# Keeping drains ice free?



## 907plumber (Mar 13, 2010)

In a nutshell I watched another drain cleaning company (thats all they do) try and figure out what was causing the blockage in a main. Their initial diagnosis was ice. I asked them what about putting a heat trace in there and they said they can do it.

Apparently they made up a special tool to lay the trace in flat. They quoted the customer 700 dollars in wire and 2 hours labor for 70 feet of installed heat trace.

any of you guys do this?


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## eddiecalder (Jul 15, 2008)

Where is this drain located? What material is the pipe? What discharges into the pipe?

The heat trace is expensive I think last time I bought some it was around $5 per foot.


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## 907plumber (Mar 13, 2010)

eddiecalder said:


> Where is this drain located? What material is the pipe? What discharges into the pipe?
> 
> The heat trace is expensive I think last time I bought some it was around $5 per foot.


The pipe in question is a 4 inch cast that is the house main. It is somewhat shallow and is freezing just before it hits the sewer. The ground above it is being plowed allowing the cold to reach it.

The owners go out of town quite a bit, and the thought is the condenstation from the furnace is trickling down the pipe and building up and with no occupancy there is not enough warm water being used to free up the build up.

My suggestion was to fill up the condensate p-trap with rock salt or ice melt. That way everytime it drains it carries some salt with it.


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## eddiecalder (Jul 15, 2008)

I like the salt idea more than the heat trace. Someone will end up messing it up with a drain cleaning machine someday (if the owner sell the house). Why was the piping not installed below frost level? The heat trace would work but I would be concerned with it causing blockages. 

Why not just turn off (or down to like 40F) the furnace next time they go out of town (depending on how long they are gone for)


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## pipe doc (Dec 26, 2010)

I have never seen a heat trace that worked long term . we installed a sprinkler clock and a solenoid valve that flows hot water at regular intervals .


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## eddiecalder (Jul 15, 2008)

pipe doc said:


> I have never seen a heat trace that worked long term . we installed a sprinkler clock and a solenoid valve that flows hot water at regular intervals .


Good idea!


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Are there bellies in the line?
Anything happening like leaking flappers, fill valves, or dripping faucets?

Probably not the case in Alaska but often so here...


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## 907plumber (Mar 13, 2010)

Redwood said:


> Are there bellies in the line?
> Anything happening like leaking flappers, fill valves, or dripping faucets?
> 
> Probably not the case in Alaska but often so here...


We think the problem is the condensation from the furnace. I actually need to call the customer and find out what they actually found to be the blockage.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

907plumber said:


> We think the problem is the condensation from the furnace. I actually need to call the customer and find out what they actually found to be the blockage.


A low trickle flow will do it every time! :thumbup:

Maybe the thing to do is put it on a condensate pump so it discharges in periodic blasts...


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