tell you is to think out the job!
#1 you don't want to open a line [usually you need pressure and flow to get a line open] so you just can't take something apart and push a small steam line or a jetter line in for when it opens you will have a flood [example here would be pushing a 1/4" inch line through a ball valve, without a working valve ahead of it].
Like I said think first !!!


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## GAN (Jul 10, 2012)

Relic said:


> Are you talking about a frozen meter inside the meter box? I'd do a battery heater from Walmart or battery operated heating blanket. Just no instant way to unfreeze this really.


\


An old school way which may take a few attempts on a meter pit is to take several sheets of news paper, put them in the pit. Then light the paper, once it gets burning good drop the lid back on, you should hear a rush of air and potentially get a vacuum seal on the lid with the heat acting on the frost. No power, no batteries and much cheaper.

Once the vacuum seal happens if the line thaws out it may hold for a lot longer with the absence of air and vacuum creating a sort of dead air space that helps protect against the cold.

Understand hear in the Midwest our heating degree days for January are not much below the mid 20's, I could see where this would not work in colder areas.


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## Optimus Primer (May 20, 2009)

SewerRat said:


> It'd be tough to make much money off all our snow removal equipment if I came down there lol!


lol. there is always sand removal.


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