frozen pipe trickles but won't run

[spin cycle]

never had this before...slightest trickle normally clears flow ...panicking a bit

 

[Kidds]

Usually means there is a lot of ice backed up at a joint.
Either leave it trickling and hope for the best or get some heat into it further back than the blocked bit.
Been very cold so not much chance to thaw.

 

[Courier]

Keep it flowing and it might eventually get faster - Fingers crossed for you. Open all possible outlets. Is there anywhere you can direct some heat onto the pipe, I find that a watering can full of hot water is often effective (Take the watering rose off...)

 

[spin cycle]

got heat on at mo.....wondering if it might be best to leave it til tommoz...if it's gonna burst better in daylight

 

[Lincs Lass]

Flowing water is warmer than the ice ,,

 

[Lincsman]

Tap?? damaged washer restricting flow?

 

[Bill dog]

Can you dribble a boiled kettle over it. My 20 ml blue pipe was freezing as i thawed it earlier, so gave up. Watering 1050 weaned piglets with a bucket is great fun !
Just watch you don’t have a bit of grit in the outlet jamming the flow !

 

[Highland Mule]

I had one that trickled for over an hour the other day, and then spat out some ice and went back to normal. Trouble is that the water ain’t much warmer than the ice, so doesn’t do a huge amount of melting as it passes. So long as the temperature is not crazy low (-10° or lower), I’d leave it open and give it time.

 

[Adeptandy]

I'd take it off the tap and leave an open pipe, will clear the ice quicker, but best keep an eye on it

 

[Lincs Lass]

I'd take it off the tap and leave an open pipe, will clear the ice quicker, but best keep an eye on it

Ive done that with a hose pipe .

 

[TripleSix]

never had this before...slightest trickle normally clears flow ...panicking a bit

The tap doesn't have one of those daft check valves inside it does it?

I've seen them get smashed by ice and block the tap.

 

[spin cycle]

I had one that trickled for over an hour the other day, and then spat out some ice and went back to normal. Trouble is that the water ain’t much warmer than the ice, so doesn’t do a huge amount of melting as it passes. So long as the temperature is not crazy low (-10° or lower), I’d leave it open and give it time.

thats whats happened...left tap off with fan heater on......thinking heater might warm water in pipe then back......just went back and it went..#phew

 

[milkloss]

If it's really iced up then I tend to find stopping the flow and heating the lowest point of the pipe works best. Warmer water rises and defrosts the rest much like a radiator, if you let the pipe run dry of liquid water then the ice isnt in contact with the sides of the pipe very well.

that's my theory anyway.

 

[upnortheast]

never had this before...slightest trickle normally clears flow ...panicking a bit

Before the next cold snap get some of this-

10 Mtr Pack of Self Regulating Pipe Heat Tape c/w 13amp Plug | BN Thermic (PW-10)

Brilliant stuff, tape it to the pipe, cover with insulation, plug in & forget about it
Available in lengths 1 metre to 42 metres.

 

[Highland Mule]

Think I might need a few hours above freezing to melt this ballcock off. Good job it’s only a few calves and only use a drum of water twice a day, with a tap reasonably close. Trough was 2” deep in ice last week but that didn’t stop them licking a hole through to the water underneath, which we kept topped up.

 

[robs1]

We have a couple of frost proof taps, doesnt matter what else freezes as they never do, when we had stock always used some strawy muck round water tanks and turned the mains tap down so they flowed most of the time, rarely had problems, now with just the livery it's pointless covering the taps as the stupid girls are unable to cover them up.so just use the frost free ones, even horsecwomen have trouble causing problems with them

 

[DeeGee]

We have a couple of frost proof taps, doesnt matter what else freezes as they never do, when we had stock always used some strawy muck round water tanks and turned the mains tap down so they flowed most of the time, rarely had problems, now with just the livery it's pointless covering the taps as the stupid girls are unable to cover them up.so just use the frost free ones, even horsecwomen have trouble causing problems with them

How are these taps frost free, are they just sheltered, insulated or are they some special kind of tap?

 

[robs1]

How are these taps frost free, are they just sheltered, insulated or are they some special kind of tap?

They are a stand pipe, with the valve at the bottom, when you lift the lever water rises up the pipe and out the outlet, when you shut it off the water the valve exposes a hole so the water left in the pipe runs out the hole into a drain and away it comes from Canada I paid about 40 quid each IIRC, covering up taps with plenty of strawy muck works very well but relies on humans and brains

 

[TripleSix]

 

[serf]

Take pipe off where poss , as said above so it can blow the ice clear with bit of heat