# Help with frozen pipes



## RHWilks (Jul 14, 2012)

In Oklahoma I had the same problem last week..Polar Vortex...I put rubbing alchol<sp> the next one was white vinegar. Those are pretty non toxic and shouldn't hurt the conductors or the conduit.


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## Tsmil (Jul 17, 2011)

Dash Dingo said:


> Ran some underground 3/4" PVC for pole lights back in September. Did not pull in wire because I was worried about theft, did not have the time, and the pole lights were not on sight at the time. The shipment of the pole lights got delayed until late December and I just received them last week. We went to push a fish tape through some conduits and they are froze up, feels like at the 90's. We tried a heat gun but that dint seem to get down far enough. We had an unusual thaw in December and I think some water seeped in the pipes and now froze. Any suggestions? Can you pour some type of chemical in there without damaging the conduits? I don't want to wait til spring!? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Spring is coming.


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## xpertpc (Oct 11, 2012)

Gas-line antifreeze is 90% alcohol (HEET), rubbing alcohol is only 70%. but once frozen solid its gonna take some time or heat, hopefully the plug is near the ends.


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## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

RV anti-freeze?


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## Rollie73 (Sep 19, 2010)

I've been there. I used a bottle of methyl hydrate mixed with a HUGE amount of salt.....poured it down the pipe and let it sit over night. The salt melted the ice enough for the methyl to get down in there and start evaporating the water. Set up with compressed air at the other end (thankfully it was inside the building) and blasted the rest of the crap out the outside end. After that we swabbed the pipe by dragging rags through there a few times....lubed it up good and pulled the wires in before it froze again.


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## five.five-six (Apr 9, 2013)

I love california, never had that problem.


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## JW Splicer (Mar 15, 2014)

Hopefully it didn't break the conduit. I had a 1 inch rigid 90 swell up like a bomb went off inside it once. Luckily it was out in the open.


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## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

Depending on your latitude you may be waiting until May.


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## jablonski (May 29, 2010)

My old boss where I took my apprenticeship at once duck taped a heat gun to a 2" pvc run that was for the building feeders. He left it on overnight, and all was good in the morning. Best part was that he returned it to princess auto the next morning! We laughed and he said "well we've put more wear on this thing in one night then it'll ever see in a lifetime"


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

jablonski said:


> My old boss where I took my apprenticeship at once duck taped a heat gun to a 2" pvc run that was for the building feeders. He left it on overnight, and all was good in the morning. Best part was that he returned it to princess auto the next morning! We laughed and he said "well we've put more wear on this thing in one night then it'll ever see in a lifetime"
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


 
I dislike people that cheat the world...


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## jablonski (May 29, 2010)

bobelectric said:


> I dislike people that cheat the world...



Yes, but the story was just too good. He runs a company of anywhere between 40-55 guys, and he actually took the time of day to return a 20$ heat gun!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## danhasenauer (Jun 10, 2009)

I have poured Prestone Antifreeze (undiluted) down frozen pipes with great success. Works slow but works every time. Ethylene glycol is also a component of PVC pipe as well as wire insulation, so it's pretty harmless to your work and it's residual in the pipe acts like pulling lube.


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

If it is at the first 90, I'd pour in some boiling water, let it sit for a few minutes then vacuum it out and repeat. If you see some progress (like the water starting to drain slowly), put the vacuum on the other end and try to suck the hot water through (or use air to push it out).


But, I live in the desert so WTH do I know about ice?  Give me a question about cacti and I will hook you up.


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## danhasenauer (Jun 10, 2009)

220/221 said:


> If it is at the first 90, I'd pour in some boiling water, let it sit for a few minutes then vacuum it out and repeat. If you see some progress (like the water starting to drain slowly), put the vacuum on the other end and try to suck the hot water through (or use air to push it out).
> 
> 
> But, I live in the desert so WTH do I know about ice?  Give me a question about cacti and I will hook you up.


Ever see the YouTube videos of how fast boiling water freezes at a -30 windchill index? And you're spilling it while pouring it in the pipe, creating a nice skating rink where you're trying to work clearing a frozen conduit. Pour in your antifreeze and come back tomorrow. :thumbup:
Can I use a cactus as a clean-out mandrel?


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

danhasenauer said:


> Ever see the YouTube videos of how fast boiling water freezes at a -30 windchill index? And you're spilling it while pouring it in the pipe, creating a nice skating rink where you're trying to work clearing a frozen conduit. Pour in your antifreeze and come back tomorrow. :thumbup:
> Can I use a cactus as a clean-out mandrel?


I have seen the boiling water thrown into the air in extreme cold. Craziness.


I was thinking less extreme conditions and small amounts of water. If there was a small ice plug (a few inches of ice) 24" down in the first 90, a couple cups of boiling water would probably do some thawing.

And, yes, a cactus will work nicely for your mandrel. The Cholla is very user friendly :thumbup:


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## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

I still think your boss using a heat gun on someones electric and taking it back for a refund is sad. It'll catch up to him.


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## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

Couldn't you just drop a small air hose down to the ice level and blow compressed air (and a low pressure) down on the ice? I bet it would melt it enough where you could either blow it (ice) out or suck it up.

It might take a while.


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## electricbysullivan (Aug 16, 2013)

Could I use the exhaust from the van idling forced via a tube into the conduit end to melt it? I have this same problem right now in Philly.


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## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

If you realy need to thaw it this method is messy but will work. Feed a 3/8 flexible hose into the conduit while pumping hot water at low volume through the 3/8 hose and advancing it as the ice melts you will clear it. Puting hot water or chemicals at the end doesn't do much. You need to transfer the heat to the ice and remove the cold water as the ice melts. Have a shop vac to clean up the waste water that will be forced out of the conduit as you add hot water. Good luck and post your success.


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## Mich drew (Mar 3, 2013)

Hire selected individuals from this site to blow in the conduit, theirs is plenty of hot air to do the job.


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## ponyboy (Nov 18, 2012)

How has no one suggested pissing down the pipe


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## amigi968 (May 24, 2008)

Chemicals.... waiting..... try a plumber's powered drain snake with the cutting head. Heat the head with a torch first. That works great for small areas, less than 10 feet frozen. Then just hook up a good vacuum and either suck or blow, whichever is the shortest route. 

If the whole pipe is frozen, 1 gal of vinegar and a typical tub of salt mixed thoroughly. If you can boil the mix for a few minutes, even better. That concentrates the acetic acid in the vinegar. That formula also will eat concrete out of pipes ( and floors ) so be careful.

Edit, I havent always lived or worked in Fl.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

amigi968 said:


> Chemicals.... waiting..... try a plumber's powered drain snake with the cutting head. Heat the head with a torch first. That works great for small areas, less than 10 feet frozen. Then just hook up a good vacuum and either suck or blow, whichever is the shortest route.
> 
> If the whole pipe is frozen, 1 gal of vinegar and a typical tub of salt mixed thoroughly. If you can boil the mix for a few minutes, even better. That concentrates the acetic acid in the vinegar. That formula also will eat concrete out of pipes ( and floors ) so be careful.
> 
> Edit, I havent always lived or worked in Fl.


All that would do is drill straight through the pvc. Especially in a90.


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## amigi968 (May 24, 2008)

Uh, plumbers do it all the time.... as do we when old conduit gets filled with roots. The teeth are curved in at a 45 degree angle to go around corners....

See this one.

http://www.rjmcompany.com/plumbers-snakes/K 14A.jpg


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## metalpats (Apr 11, 2011)

the plumber drain cleaner is a bad idea for the same reason mcclary's mntionned, your best bt is to rent one of those http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200377863_200377863 and use a pipe cleaning snake that go on it , and a vacuum at the other end. be careful, boiling hot water will be getting back on you, plus if the air is under -25celsius (?F) and the air really dry it wont work, your just gonna will the pipe from ice under those conditions.
i use this trick on anything from my house water suply to culvert and it really work


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

amigi968 said:


> Uh, plumbers do it all the time.... as do we when old conduit gets filled with roots. The teeth are curved in at a 45 degree angle to go around corners....
> 
> See this one.
> 
> http://www.rjmcompany.com/plumbers-snakes/K 14A.jpg


Drain pipes are bigger than 3/4":laughing:


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