Q. Last winter, we had to deal with a bunch of frozen stacks and waste lines, not to mention the usual frozen water lines. I used a torch for the frozen water lines, but what about the frozen stacks?
A. Using a blow torch to clear ice clogs is very dangerous, and 4-inch stacks are too big for conventional pipe-thawing machines. Have you considered using a water jet? The high pressure water cuts through the ice blockage, as well as grease, sand and debris. The high water flow flushes it away quickly for a thorough cleaning job.
Even with cold water, a 3000 psi, 4 gpm gas jet can clear a 4-inch line at about one foot per minute. Smaller electric jets will take longer, but will still easily clear the ice clog. If you heat the water, it will slice through the ice clog like a hot knife through butter. But be careful not to let the water get too hot. Temperatures above 160 degrees can damage the pump. Some jets come with a thermal relief valve to protect the pumps from hot water damage.
You can see showing water jets slicing easily through an ice block, as well as clearing grease, sand and debris in this video:
Learn more about water jets at drainbrain.com/jets.
Contact the Drain Brains® at General at 800-245-6200 or by email [email protected].
