Pipes and freezing.

[4720 OWNER]

Pipes to the back water managed to freeze this year again. Probably because no/little snow and teens below zero. I have straight access to the pipes from the basement. Short of digging them up (last resort, if at all) anyway to warm them up now or prevent future freeze ups? Or run some sort of a heater tape down the inside of the black plastic pipe? Right now using garden hoses, warm water, into troughs with heaters, but not nearly as much fun using the Richies.

 

[Diesel-ME]

I'd try pumping some hot water down the frozen pipe - maybe try to snake a smaller OD diameter pipe down the frozen pipe then put the hot water to it. Better yet, if you have access to a steam cleaner, rig it up to the frozen pipe and let her rip.

Summer is a good time to add heat tape to this pipe
Or maybe dig down to the pipe this summer and add a layer of foam board insulation above then backfill.

~paul

 

[RonMar]

I don't understand your situation. Are the water pipe/pipes run inside another pipe that is buried below ground, from your basement area to some other building? More info please, pictures would be even better...

 

[biggerten]

We've had the septic tank freeze a couple times, last year was a mess and cost a little over $300 for pumping and steaming. Steaming consisted of digging up the septic tank (through frozen ground, built a bonfire), and using a fancy pressure washer that generated steam and blew it out through a special nozzle with one forward facing jet and three backwards facing jets. This melted the ice and pulled the hose through at the same time. This creates quite a mess, you need to go from the tank toward the house, otherwise you have steam powered turds propelled backwards.

So, my stepson and I dug up the tank, put down about 6" of loose styrofoam beads, topped off with a double layer of 2" rigid foam 4x8 sheets. Total cost about $125.

I put down a 1 foot layer of straw over the drainfield as well.

The tank was domed, and 8' in diameter.

There are systems available that blow heated are through the pipes to prevent freeze up, they cost about $1000-1400. If my insulation doesn't do the trick, I'll have to invest in one. They are sold by www.septicheater.com Prevent Frozen Septics

So far, so good.

BTW, this is in Northern Wisconsin, -45F not unheard of. And that's not windchill, either. It's not got that cold this year, thank heaven.

Link

MikePA: Changed large inline picture to a link.

 

[WarrenF]

Wow!!! I have never heard of a septic system freezing, and I have lived in some cold country....-20 and colder. You learn something every day.

 

[ragkar]

Because of poor design and workmanship, my septic tank pipe exits the basement about two feet above the ground. If it's extremely cold or there's a leaking faucet or toilet, the waste water will freeze in that section of the pipe. So many cold winter nights this year I couldn't drain water or flush.
When the ground thaws I'm going to dig a trench and reroute the drain pipe so that it exits below ground.

 

[MikePA]

Because of poor design and workmanship, my septic tank pipe exits the basement about two feet above the ground. If it's extremely cold or there's a leaking faucet or toilet, the waste water will freeze in that section of the pipe. So many cold winter nights this year I couldn't drain water or flush.
When the ground thaws I'm going to dig a trench and reroute the drain pipe so that it exits below ground.

Since your problem is frozen pipes, not a frozen septic system, it's the pipes you have to deal with. You can not use typical heat tape since most of them are designed to work with pipes that have water in them all the time.

I had the same problem with a sump pump discharge pipe that has to be close to the surface. With a snow cover, I had no issues, but the last 2 years it's frozen. Go to Heatline for a solution. They are not cheap, but so far this winter, they are working on my sump pump pipe. I emailed them, described my problem and they suggested the right product. I also talked to the owner. Nice people. They're in Canada so they know cold.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

If you have metal pipes you can thaw them by applying electric current. I know this, because there was a story in the paper about a guy who got his pipes hot enough to burn his house down! So apparently it works, but you need to know what you are doing.

I think he used a welder.

 

[4720 OWNER]

Previous owner tied into the house line in the basement with black plastic pipe went thru the basement wall and then t'd the line to go to 2 richie waterers. Somewhere upstream from the 't' it has froze so neither richie is working. Obviously the lines were not buried deep enough to go across the driveways. I like the idea of running water inside the pipe as a temp solution. Very inventive!!

Now need to dream up some thing more permanent to keep it from happening again. Maybe the hay bale on top of the line next year, if i can find out exactly where it is. (No maps)

 

[CurlyDave]

Maybe the hay bale on top of the line next year, if i can find out exactly where it is. (No maps)

Run an electrician's steel fish tape through the pipe from a clean out and then use a line locator just the same way you would if someone had buried tracer wire next to the pipe.

What you do with the fish tape after you have run it into your septic is up to you, but I have noticed that Harbor Freight has some pretty good prices on fish tape. Maybe even low enough to consider it disposable.