Ideas on how to defrost stuff (pipes etc..)

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countrygirl45

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I am sure we could all do with some new ideas. I am currently spending between 3 and 5 hours a day on defrosting pipes. Insulating them does not seem to help - in fact I think it keeps the ice in the pipes when it starts forming from the water inlet backwards.
I am using a steamer/wall paper stripper and some feed bags. I wrap the pipes in the bag and tie them loosely and put the steamer pipe into the bag along side the alcathene pipe. You get long length of pipe defrosted fairly quickly and the bag holds the heat in for a long time. Not sure if it is possible with any pipes you have - but it is saving me quite a lot of time. Good luck peeps and lets have some more ideas.
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There is a cable you can buy to wrap round pipes, not sure if soil warming cable is the same stuff but its the same idea
 
You're thinking of heat tape. You can buy plug in ones that wrap around the pipe (vs ones you install permanently) but I have to say, having searched a bit, I haven't seen any such thing for sale in the uk.
 
Unfortunately I cannot turn the stopcock off as it provides the water to the house as well - plus the cattle in the shed are drinking water through the night as they have free access in the shed.
I am liking the sound of the heat tapes though!
 
From what I can see, you can get the actual wiring, just not the ready made plug in variety you can get at hardware stores in colder climates. It's basically a heated, insulated wire you wrap around any exposed pipes and plugs, with a circuit breaker/fuse in the plug.

Presumably if you have someone handy about he/she could put a plug on the end of a length of tape for you and you'd be good to go. I know it's likely not a cheap option put perhaps put a call in to a local plumber and see if they're rigging anything up for their clients.
 
having spent ALL weekend defrosting various pipes on and off I have found a kettle and hairdryer works for the most part HOWEVER we had the unfortunate incident this weekend of the pipe from the well that sits well over 1m underground freezing back about 15m or so from the point it exits the ground :-( Pouring kettle water down was slow work due to the airlock in the pipe so we resorted to interchangeably feeding a smaller wire pipe/cable in as far as we could and ramming the end of the ice with it, pulling it back out and then applying a heat source down the pipe (steamer/hose/hairdryer/hot water) and then repeating it. This gradually melted the ice and then dislodged it enough for the water to come shooting out the end and soaking me. Still was rather happy at the sight of it as it meant a hot bath and that I no longer had to defrost the animal bowls on top of the wood burner :-)
 
Soil heating cable is available online in the UK and comes in various lengths. I've just got some after a tip on another forum and have yet to use it, but it looks as though it might well do a good job on taps/pipes that aren't too far from electrical sockets!

Can't remember the exact website but something like 'garden4less'.
 
[ QUOTE ]
From what I can see, you can get the actual wiring, just not the ready made plug in variety you can get at hardware stores in colder climates. It's basically a heated, insulated wire you wrap around any exposed pipes and plugs, with a circuit breaker/fuse in the plug.

Presumably if you have someone handy about he/she could put a plug on the end of a length of tape for you and you'd be good to go. I know it's likely not a cheap option put perhaps put a call in to a local plumber and see if they're rigging anything up for their clients.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes it's called Trace Heating & should also be used with a thermostat. Ive had it fitted on my yard pipes for 10 years now & have never suffered a frozen pipe since, even in this weather atm.
 
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