Frozen Pipes

[Kamper]

Originally Posted by secondcurve

... I tried my heat again this afternoon and it worked!! ...

Congratulations!

For future reference, there is a "wrap" you can get to thaw pipes. It has an electric heating element sewn into it. I've seen these used with good effect on regular water pipes. You can leave it on the pipe year-around but remember to unplug when not in use.

If you use a blow-torch on frozen pipes, apply the flame away from any joints to avoid melting the solder. Use a fire-proof back-stop when using a torch in any confined area. Just heat the pipe for a few minutes at a time and allow the water to "circulate." Have a fire extinguisher or water spray bottle available. When heating 'over-head' pipes, a tank of helium can come in handy.

You can also add a "heating chamber" to household pipes if you are susceptible to freezing. Basically this is a section of larger diameter pipe in the main line inside the house. Supposedly, this allows a larger reservoir of warm water to build up when heating with a torch. Although I've heard of this from several sources I've only seen it once. I wouldn't be surprised if that was just a repair using what was on hand then explained away as high-tech. That was a horizontal pipe but I'd think it would be more effective in a vertical piece.

And that's all I think I know about that...