When installing a pipeline, detailed attention should be paid to thermal insulation. After all, incorrect protection of water pipes from freezing can lead to a lack of water supply, rupture, and subsequently to the need to open the surface of the soil in the yard or even the floor and walls in the house in order to repair the damage.

To avoid such incidents, it is customary to carefully prepare for any force majeure circumstances and install a water supply system with already installed thermal insulation. There are many options for protecting pipes from freezing. Each of them deserves attention in its own way. Let's look at the most popular methods.

Important! Both the underground pipeline and those areas that are forced to be located above its surface are subject to freezing - this is the exit from the well and the entrance to the house. Complex joints - tees, angles, wiring - are especially vulnerable to frost.

Laying a water pipe in the ground

Everyone knows that pipelines should be buried. What should it be water pipe laying depth- a question that requires certain knowledge. First of all, you need to study the soil freezing depth indicators in your region. Nowadays it’s easier than ever to do this - there are similar services on Internet resources where you will be provided with a full-fledged consultation accurate to the centimeter.

It is important to understand that if the freezing depth can reach up to 2 meters, then digging to such a depth will not be easy. In such situations, it is imperative to insulate the pipes from the outside by covering them in special materials.

Electric heating of water pipes: two options

The scheme of action of this method of insulation is as follows:

• the required section of the pipe is wrapped in an electrical cable;
• Ideally, it is additionally wrapped in heat-reflecting foil;
• the cable is connected to the power supply network;
• During the frosty period, the system is in a state of constant maintenance of above-zero temperatures.

The uniqueness of this method is manifested in the fact that the cable maintains the required heating temperature in direct proportion to the air temperature. Some kind of automated supply of a certain heat temperature. In addition, a special thermostat turns on the system when the temperature drops below 3 degrees Celsius and completely turns it off when it rises above 13.

There are several ways to insulate a pipeline with a heating cable:

Outside

• along the pipe in one line or several parallel ones;
• around in a spiral with a constant step, ensuring the safety of the design power;
• wavy line along. This laying method is used in cases where its length is large for laying in one line, but not sufficient for laying in several lines or in a spiral.

Inside water pipe

• This is a special cable entry kit suitable for connection to pipes with a diameter of 1, 3/4 or 1/2. It is equipped with a special coating that allows it to be used in drinking water systems.

If you used heating using an electric cable, then the depth of the water pipes no longer matters, because the risk of freezing has already been eliminated.

Advice! Don't forget about the possibility of a power outage. If your water supply and heating systems depend on electricity, it is recommended to have a backup electric generator at home.

In addition to protecting against freezing, a heated water pipe is also protected from condensation.

If you do not have the opportunity to install a heating cable, we will tell you how to insulate a water pipe in other ways.

Glass wool, mineral wool, basalt wool

Various brands and compositions of wrapping wool are the most conservative and widely used materials for thermal insulation. The price for them is quite affordable, installation is not difficult, the material can withstand temperature changes and does not lose its properties for decades.

Foamed polyethylene (expanded polystyrene)

An excellent alternative to other insulation methods. Affordable price, convenient installation, aesthetics appearance, lightness and small-sized design - make the material in maximum demand and willingly used in wide consumer circles.

This is a soft flexible tube made of polystyrene foam with an outer reflective layer of foil and a longitudinal cut for convenient and easy threading of the water pipe into the insulation. The material is wear-resistant and guarantees a long service life, adequately withstands temperature changes and the influence of UV rays and precipitation.

Styrofoam shells

These are a kind of covers for pipes made of foam plastic, which are two halves in longitudinal section and are an excellent heat insulator. The shell is attached around the pipe using tape. And for insulation at the joints of fittings, shaped shells are provided various shapes. Fastening is done manually and does not require any special devices. Polystyrene foam can be easily cut with a regular knife.

Method 2

Insulate all water pipes from cold air and keep them dry. Find a place to cover tap water, in case it is necessary. Leaks often occur when the pipe has thawed.

Use both heat tape wrapped around pipes and a reflective heat lamp in a dry, confined space. On cold nights, check that the lights are working. Heating tapes operate via a built-in thermostat. For this to work, the tape needs to be wrapped between the pipe and the insulation. Some tapes do not allow insulation to be placed over them. Follow the manufacturer's instructions.

If power is not available or is out, allow the water to run no faster than a steady, slow drip of water; it's cheaper than fixing it. First, let the water drip slowly from the valve. hot water, then water should drip faster from a cold tap. There is no need for a lot of water to flow. Bathrooms can be cold because they won't freeze.

Don't forget to insulate and heat drainage systems V hard to reach places and in cold basements. Again, a heat lamp focused on the straight drain trap will keep it from freezing, as long as it is also protected from the cold air influx with a sealing casing that you can make yourself.

To thaw a frozen pipe, first check the area where it is frozen. Some are plastic or copper pipes They may crack and flood the area when they thaw. If the pipe appears damaged or has a crack, call a plumber. If the pipe is made of metal, then it can be heated by connecting welding machine on each side of the frozen pipe. After a while it will work again. It's like connecting the starter cable to your car battery, only the cables are much longer.

It is much better to heat the area around the frozen part of the pipe with an electric heater, a hand-held hair dryer, or a heat lamp with a reflector to prevent fire. Be careful when placing heat generating devices. Electric heaters, heating lamps and reflective lamps can generate high temperatures, which may cause some materials to catch fire. Never leave these devices unattended for even a second while in use. If this is difficult, call a plumber. Some of them won't mind if you keep an eye on them, as long as you stay quiet and don't disturb them.

Always disconnect your water hose from the outside faucet in winter, or before frost in your area. The water inside the hose may freeze, and the freeze will spread until it reaches your pipes. If you have a tap leading to this PVC plastic pipe, it will burst.

Use a hot water recirculation valve that has thermal convection temperature control (which doesn't require electricity to operate) to keep constant circulation flowing through your hot and cold water pipes. warm water any time as long as the temperature is below a user-set temperature between 25⁰ C and 60⁰ C. Unlike heating tape, which only heats the pipes, this process forces the water to circulate without stopping to prevent crystallization and freezing of the pipes no matter where they are hidden. Note: This method requires that the valve be installed at a level higher (2nd-3rd floor) than the water heater. Circulating water non-stop through your plumbing system will also increase your water heating bill. At any time, if circulation is not needed, remove the valve.

Use a product called ICE LOC, which prevents pipes from bursting by preventing frozen water from expanding. This is an elastomer that is installed inside the pipe in problem areas.

Use the RedyTemp device, which uses an internal temperature contact sensor to monitor the temperature in the pipes. Depending on what temperature you select on the appliance's temperature scale, it periodically causes water to circulate through the hot and cold pipe lines to maintain the set temperature "as needed." Intermittent circulation usually results in 5 minutes of actual circulation per hour, which significantly reduces the load on the water heater compared to the constant load from the circulation valve. The RedyTemp optimizer installation is a DIY project and takes 20 minutes to install under your sink. Disconnect one end from the valve on your existing water lines and connect it to the RedyTemp. Connect the two water lines that come with RedyTemp. Connect your device to standard socket in the wall and set the desired temperature value. Users can evaluate the effectiveness of their chosen control point by opening the tap with the first cold water and feeling how cool/room temperature/warm the water is coming out of the faucet and adjusting the set point accordingly until it reaches optimal value. The optimal control point is achieved when cool or room temperature water is maintained in the cold water pipes or the section of pipes that needs protection. Low, periodically consumed, RedyTemp power of 40 Watt/0.52 Ampere allows the use of a source uninterruptible power supply for continuous protection during power outages. Owners instantaneous water heaters Requires RedyTemp TL4000 series model, not ATC3000 as shown. During seasons when circulation is not needed, users simply lower the set temperature to prevent circulation.

Well or well country house, as a rule, is located a few meters from the house. Sometimes, a well is made in the underground or basement of a house, but even then measures against freezing of the pipeline will not be superfluous. As a rule, water in a pipe freezes not in the underground section of the pipeline, but at the “ground-air” boundary, then crystallization occurs along the air section of the pipe. Another “weak” section of the pipeline is located at the “underground-house” border due to the inevitable draft along the pipe contour in this place, which is quite difficult to get rid of.

I would conditionally divide all measures to combat pipe freezing into passive And active. It is advisable to provide for both of them in advance, at the design stage. So:

Passive measures.

1. The material of the supply pipe itself must be heat-insulating. It could be polyethylene, polypropylene, metal-plastic. Metal pipes are undesirable.
2. It is advisable to choose a larger diameter of the supply pipe. The larger the diameter of the pipe, the greater the volume of water contained in it, the thicker the pipe wall (additional thermal insulation), the longer it will take for the water to cool to freezing temperature. Optimal diameters are from 3/4 (20mm) for polypropylene and metal-plastic (preferably 26mm) to 1½ (40mm) for polyethylene (more is possible, but it is expensive).
3. The depth of the trench for the pipe should be comparable to the average freezing depth of your area, from 0.7m to 1.5m.
4. The pipe must have a slope towards the well or borehole.
5. The pipe must be insulated.

I conventionally call the following measures

Active:

1. It is necessary to provide easily detachable pipe connections at the exit from the well (well) and at the entrance to the house or basement, for possible inspection of the mouth of the underground section of the pipe and
2. The best active protection is to run the heating cable through the supply pipe. It is not necessary to buy an expensive self-regulating two-wire one. In the worst case, you will only use it a few times during the winter. A cheap single-core cable is quite sufficient for heated floors domestic production. The only limitation in its use is that its activation time should not exceed 15 minutes. If this was not enough, simply repeat the procedure after 10-15 minutes so that the cable cools down a little. It makes no sense to turn on the cable for constant heating (this requires another cable), this extra waste energy, and the cable may overheat. The cable is attached to the pipe using plastic clamps or tape.
3. When using submersible pumps, you can make a small hole in the pipe (1-3mm) 3-5cm from the pump for direct current water. flowing water will never freeze. Unfortunately, this cannot be done when using pumping stations.
4. IN very coldy, if you are at home, spill, i.e. turn on the water at least once every two hours. Then you will only need to warm the pipe and turn on the heating cable once a day - in the morning.

As practice shows, compliance only with passive measures against freezing of pipelines guarantees their trouble-free operation down to 20-25 degrees below zero. Subject to all measures - in any frost.

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Reviews (32) on “To prevent the pipe from freezing.”

Hello! there is a question:
To supply water to the house there is a submersible water pump and a hydraulic accumulator in a closed shaft on the street. I would like to make a pipe from the shaft to the street for use in the yard. How to make sure that the pipe from the HA to the outdoor faucet does not freeze in winter?

1. Hello, Ivan.
   Alas, there is no way to do this. But there is a standard way out for such a situation.
   On the “street” pipe you need to install two (!) taps and drainage (a drain with a tap). The scheme is as follows...
   The first (main) tap is placed in the shaft, where the water is guaranteed not to freeze. Immediately after it, a tee with a drain valve and a discharge pipe (drainage) is installed. And another crane (working) is placed in the yard, in a place convenient for use. An important condition: the “street” pipe must have a constant slope from the worker to the main tap for normal and complete drainage of water from it.
   How to use?
   Summer mode. The main valve is open, the service valve and drain are closed. Water cannot freeze, so we only use a working tap when necessary.
   Winter mode. The main valve is closed, the service valve and drain must be open (it is very important!!!).
   If you need water in the yard, then close the working tap and drainage, open the main one, then open the working tap and use the water. After use, close the main drain, open the drain and the working valve, draining the water from the pipe. We leave the working tap and drainage open. .
   Thus, there will simply be nothing in the pipe to freeze; in cold weather it will remain “dry”. But it is very important to leave the working tap open. This is even more important than open drainage. Failure to comply with this condition will lead to breakdown (rupture) of the working valve.

1. Hello, Alexey.
   It's not clear what the question is about?
   If in general, then based on the physics of communicating vessels, if the water in the hose (pipe) is higher than the water level in the well (well), no matter what depth the drain hole is made, the water in the hose (pipe) will definitely drop to the water level in well (well), if there is no check valve on the line and there is a possibility for air to get into the hose (pipe).
   If the line is absolutely sealed, then, again, according to the laws of physics, thanks to atmospheric pressure, the water level in the hose (pipe) will stop at a height of approximately 10 meters from the water level in the well (well). However, if the connections are even slightly leaky, the water will still fall, albeit more slowly.
   If such a hole is made just above the check valve of a submersible pump, this means that, most likely, the pump pressure line is needed to fill storage capacity, and on this line there is not and cannot be any shut-off valves, which can ensure its tightness. Otherwise, the drain hole loses its meaning...

Relatively warm winters previous years and the constant chatter of Greenpeace about global warming They relaxed the summer residents-builders somewhat when installing communications in terms of protection from the cold. And the current one is enough harsh winter showed many who is who and how to do them. In particular, this year the topic on various forums was “Help! The water supply system froze much more than in other years.

As you know, it is much easier and cheaper to prevent a disease and a problem than to treat it later. Therefore, those whose water supply system periodically freezes in winter and those who are just planning to lay a water supply system for year-round use should take care in advance to install an insulated water supply system. Especially if the well or borehole is located quite far from the house.

The basic principle when installing a water supply system designed for year-round use— laying the water supply pipe below the maximum possible freezing depth. As you know, the temperature in the depths of the soil is always approximately the same and ranges from +4 to +6 degrees. However, this can be very difficult, since the freezing depth can reach one and a half to two meters. The construction of such a deep trench of great length requires very large amounts of labor. earthworks and is not even always physically possible. Let's look at a few alternative options devices for non-freezing water supply without laying pipes at great depths.

Option with constantly circulating water.

Many summer residents who do not have a permanent winter water supply, or who have installed it incorrectly, solve the problem of freezing in the following way. Open the faucet in a sink so that water constantly flows but in a thin stream. The method is simple, but not always applicable. Especially if the sewage system is not central, but the drain goes into a sealed septic tank. No matter how thin the stream of water is, the daily discharge reaches several hundred liters. And this clean water, as a rule, already cleaned with some filters. Pointless water purification and pointless discharge into a septic tank, which also needs to be removed. Pointless work pumping station or pumps. In addition, quite often people simply automatically turn off the tap or forget to open it when leaving. And when returning to the house they find a frozen water supply.

But you can organize the circulation of water without draining it into the sewer. To do this, when installing a water supply system, it is necessary to lay not one, but two pipes. (generally speaking, this is a good thing to do anyway). Then the second pipe is used as a return pipe, and the pump, pumping water out of the well, drains the same water into it. In order not to constantly run the pump, it can be turned on using a timer. For example, for 1-2 minutes every 20-30 minutes. During this time, the water in the pipes will not have time to freeze.

Generally speaking, when 1 liter of water freezes, about 330 kJ of heat is released (or about 90 W*hours). Average heat loss per 1 linear meter of pipe in the ground is considered to be about 10-15 W. Knowing the diameter of the pipe (and therefore the volume of water in it), it is not difficult to calculate the required frequency of switching on and the duration of operation of the pump for a complete change of water in the water supply system, that is, for replacing cooled water with new water at the temperature of the groundwater.

Option for removing water from the water supply.

What is not there cannot freeze. Therefore, to prevent water from freezing in the pipe, water is simply removed from it. This method is well known to those who use submersible pumps located directly in the well. They just need to make a small hole in the hose (2-3 mm) not far from the pump, and immediately after turning it off, all the water from the water supply flows back into the well. At the other end of the pipe they place check valve, which allows air to fill the pipe as water drains. And when the pump is turned on, the valve closes and water enters the water supply system.

However, this method is very labor-intensive for those who have suction pumps, i.e. located directly in the basement or house. For their normal operation, a constant presence of water in the suction pipe is necessary. For this purpose, they even have a check valve at the inlet end of the pipe that prevents water from flowing into the well. This means they will have to constantly fill it from some container. In principle, this is not a difficult procedure for those who visit their home on short visits. The process of bringing the system into working condition will take only a few minutes. But you will need to remember to drain the water from the water supply when leaving. It will be more convenient for them

Option to create high pressure in the water supply.

As you know, water under pressure does not freeze. You see water pumps on the streets of villages and villages. They don't freeze in cold weather. The pipes are laid quite deep. But the speakers themselves are “outdoors”. And the water flows from them regularly in any frost and does not freeze. And all because in the pipe it is under pressure of several atmospheres.

If you install a small receiver into the water supply and pump pressure into it to 3-5 atmospheres before leaving, the water in the pipe will not freeze. To bring the system into working condition, this pressure must be released and it is ready for operation. Of course, this is also an “intermediate” method, the water supply is not always ready, and requires pipes that can withstand such pressure, but as an option... The easiest way to implement it is again on submersible pumps. They develop the required pressure of 5-7 atmospheres. And it is enough to install a check valve immediately after the pump, close the tap in front of the receiver, and turn on the pump, and the entire pipeline from the well to the receiver will be under pressure. Of course, the pipeline must be designed for it.

Option with pipe heating by cable.

This option in Lately is becoming increasingly widespread. The idea here is quite simple. Winter, no matter how harsh it may be, is not forever, but only a few months a year. Therefore, the likelihood of water supply freezing exists only during this period. Therefore, there is no point in digging 2 meters deep, but 50 cm is enough, insulate the water pipe and wind a heating cable on it. Or rather, first wind it and then insulate it.

The idea is very sound and workable. A branded heating cable will cost approximately 400-500 rubles per linear meter. Its distributed power should be within 10-20 W per linear meter. However, it is also possible to use a homemade heating cable made from ordinary wire. One of the readers of this site conducted very successful experiments with its use (see the article Homemade heating cable for water supply). I would like to note that such a heating cable is low-voltage (unlike branded ones), which means it is safe and can be used not only outside, but also inside the pipe. Those. arrange heating of existing water pipelines without excavation. The most frozen place in the water supply is usually the place where it enters the house. Therefore, a few meters of cable inserted into the water pipe can possibly solve this problem.

Option with pipe heating by air.

Here I would like to digress a little towards the construction of water pipelines in general. Let me remind you that in winter the ground begins to freeze from top to bottom... That is. There is constant heat from below (+5 degrees), and cold from above. Heat spreads in winter from bottom to top. When installing a water supply system, they usually try to insulate the pipe. Moreover, from all sides, putting pipe-shaped thermal insulation on it. Thereby insulating it not only from the cold from above, but also from the heat from below. But due to this heat “from below” it could be heated. That's why correct device The plumbing should obviously look like this:

In this case, we kind of create an umbrella from the cold from above. At the same time, heat from below passes to the pipe unhindered and heats it.

To others important point is not just laying a water pipe, but laying a pipe within a pipe. Polypropylene pipes for sewerage, 110 m are inexpensive, and stretching a water pipe through them opens up very tempting prospects.

Firstly, we get the opportunity to quickly pull an emergency hose through this collector in case of any unforeseen circumstances. To do this, it is enough to lay a wire or cable in the pipe. Or replacing a water pipe without excavation.

Secondly, it becomes possible to guarantee pipe heating under any circumstances. After all, cables can also sometimes deteriorate, burn out or short out. Right now it’s enough to start pumping warm air into the collector pipe and you can thaw frozen water supply.

Thirdly, it becomes possible to arrange heating of the water supply using the heat of the earth. If you have a basement or cellar with running water, then the temperature there is probably always positive. If you install an exhaust pipe at the other end of the pipeline and equip it with a suction deflector (for example, the Volpert-Grigorovich type), then warm air will slowly but constantly be drawn from the basement into the pipeline collector and heat it. This way we will get both free and very reliable heating plumbing, and basement ventilation. The costs of installing such a collector are not significant.

In winter, pipes need protection from freezing. The problem is most relevant for owners of country and private houses. They need to establish timely supply of hot and cold water to the house, taking into account seasonal conditions. A proper pipe heating system will maintain the integrity of your water tanks and pipelines for years to come.

It is a mistake to think that good thermal insulation- this is sufficient protection for pipes. Already at a temperature of -10 ° C, a pipeline with a diameter of 3/4 inch, wrapped thermal insulation material 25 mm thick, will freeze within 13 hours.
If the pipe freezes completely, it will burst. In this case, the water supply will stop, and flooding will occur at the rupture site. In addition to the disrupted water supply, the owner of the flooded area will also suffer large material losses.

These troubles can be prevented by using a ready-made kit for heating pipes or using a self-regulating heating cable.
The kit is a piece of self-regulating cable of a certain length, equipped at the factory with a so-called cold lead cable with electrical plug. The cable is designed to protect domestic water supply systems using pipes with a diameter of up to 32 mm from freezing; it is completely ready for use immediately after fixing it to the pipe and installing thermal insulation on top of it.
We also offer (Denmark) and (Germany)

Most often used for heating pipesself-regulating heating cable.
A self-regulating cable produces an amount of heat depending on the temperature of the pipeline: the lower the temperature in the pipeline, the more the cable heats up. Conversely, if the pipe heats up more, the cable reduces the level of heat generation. Self-regulating heating cables, unlike constant power cables, do not burn out or overheat.
They are much more reliable in operation than resistive ones and are designed for a long wear life. In addition, the use of self-regulating cables will significantly reduce energy costs.