# freeze machine



## bikefitter0 (Nov 22, 2011)

what are you guy's using to freeze pipes in order to replace a water main valve. year's ago i had a cool tool (COOL TOOL ACTUAL NAME)that clamped around the pipe with two clamps and hose from a little bottle of refridgerent. worked well but i quess the ozone didn't like it. some thing for 1/2" 3/4 " 1". thank's


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## user7551 (Oct 21, 2011)

if its copper I know we used to use a ballvalve called an add-a-valve they worked good only bad thing was at the time the ones we used were a one time use shutoff.


http://www.jomarvalve.com/products/Add-A-Valve.html


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## user7551 (Oct 21, 2011)

Doing a little reading seems they have them for schedule 40 and 80 steel pipe and pvc pipe now.


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## SewerRat (Feb 26, 2011)

I have a General Cold-Shot. Fittings for everything from 1/8" to 2" using CO2.

Wanna buy it?

Here's a link. http://www.drainbrain.com/specialties/coldshot.html


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## bizzybeeplumbin (Jul 19, 2011)

I have a cold shot also, only needed a couple times but it has not failed me yet.

I would like to know how much gas I have in the tank though. It always worries me, what if I run out? I propress ball valves real quick. When I turn the gas off and listen, that ice plug blows quick. not much holding that flood back :thumbsup:


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

SewerRat said:


> I have a General Cold-Shot. Fittings for everything from 1/8" to 2" using CO2.
> 
> Wanna buy it?
> 
> Here's a link. http://www.drainbrain.com/specialties/coldshot.html


Ron, if Bikefitter's not interested I might be. 



-- edit -- Ha! Wrong Sewer Rat. Well, whatever your name is, I've been looking into getting one of these so let me know.

Paul


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## Greenguy (Jan 22, 2011)

We also use the cold shot plus bags for going up to 6", as a rule of thumb we have two cylinders of CO2 on hand. For freezing hot water lines using the cold shot and bags works great.


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## Hillside (Jan 22, 2010)

Is it true that if there's a leak down the line from where u are doing a repair or adding a valve it won't freeze? I was told awhile back that no water can be flowing, always kinda wanted one but forgot about it after I heard that


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## SewerRat (Feb 26, 2011)

rocksteady said:


> Ron, if Bikefitter's not interested I might be.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Rock, I'll talk to my brother and we'll decide if we want to sell it. We have only used it once and most of our water line work is underground so most often the pipe is too rusty to repair. We bought it one day when we all at once had three water line repairs to do. Ferguson Water Works Division had ordered it in for someone who never picked it up so we got a pretty decent deal on it. That was last summer and it hasn't been out of the package since.

If you haven't heard from me after a bit PM me.


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## bikefitter0 (Nov 22, 2011)

Thank's guys for the reply's. Sewer rat, i have no idea what it's worth. But that is almost the same as i once had year's ago.


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## MarkToo (Dec 17, 2011)

HillsidePlumbco said:


> Is it true that if there's a leak down the line from where u are doing a repair or adding a valve it won't freeze? I was told awhile back that no water can be flowing, always kinda wanted one but forgot about it after I heard that



I've got the Ridgid Super Freeze machine. While I've only used it three times, it allowed me to make repairs that would have been virtually impractical otherwise.

It will do it's job even with a little flow. Not sure how much flow it would be able to overcome but, the water does not have to be stopped entirely. I had a pinhole (not a tiny one), in 1" copper under 80 psig that was not accessible and it was able to freeze the feed while leaking.

I will say that the pucker factor for me is pretty big when using it. I felt like throwing up on the one job - large office building on second floor with a large furniture retailer below, working by myself - and an open 1" line hanging there.

Having a contingency is prudent when doing this stuff I think. Like a ball valve with a shark bite connection or similar. Just in case.


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

How long does it take to freeze a plug in the ones that run off of CO2 vs. the refrigerant based ones like the Ridgid machine? I like the fact that you don't need to worry about running out of gas on the Ridgid machines.







Paul


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## bizzybeeplumbin (Jul 19, 2011)

rocksteady said:


> How long does it take to freeze a plug in the ones that run off of CO2 vs. the refrigerant based ones like the Ridgid machine? I like the fact that you don't need to worry about running out of gas on the Ridgid machines.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Paul, last 1/2" I did, the plug blew in less than a minute of having the unit off. 

I could hear it slam into the ball valve. Def don't want to go out and take a smoke break or hit the head. Freeze, cut, ball valve, done. 

If your not sure its froze, take your tiny time, cut a small slit in the pipe and have a piece of rubber and a hose clamp ready. :thumbsup:


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

How long did it take to create the plug? I've seen some charts that start at around 7 minutes for 1/2" and go up to nearly an hour for the larger lines.





Paul


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## MarkToo (Dec 17, 2011)

I can't say for the 1" line as far as time goes - I didn't disturb it for 20 mins. - but it was frozen at that time.

A 3/4 line was solid within 12 minutes - perhaps sooner but again, how much quicker than that is difficult to say. The ambient temperature around the machine was pushing 80 deg. F so, I was impressed with the results. Cooler ambient temperatures would surely yield quicker freeze times.

It's one of those tools that I can't see using a bunch but I purchased it to accommodate a specific job/customer and billed accordingly for the convenience to them and since used it twice. Having said that, it may never pay itself off directly - I don't know.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

You can make your own http://www.plumbingzone.com/f8/pipe-freezing-methods-7368/


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

Aside from the initial purchase price, is there any reason why the freezing machines like the Ridgid SF2500 and SF2000 aren't a better option than something that works off of CO2? Just plug it in and it does it's thing, right? No worry about running out of gas. I guess like any other piece of equipment, they would need maintenance and repairs eventually but as long as you have power they seem like the better option. 

What do you guys think? The machines cost a lot more, are they even close to worth the difference or should I just plan on a CO2 system?





Paul


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