When a pipe freezes fast action is necessary to prevent the freezing pipes from bursting. Almost all pipes used for water supply in the home are highly susceptible to bursting with the exception of PEX tubing. PEX is a cross linked polyethylene that has the ability to stretch without damage and contract to it’s original state when the expanding force is removed. This ability lessens the danger of PEX bursting. Other pipes such as copper, CPVC, brass, and galvanized steel cannot expand without splitting. As soon as pipe freezing is recognized by fixtures suddenly losing their water supply, immediate action is required. Hot water supplies often freeze first due to a phenomenon known as the “Mpemba effect.” Turn up the heat, leave the affected faucets open, open doors to areas such as closets, and cabinets, to allow the heat to get into the areas where the pipes are frozen. In unheated areas such as garages and crawlspaces space heaters may be used with caution. If you know the exact location of the freeze a hair dryer is a good way to warm the pipe. Warming the area of the ice plug is the only way to thaw plastic pipes. Every year many people make the mistake of using a torch to attempt to thaw pipes. Many fires are caused by this unsafe act. Do not under any circumstances use a torch to thaw frozen pipes.

If you have metal pipes such as copper, brass, or, galvanized steel you should immediately call a plumber and look for one that has an electric pipe thawing machine. If the plumber says that he doesn’t have a pipe thawing machine but can do it with his torch say no thanks. The Ridge Tool Company makes two excellent pipe thawing machines the Ridgid model KT-190 & KT-200. These machines plug into a regular 120 volt receptacle and lower the voltage very low while increasing the amperage. Lowering the voltage reduces the chances of arcing virtually eliminating the danger of fire and increasing the amperage gives it the ability to produce heat when it flows through a metal pipe. These machines may thaw metal pipes up to 1 ½” in diameter without knowing the exact location of the freeze or having access to it. They will even thaw underground metal water service lines. The plumber merely has to connect the cables to the pipe on each side of the frozen section of the pipe and allow the electrical current to flow through the pipe until the ice melts. This is by far the fastest and safest way to thaw metal pipes.

When you recognize that a specific area of your home has a freezing problem you should talk to the plumber about what steps can be taken to eliminate the freezing problem. Sealing the area that froze from drafts and insulating may help. Sometimes the pipes may need rerouting through safer areas. In open areas electric heat tape properly installed may be a good prevention measure.

One thing to avoid is the old myth of leaving the faucet running slowly to prevent the pipe from freezing. Not only is this a waste of water but it may cause a drain pipe to freeze. Frozen drains are by far the most difficult and expensive pipes to thaw. Most drains are larger than the capacity of electric pipe thawing machines and also many are constructed of materials that do not conduct electricity. The best method of thawing a frozen drain is to use a high pressure water jetter which is not an inexpensive operation. You should also check the plumbing fixtures in your home before the winter season to fix or, replace any dripping faucets or, leaking toilets. Drain lines should always be pitched so they drain dry when not in use. Normal use has water running through in sufficient volume and velocity that it does not cool enough to freeze while in the line. When there is a dripping faucet, leaking toilet or, other low flow into the drain there may not be sufficient volume to prevent it from freezing in your drain line. Drains that are in poor condition where they hold water in bellies or, sags are also susceptible to freezing.

Your home is no different than your car. As the cold weather approaches make sure that you home is in good shape and ready for the cold season. When problems occur, respond to them quickly and make sure that you don’t wait to call a good plumber when you run into problems such as frozen pipes.

Do any of the drain cleaning products and drain maintenance products actually work?

Truth be told the success of drain cleaning products and drain maintenance products is very limited. The drain cleaning products may succeed in opening a small hole through a clog or strip the soap scum and conditioner build up off a hair clog the clear drain is temporary or, slightly better at best when it comes to results. The only tried and true way to clean a drain is with a mechanical cleaning using a snake or, jetter to clean the drain and restore it to its original diameter. Almost every job I go to for a clogged drain has an empty bottle of “please help me, plumber in a bottle” close by. Sometimes there are several different brands. This is where it gets scary. The chemical bases of these drain cleaners fall into several different chemical families and may react violently with each other or, release toxic fumes. A stopped up drain is not the place to play amateur chemist.

A popular “Home Remedy” is vinegar and baking soda, which many people swear is effective, pouring baking soda down the drain followed by vinegar. Any person with a slight knowledge of chemistry can realize the ineffectiveness of the foamy chemical reaction that occurs. Vinegar contains Acetic Acid and baking soda is an alkaline, when combined a foamy chemical reaction occurs that neutralizes the 2 chemicals essentially doing nothing except foam.

The chemical drain openers sold in stores vary between Caustic and Acid depending on the brand selected. Caustic liquid & gel drain cleaners containing Sodium Hypochlorite (bleach) are probably the most common type. Sodium Hydroxide (lye) and Potassium Hydroxide (caustic potash) are used in crystal drain cleaners. Some come in 2 part mixes where aluminum powder or chips are added to the caustic causing a foaming reaction which generates heat. Sometimes this heat has melted plastic pipes.

The next drain opener is the strong acid type, usually containing Sulfuric Acid around 95% pure. Some areas prohibit the sale to anyone other than licensed plumbers but it is quite common to se the guy at the hardware store say that as a sales tool testifying to it’s effectiveness as he sells it to a homeowner. This is a dangerous acid that used improperly can erupt out of a drain, cause the water caught in the drain to boil. If Sulfuric Acid is used in combination with caustic drain cleaners can cause a violent chemical reaction and in the case of bleach based drain cleaners cause the release of Chlorine Gas.

Both the Caustic and Acid based drain cleaners are corrosive and may damage metal pipes, drain trim finishes and even the snake the plumber eventually uses after a lack of success with the chemicals. I have frequently snaked a line in which these chemicals were used only to see my snake rust very badly an hour after use. The bleach has ruined the coloring of shirts and the acid has eaten holes in them. I don’t even ask any more what was used. Most people lie to you even though the empty bottle is there and you can smell the drain cleaner as well as feel its slipperiness on your gloved hands. I treat every drain the same where I assume the worst chemicals are present.

If any Drain products are to be used I would recommend the bacteria and enzyme treatments. Some are actually supposed to open a clogged drain within a couple of hours. Do they work? I don’t know. But, I will say at least they are not as dangerous as the caustic and acid drain cleaners. It’s your money spend it how you want.

There are also some air burst drain cleaners where an aerosol can, charges behind a diaphragm with air pressure and then the diaphragm ruptures allowing the air pressure charge to blast down the drain to jar the clog loose. This is not going to do anything more than a plunger would do at quite a bit higher cost. I would not recommend using either an air burst unit or, a plunger after caustics or, acids have been used. It may cause the chemicals to splash on you.

Do I recommend Drain Cleaners? No! Skip contributing to the industry and use what will work. A plumber with a snake will get your drain clean and offer you a guarantee as well. Frequently the drain works better after snaking than the customer ever recalls it draining before.

The responsibility of repairing your sewer lateral (the line from your house to the city line in the street) varies in different areas. In most locations by my experience the city’s responsibility is limited to the line running down the middle of the street. However, I have seen some places where they cover to the curb, sidewalk, or the edge of the street right of way. A check with your local authorities is a good idea to see what they cover. Some places also offer assistance if you have low income. It pays to get all the information you can from them. You at least need to know where your responsibilities end.

The first step is to have the line cleared if possible with a snake or, a jetter if needed. Then have the line video inspected to determine the full extent of the problems with the line.  I would strongly recommend that you are present and witness the video inspection. Ask questions if you don’t understand what you are seeing. The line should be round, dry, joints should be smooth, and all turns should sweep nicely. It should look like a water fun ride at an amusement park. There is really not much to it and you should know when there is something wrong. It is a matter of what you see is what you got. You will know when something is wrong. You may not know what it is but you will know it’s not right. The camera operator should be able to explain what is wrong and the explanation should make sense.

Now the nitty gritty details. Cameras for sewer inspections are expensive pieces of equipment used in a harsh environment and the person operating that camera usually has considerable experience in the field. After the drain-cleaner experienced problems cleaning your line the camera may have been offered free. Nothing is free! Them using the camera had an expected pay off of doing the repair work. They cannot be expected to provide you with enough details on the problem to supply enough information to allow a competitor to bid on the job. Recouping the cost of the camera inspection will be built into the price of the job, as I said, “Nothing is Free!”

Repairs or replacement of a sewer line is not inexpensive. It is a large job requiring, licensing, excavation equipment, safety equipment such as trench boxes, permits & inspections, and sometime highly specialized knowledge and equipment. Costs vary widely in different ares but no matter where you live it is something that getting multiple bids on could save you thousands of dollars. much the same as shopping at several car dealerships before buying a car.

Another possibility is to pay for the camera inspection and get all the information a contractor would need to supply a bid on the job. Then make that information available to several contractors and solicit bids. You don’t have a lot of time on this your line will be failing again soon, so time is of the essence. To solicit bids you will need a full video recording of the line from your house to the city sewer line. Either a VHS video cassette, Mpeg file or DVD is used for this. My preference would be the Mpeg file or, DVD which I will explain in a minute. You will also need the location of the line marked both the physical location and the depth. From your house to the connection in the street. The camera has a secondary function as a transmitter for locating the line. All changes in direction should be marked as well along with some intermediate points on long straight runs. Marking should be done with flags, and or, paint on grass and dirt surfaces, and paint on pavement and sidewalks. If flags only are used for marking on the lawn great care should be taken that they are not moved or, removed.

So many people and companies have entered the electronic age that you may be able to submit the video converted to an Mpeg file, along with photo files saved as a Jpeg files, via E-Mail to several companies soliciting bids for the work. The photos should show the work area and all things near the line that may affect the excavation work. Sidewalks, driveways, HVAC units on a slab, trees, shrubs, patio’s, retaining walls, fences, and sheds are just a few of the obstacles commonly encountered.  A written description of the the line depth along the way and any other pertinent details should be included. This will give them enough information ahead of time that they should have the proposal pretty well worked up then come out for a site visit to recheck the information provided and see if anything needs changing before giving you their bid. This can save everybody involved a considerable amount of time.

You may expect bids to come back often with several options ranging from a spot repair, to excavation and line replacement, pipe bursting and pipe relining. You may also expect methods proposed by different companies to be different. You will have to sift through these proposals and bid prices to decide which is best for you then give the go ahead to the winning bid.