It's been below zero F for almost two weeks here in the Midwest. Yesterday my neighbor called, it seems she accidentally turned her heat off over night, of course several pipes burst and two drains froze up. I fixed the pipes today and was able to clear one of the drains, the other drain however is still frozen. I need a Hot Snake! This would be a resistance heater six to eight feet long about the thickness of a pencil and encased in in a flexible tubing. Feed it into the drain and let it warm the water and melt the ice.
-- pydor, Feb 06 2007

(?) http://www.mygreath...de/frozen_pipes.htm [2 fries shy of a happy meal, Feb 06 2007]

Would you use your hot snake on your neighbor often?
-- MoreCowbell, Feb 06 2007


I don't see any problem with such a thing as a preventive measure. You'd want some for the supply lines, too. Maybe you could even have it measure the temperature using the resistance of the heater. Around here pipes will sometimes freeze even if you do keep the heat on. You just keep the taps running at a drip and the houses are designed to not let the drains hold water anywhere or get too cold. What part of the drain froze? It should never have standing water anywhere in it except the trap.
-- thsn_idrc, Feb 06 2007


The drain runs down an outside wall I think it froze in the straight section it must have been running a little. She had a new window put in last summer I suspect they didn't insulate properly.
-- pydor, Feb 06 2007


Heat tape is good stuff. A little late once the pipes have burst but still good stuff. link
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Feb 06 2007


This is far too practical for the bakery. I'm giving you a +, but I hate like hell having to do it.
-- ldischler, Feb 07 2007



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