Living The Dream
Member
I think our main water line is frozen at our office where it comes in from outside. Has anyone used their TM to thaw out a water line by shoving a smaller line into the water line and blasting it with hot water?
Thawing water pipes
- Thread starter Living The Dream
- Start date
Dolly Llama
Number 5
if there's a casing around the incoming water line you can get hot water into, yeppers hot water will work
if no casing, use a heat gun.
edit to ask.
city water w/meter or well and pump?
..L.T.A.
if no casing, use a heat gun.
edit to ask.
city water w/meter or well and pump?
..L.T.A.
Living The Dream
Member
City water. The incoming water line appears to be pex.
FredC
Village Idiot
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2011
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- 27,211
The few times I've had the issue I used a heat gun at the meter (most likely to freeze....but I'm not in Montana
Dolly Llama
Number 5
if it's coming straight up out of a casing you can see, pour scalding hot water down the casing.
is the shut off valve before meter operable?
if so, you can disconnect the meter to verify if freeze is upstream or downstream of meter
..L.T.A.
I just had my pex bust for the last time underground a month ago.
If it busts...shark bite will bandaid it until you’re able to update your main line
Dolly Llama
Number 5
It was originally a well, but the city water pvc pipe tapped in to that pipe 15years ago. That pex was around 25-30yrs old.
Pinhole leaks started appearing. After the third hole leak, I gave up bandaiding it and rerouted another trench with a new pipe
FredC
Village Idiot
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Is it actually pex or old gray polybutylene (pb-1)?
Living The Dream
Member
It's just coming straight out of the ground with no casing from what I can tell. Looks like whoever plumbed it did a shitty job. I'll try and take a picture and show you how it looks.
Dolly Llama
Number 5
there was a YUGE class action settlement over that crap in the early 90's(?)
One of our accounts owned a dozen new condos plumbed with it.
Right from the get-go they had pipe bursts.
Everyone on the street of the first phase (40 units) were popping pipes
The second and third phase 40+40 units got copper
we were out there a couple times a month to fix broken pipes and dry carpets til they replaced all the plumbing
..L.T.A.
Living The Dream
Member
Dolly Llama
Number 5
dayum
Out of my league now
point a torpedo heater at it, open a sink faucet and got for a snowmobile ride
..L.T.A.
Out of my league now
point a torpedo heater at it, open a sink faucet and got for a snowmobile ride
..L.T.A.
Living The Dream
Member
We've had a heater on it for a couple days now with no luck. Hopefully the city will step in and help us out or I'm going blast some hot water in there.
Dolly Llama
Number 5
What is Qest pipe?
Polybutylene (PB) was a plastic manufactured between 1978 and mid-1995 for use as piping in home plumbing systems. ... Pipes made from polybutylene were installed in up to 10 million homes in the Unites States during that period.
lta
Polybutylene (PB) was a plastic manufactured between 1978 and mid-1995 for use as piping in home plumbing systems. ... Pipes made from polybutylene were installed in up to 10 million homes in the Unites States during that period.
lta
I was told that was pex. Maybe I was wrong
KevinD
Member
Easy to thaw that out.
Cut the line and install a ball valve shutoff.
Open the ball valve and send the hot high pressure line down the line to thaw it out.
When it thaws pull your line and shut off the ball valve.
Reconnect the piping.
Cut the line and install a ball valve shutoff.
Open the ball valve and send the hot high pressure line down the line to thaw it out.
When it thaws pull your line and shut off the ball valve.
Reconnect the piping.
Living The Dream
Member
That's the plan right now.
FredC
Village Idiot
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That is polybutylene......it can be blue/black/grey but most I've seen is grey
the chlorine (they think) breaks it down
Hack Attack
Member
Dux quest is the one here that has me attending a wdr about once a month
Home Buyer Beware: Dux Quest Plumbing – Jim's Building Inspections
www.jimsbuildinginspections.co.nz
