Frozen troughs

[Steevo]

@Loading shovel posted a video up recently with a good tip!

 

[onthehoof]

@Loading shovel posted a video up recently with a good tip!

But how many people have a set up like that, our mains stopcock is at the end of drive 3ft down

 

[Scooby]

Best way I found to defrost troughs is a 4’ pipe on the exhaust of the Land Rover and the other end on the pipe then sit in with the heater till it goes

 

[Steevo]

Best way I found to defrost troughs is a 4’ pipe on the exhaust of the Land Rover and the other end on the pipe then sit in with the heater till it goes

Must be a helluva Landrover to have a 4ft diameter exhaust!

 

[Nearly]

Must be a helluva Landrover to have a 4ft diameter exhaust!

It's so you can sit in the pipe too if it gets REALLY cold.

 

[Hilly]

Must be a helluva Landrover to have a 4ft diameter exhaust!

Steam powered

 

[Yale]

This morning, not intentional but.......

 

[Hilly]

This morning, not intentional but.......

View attachment 1082858

Tek screw

 

[Yale]

Tek screw

Found this in the draw.

 

[BAF]

This morning, not intentional but.......

View attachment 1082858

You need a small boy...

allegedly they're good at fingering dykes to stop leaks so a water trough shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Netherfield]

You need a small boy...

allegedly they're good at fingering dykes to stop leaks so a water trough shouldn't be a problem.

It's finding the dykes that's the problem.

 

[Ffermer Bach]

Am I likely to get insulated blue alkathene pipe defrosted today if it's about 3 degrees above zero for 6 hours?

Lots of pipes running along shed roofs and insulated, so sadly not in the sunlight, and not easy to get up and remove the insulation.

I think insulation on pipes is a disaster, because when it does freeze it takes ages to defrost. I think if I was going to put insulation on, I would add a trace heating cable under the insulation, but here in West Wales it never freezes long enough for that to be worthwhile.

 

[TheRanger]

I think insulation on pipes is a disaster, because when it does freeze it takes ages to defrost. I think if I was going to put insulation on, I would add a trace heating cable under the insulation, but here in West Wales it never freezes long enough for that to be worthwhile.

Got one insulated pipe still to thaw out, it's now over 30 hours since it went above 0

Usually the pipes are all fine, as can open a tap at the end of the line and then just defrost the droppers down to each trough. But got caught out and didn't leave the tap running hard enough this time.

 

[Longlowdog]

We have heat trace at 12 watts per meter and it is pretty easily overwhelmed.
I too wonder if insulation is a drawback when the temperatures drop really low at night but creep back above zero during the day.
We are promised 10 degrees in the next few days. I don't know what is worse, defrosting the borehole or the inevitable 1/2'' of surface slipped mud to follow making getting around a real chore, and don't even mention the dog muck reappearing from its snowy 10 day hibernation on the back lawn.

 

[Bob the beef]

Insulation is a real pest. As said above no use at all beliw -8 and just keeps the pipes cold after that. Keep a couple of taps running and just fill troughs with a hose, although even 1 of them froze this week while running 1/2 bore

 

[Gulli]

It's finding the dykes that's the problem.

Especially one you can put a finger in.
The young lad was barking up the wrong tree I reckon

 

[Pistonbroke]

Our house supply was frozen yesterday,no water to heat up to thaw the stoptap but the dishcloth was soaking wet in the bowl. Microwaved it for two minutes and wrapped it around the tap. A minute later ,water back on

 

[roscoe erf]

It's finding the dykes that's the problem.

not such a problem these days

 

[DRC]

My parents have just gone to NZ for Christmas, last time they went was 2010. Hoping we don't have a repeat of that winter!

That’s was the year that I decided I could live without cattle . Defrosting water troughs for 160 cattle as a one man band on top of feeding and bedding , was the final straw . Ploughed the grass all up .

 

[Gulli]

That’s was the year that I decided I could live without cattle . Defrosting water troughs for 160 cattle as a one man band on top of feeding and bedding , was the final straw . Ploughed the grass all up .

Can't say I blame you. Diesel Frozen up in the loader tractor Christmas morning was nearly enough for me luckily I have good neighbours so we got the cattle fed and I spent the majority of the day getting water out to the rest of them.

Thawing out here now thankfully