frozen bath drain !!

GJ02

GJ02

GJ02

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stepped in the shower just now only to discover that the bath water from my little boy tonks bath last night has not properly drained away, i brush my teeth and the same with the sink
im assuming its frozen
the down pipe on the outside is plastic and is not insulated and is on a horzontal at one area before the vertical into the drain
ive tried 3 full boiling kettles and nothing
any ideas ? i need a shower ! :eek:
 
Morgoth said:
Maybe wrap a crappy towel around the pipe then pour the boiling water over that?
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There is absolutely no need for behaviour like that, even if it is this cold :eek: :D

On a more serious note, the problem with this might be if the pipe is frozen solid it's going to need a lot of heat to melt it through. It'll need a lot of kettles of boiling water. Any way to get a hose off the hot tap to the pipe?

I guess you need to find where it's actually frozen first. If you tap the pipe it should sound hollow. If it's frozen solid inside it'll sound solid. Might be worth looking to see if there's a section where the waste can't run out of it, like if there's a trap, rodding cap or U bend somewhere.
 
If you can reach the pipe then poor some warm water on it and put some hot water in the bath/sink to create some downward presure and the ice will soon be forced out the pipe once it thaws a little.
 
isn't pouring boiling water downa frozen pipe likely to burst the pipe? :confused: try some de-icer or something instead
 
sara said:
Have you ever poured a warmish drink over ice and had the ice crack? I imagine it's a bit like that.
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copper and even plastic pipes are a bit sturdier than ice, they're more likely to burst from the water freezing than from it melting.
 
well thanks for all the help
9 watering cans of super hot bath tap water on the pipe outside and a bath full of uber hot water done the trick !
now i can smell nice again
:Dthanks for all the input !:D
this cold weather hey !!
 
how did it freeze is the pipe laying flat ? , i cant see how water can freeze after being let out as it should go down the drain pretty instant?

you should check theres no part blockage in the pipes or in the drain?
 
beachBOYken said:
how did it freeze is the pipe laying flat ? , i cant see how water can freeze after being let out as it should go down the drain pretty instant?

you should check theres no part blockage in the pipes or in the drain?
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This i thought waste pipes were at an angle of 100 degrees ?
 
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