What to do if the sewage system is frozen

Great inconvenience can bring ice jams, which were formed inside the sewer pipes, in this case, you can not fully use the water in the house. The problem of freezing pipes must be solved quickly. Since this phenomenon is quite frequent, a solution to the problem has been found for a long time, you just have to follow the advice. Moreover, it is important not only to eliminate the problem, but also to find out the cause of the occurrence of ice in the sewer pipes. After all, without eliminating the very cause, you will repeatedly have to face the freezing of pipes. Let's take a closer look at what to do if the sewage system is frozen.

Sewage freezing - causes

Basically, the freezing of pipes occurs due to errors made during installation of the system. Or an accident can occur if you use sewage improperly. Here are the main factors causing this phenomenon:

1. The installed pipe has insufficient slope or a pipe with a smaller diameter is used than needed. Such errors contribute to the fact that the rate of movement of the drains is small, they can accumulate in the pipes and freeze during severe frost. It is in this case that the longest ice cork is formed.
2. Disrupted water drainage in the septic tank. When the filtration fields are made on an insufficient area and the drainage pipes are installed shallowly, then the water from the septic tank will not exit. As a result, it will overflow, and the new liquid that will flow and accumulate in the pipes. To solve this problem, you will have to extract the contents of the septic tank until it is warm, and you can alter the filtration fields.
3. The flow of water. It happens that in the dwelling the valve flows in the drain tank, tap in the bathroom or kitchen. In this case, the water will constantly flow into the pipes in small quantities. Since it is small, it can easily freeze on the way to the septic tank. Layer upon layer, it freezes, forming an icy plug. The owner just needs to repair the breakage, in order to avoid leakage of fluid.
4. Another reason is clogging. No one is immune from this, so you will need to not only heat the pipes, but also clean them.
5. Sewer pipes are not insulated. If they are not warmed, the water will often freeze.

Armed with this knowledge, you can prevent the next occurrence of ice jams in your system. But what to do next, how to fix the problem?

Calling specialists - simply and without worries

The most banal decision is simply to call the special services of Vodokanal, who know how to defrost the sewage system. In principle, it is quite reasonable. Plumbers have often faced this situation, they are trained and have the necessary equipment. You do not have to do anything on your part, it’s enough to pay the guys for the work done. And then the matter of technology - workers can use steam generators that supply steam through the hoses to the place where the ice was formed. This problem is solved. But it happens that plumbers have a lot of orders, so you need to wait. By the way, if any of you called such workers, can you share in the comments how quickly they arrived and how well they did their job?

But this is the easiest option. Some do not want to spend extra money on what they can do themselves. Therefore, let's consider how to solve the problem yourself.

What you need to know?

So, having found out the reason, you can proceed to its elimination. First you need to evaluate all the scales of the “tragedy”, since this will influence the choice of the method of eliminating the accident. You need to find out:

• where exactly is the ice block;
• what is its length through the pipes.

With such information, you can get to work. In service, you will have several methods that you can choose:

1. Pouring hot water into the system.
2. Use a blowtorch.
3. Steam heating with a steam generator.
4. The use of external methods.

Let's take a look at how to warm up the system in each of these ways.

Hot water to help

If you have determined that the frozen area is small, we recommend the easiest way. Even a child can do it. It is enough just to fill the sewage system with hot water with added salt. Cheap and angry. As water flows to the place where the plug is formed, it will gradually defrost it. This method is good for its simplicity and efficiency.

In the case when the cork is located far from the place of the sewer, this method will be useless. As long as the water reaches the place of formation, it will simply cool. Therefore, it is recommended to use hot water only when the cork is close and it is small.

This method is universal and is suitable for both plastic and metal sewer pipes.

Pros:

• simplicity;
• efficiency;
• no additional tools required;
• everything you need is at hand;
• versatility.

Minuses:

• valid only under certain circumstances.

Using a blowtorch

The second method is only suitable when you have metal pipes. After all, plastic will just melt. But he is good because the location of the cork and its size does not matter. Yes, and using a blowtorch is a simple task. The only problem is that the heating must be carried out outside. If you live in a private house, you need to dig a trench. This is especially difficult in winter, when the earth is solid. Well, after that is a matter of technology! You heat the cast iron pipe gradually so that the ice inside melts.

Pros:

• Suitable for any location and size of cork;
• simplicity in work;
• efficiency.

Minuses:

• external use;
• only suitable for metal pipes;
• need to dig a trench.

Steam vs ice

In the case when your pipes are made of plastic, open fire is problematic. But this is not a problem, as steam generators are provided for this purpose, which will help you restore the system thanks to the hot steam. You only have to go to a specialized store and purchase this unit.

If you do not want to spend money, you can ask your neighbors or friends if they have a steam generator. They can lend it to you for work.

How is the work done?

1. The steam generator is filled with water.
2. A hose is inserted into the sewer pipe, at the end of which a nozzle is located. It must be pushed all the way into the ice plug.
3. The device starts.
4. As the cork melts, you need to move the hose further until the cork is completely removed.

A feature of using a steam generator is that if you need to defrost pipes that are underground, you don’t have to dig anything.

Pros:

• security;
• efficiency;
• simplicity.

Minuses:

• purchase of expensive equipment.

One of the varieties of this method is hydrodynamic washing. To do this, use the installation, which serves hot water under pressure. Thanks to this, you will not only eliminate the plug, but also get rid of blockages in the pipes. Also, thanks to this method, you can check if there are any damaged pipes in the system.

Heating methods outside

Besides the fact that outside you can use a blowtorch, there are other methods of heating. For example, the method of defrosting with electricity is often used. This defrost is suitable exclusively for metal pipes. After determining the emergency place, where it starts and ends, fix the terminals. They are supplied with electricity, which heats the metal. As a result, the ice melts.

The length of the heated pipeline depends on the capacity of the installation.

Open pipes can be poured from above with hot water.

Another outdoor method is to install a self-heating cable. It is fixed on the pipe, it serves food. Gradually the pipe heats up and the goal is reached. Such cable can be installed both on metal and plastic pipes.

Eliminate the problem, what's next?

After all the defrosting work is done, preventive measures should be taken. In winter, from time to time, pour boiling water into the pipeline, then the sewage system will not freeze again. So as you often do not want to defrost the system, in case of a heat attack, warm the sewage pipes. For this purpose, you can use the same heating cable, thanks to which water will not freeze, and you will not have to shiver in the cold, defrosting the sewage system. Moreover, cable installation is quick and effortless.

It is better not to wait until the sewage system freezes, but to take care of it before the onset of winter, using the tips from the article.

Video

We break through the ice plug in the sewer pipe with a CamSpay heated hydrodynamic machine:

See how you can defrost the discharge of water in a private house: