# ice in conduit



## shawnh (Jan 6, 2010)

Is ther anything out there that will melt ice in underground conduit?
That will not harm the wire.


----------



## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Why do you need it thawed out?


----------



## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

never mind


----------



## manchestersparky (Mar 25, 2007)

summer time ?


----------



## Sparky480 (Aug 26, 2007)

We have used anti-freeze than flushed it out with water and than air to dry it all out was a long process but got the job done


----------



## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

Ice in Arizona?


----------



## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

welcome to the forum.


----------



## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

william1978 said:


> Ice in Arizona?



I was wondering the same thing. In Phoenix, no less. :blink: Then again, there are parts of Arizona that get cold and tons of snow.


----------



## JTMEYER (May 2, 2009)

I watched a guy I worked with pour a gallon of liquid ice melter into a conduit once. It's like salt for your driveway but it's liquid, forgot the chemical name. Worked fine, haven't got a call-back yet. Of course it's 8 hours away so they don't call us anyway.


----------



## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

*ice*



shawnh said:


> Is ther anything out there that will melt ice in underground conduit?
> That will not harm the wire.


How did you know that there was ice in the conduit? Was it correctly buried?


----------



## shawnh (Jan 6, 2010)

I'm in ST.Louis redoing a light lane for the airport. The access cans have gotten water in them and settled in the low spots. The one I was working on had 18" ice. I tried salt, HEAT in the bottle, but eventually used heaters to defrost the ground and exposed the conduit and applied heat.
I just thought there might be a product out there.


----------



## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

shawnh said:


> ....... I tried salt, HEAT in the bottle, ...........


So what did you do to get that stuff out of the raceway?


----------



## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

shawnh said:


> I'm in ST.Louis redoing a light lane for the airport. The access cans have gotten water in them and settled in the low spots. The one I was working on had 18" ice. I tried salt, HEAT in the bottle, but eventually used heaters to defrost the ground and exposed the conduit and applied heat.
> I just thought there might be a product out there.


Were there conductors in the conduit at the time?


----------



## ibuzzard (Dec 28, 2008)

I've heard of running a hose from the tailpipe to the conduit,maybe ?Not sure about that method as I've never tried it.


----------



## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

RIVETER said:


> Were there conductors in the conduit at the time?


I'd say so:



shawnh said:


> Is ther anything out there that will melt ice in underground conduit?
> *That will not harm the wire*.


So I wonder what, if any, damage salt and Heet can do the the insulation......


----------



## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

480sparky said:


> I'd say so:
> 
> 
> 
> So I wonder what, if any, damage salt and Heet can do the the insulation......


That's why I asked. A lot of damage could occur when the shards of ice freeze and penetrate the insulation.


----------



## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

ibuzzard said:


> I've heard of running a hose from the tailpipe to the conduit,maybe ?Not sure about that method as I've never tried it.


 That sounds like a lot of trouble.


----------



## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

RIVETER said:


> That's why I asked. A lot of damage could occur when the shards of ice freeze and penetrate the insulation.


I'd be more worried about the caustic nature of salt and whatever is in a can of Heet.


----------



## ralpha494 (Oct 29, 2008)

I heard running warm water into and out of a pressure washer fitted with a long flexible tube inserted into the pipe melts the ice and blows out the water before it freezes. I didn't see it, or do it, just heard it. Sounds like it would work if you can keep the incoming water warm.


----------



## shawnh (Jan 6, 2010)

Heet is an additive to get rid of water in gas or anti freeze.Basically de-natured alcohol. To get thru the ice I used a 3/8' fiberglass rodder for the longest distance (access can) and the other heavily taped 4/0 cu wiire.
While using 90k btu to heat the conduit
The conductor is L-824 5kv xlp-e. After I got punched thru (rodder) I used 2 shop vac to blow and suck the ice and salt and water.


----------



## JTMEYER (May 2, 2009)

I have seen guys use a welder hooked to each end of a pipe to heat it up enough to thaw it out. At a factory I worked at an old 60's model Lincoln was dead shorted to both ends of a 4" cast iron roof drain for 2 full shifts before it got the pipe hot enough to thaw out.


----------



## shawnh (Jan 6, 2010)

The conduit being used is actually DUCA DUCT or armored HDPE w/ pvc jacket. My Dad said he used to use current to melt pipe the same way. I didn't want to apply any current to this as it my damage the conduit.
The reason I needed to thaw out the line is, it has 3 runs , 2 hot and shared nuetral. And I need to bring back 1 hot to bring it back in series.
If there was a way to attatch the print, I would. But then again I would owe you some asprin


----------



## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

shawnh said:


> ................If there was a way to attatch the print, I would.........


 
Try this.


----------



## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

Wait until spring.:jester:


----------



## Mike_586 (Mar 24, 2009)

ralpha494 said:


> I heard running warm water into and out of a pressure washer fitted with a long flexible tube inserted into the pipe melts the ice and blows out the water before it freezes. I didn't see it, or do it, just heard it. Sounds like it would work if you can keep the incoming water warm.


http://mypipelines.com/cleaning_jetting_nozzles.htm

The ones I've come across for getting rid of ice use jet nozzles and steam under high pressure, I think the guy said that unit could max out in the neighborhood of 15,000 to 20,000psi. The kind of nozzle and pressure he used varied depending on the type of pipe he was trying to clear.


----------

