How To Thaw Frozen External Drain Pipe

[Number_35]

At our daughter-in-law's parents' farm, the washing machine drains externally, running through a hole in an outside wall to outside the house, sloping down to an underground septic field. (Not sure I've got the terminology right, but the significant thing is that the ABS pipe is blocked by ice.)

One possible solution would be to wrap a heating cable around the pipe.

Another fix would be to cut the pipe before the blockage, and let it discharge into a gutter or trough on the ground (to channel the water away from the house).

I wondered about speeding things up by pouring something down the pipe to melt the ice. (Hot water has not worked.)

Our techs at work used to have some success with windshield-washer antifreeze, but I don't want to use anything toxic. (The methanol in the WW solution is toxic.)

Is there a non-toxic ice-melting product that would work here?

Any other ideas?

Thanks.

 

[Vercingetorix]

Rv antifreeze.

RV 20/10 Anti-Freeze, 1 gal - Wilco Farm Stores

Rated at -50 degrees FahrenheitNon-toxicNo mixing required 1 Gallon

www.farmstore.com

 

[brianl703]

(The methanol in the WW solution is toxic.)

Only to creatures with a liver. Otherwise, it is no more toxic than ethanol.

 

[Number_35]

Rv antifreeze.

RV 20/10 Anti-Freeze, 1 gal - Wilco Farm Stores

Rated at -50 degrees FahrenheitNon-toxicNo mixing required 1 Gallon

www.farmstore.com

That would be propylene glycol, right? Would it melt ice?

 

[Number_35]

Only to creatures with a liver. Otherwise, it is no more toxic than ethanol.

I presume the methanol would not be taken up by plants in a vegetable garden?

 

[Vercingetorix]

That would be propylene glycol, right? Would it melt ice?

Assume it would eventually.

https://2010products.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/TT-RV-Anti-Freeze-propylene-glycol-based.pdf

 

[brianl703]

I presume the methanol would not be taken up by plants in a vegetable garden?

My assumption is that it would either evaporate or be broken down by bacteria long before it got to the plants.

 

[Barkleymut]

is the pipe above ground? If yes, then a hair dryer will do the trick

 

[Number_35]

is the pipe above ground? If yes, then a hair dryer will do the trick

We don't know if the frozen part is above ground - the slope on the above-ground part is about 45°, which might have allowed the water to get to the underground portion before freezing.

 

[KrisZ]

Methanol, pour it down the pipe and it will melt the ice guaranteed.

 

[Warstud]

Pour some Salt water down the pipe

 

[tmorris1]

How would this not freeze every winter in Winnipeg? Seems like a horrible design. It should exit underground below the frostline.

 

[Number_35]

How would this not freeze every winter in Winnipeg? Seems like a horrible design. It should exit underground below the frostline.

It's OK, it's a couple of hours north of Winnipeg, so no problem.

Agreed, it's not ideal. They did drill a relief hole a few years ago, so they've encountered this previously.

If it were my place I would do a seasonal disconnect, or install a Y fitting to divert the water and discharge it directly in the winter.

 

[Jetronic]

At our daughter-in-law's parents' farm, the washing machine drains externally, running through a hole in an outside wall to outside the house, sloping down to an underground septic field. (Not sure I've got the terminology right, but the significant thing is that the ABS pipe is blocked by ice.)

One possible solution would be to wrap a heating cable around the pipe.

Another fix would be to cut the pipe before the blockage, and let it discharge into a gutter or trough on the ground (to channel the water away from the house).

I wondered about speeding things up by pouring something down the pipe to melt the ice. (Hot water has not worked.)

Our techs at work used to have some success with windshield-washer antifreeze, but I don't want to use anything toxic. (The methanol in the WW solution is toxic.)

Is there a non-toxic ice-melting product that would work here?

Any other ideas?

Thanks.

salt or ethanol

 

[wpod]

I presume the methanol would not be taken up by plants in a vegetable garden?

What is growing now?

 

[methusaleh]

Heat gun, moved constantly around so it doesn’t singe anywhere.

Unfortunately I speak from experience.

 

[Number_35]

What is growing now?

There's a big vegetable garden, though I don't think the underground discharge point is nearby.

 

[andyd]

Can you use a snake to locate the plug ? Then expose the blocked area and either use a heat gun or just cut it out. It is a clog of some sort. Drains don't freeze unless there is clog.

 

[PimTac]

Can you use a snake to locate the plug ? Then expose the blocked area and either use a heat gun or just cut it out. It is a clog of some sort. Drains don't freeze unless there is clog.

This. The drain is either clogged or has failed and is unable to drain.

If a suitable clean out is not on the drain then one should be installed.

 

[Number_35]

This. The drain is either clogged or has failed and is unable to drain.

If a suitable clean out is not on the drain then one should be installed.

There is a clean-out. Good thought on there likely being a clog.