Moling a new pipe under a concrete track
- Thread starter devonshire farmer
- Start date
Fraserb
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders
When using our jack hammer at this time of year it can freeze up and start blowing chunks of ice out the exhaust so its probably true what the hire company are saying
What temp is the ambient air your pulling in?
- Location
- Devon
Must of been around 6 degree C here today
multi power
Member
- Location
- pembrokeshire
compressed air is fecking cold n does freeze easy
- Location
- Devon
Do you rekon the hot diesel will work then @ multi power, I value your opinion, that torch is mustard!
multi power
Member
- Location
- pembrokeshire
i have no idea about the mole but it is worth a try
paul mcerlean
Member
We have one of these machines and yes it will be frozen. As others said before there is a special oil that costs a fortune that helps but even at that can still freeze. We have over come the problem by modifying an old gas cylinder connecting the air line to it and then mole it acts like a buffer and takes out any moisture, it would freeze abit around the bottom but not the mole.
Not much use now, but it should be thawed enough tomorrow. Good luck
Not much use now, but it should be thawed enough tomorrow. Good luck
- Location
- south norfolk
I have been hired in to dig these moles up when they get stuck.more common than you think
Nick....
Nick....
- Location
- Devon
Result today, tried it on compressor first off, but no different so still frozen, put some hot diesel down but that didn't work. So set to with disc cutter and cut a trench at a foot wide, then used jackhammer to break it, then dug out with the digger. Took the moler back to hire shop and they didn't charge so that was fair enough but wasted a day yesterday but hay ho sh*t happens. I but in 2 conduits so there is a spare, I aint going down this road any time soon I hope!
Thanks for all the advice last night everyone.
Thanks for all the advice last night everyone.
Beanmetalworks
Member
- Location
- Wiltshire
if you hired the mole and it has broke does that mean hire company pay to put it all right????
- Location
- Devon
Don't know how it stands will post any developments on here if any, I was that fed of with the thing I never tried it to see if it worked before I took it back
Beanmetalworks
Member
- Location
- Wiltshire
i know someone that was using one alongside a road and it ended up under road and then they had to dig road up with traffic lights needed and all so you could say yours wasnt as bad as that lol!!
- Location
- Devon
Yes not so bad it was our own concrete we were digging up but it totally defeated the object of hiring the moler!
They're usually pretty good, I've never had one freeze, all I could say is you need to make sure they operate at the right speed/frequency.
Too slow they go nowhere and could get jammed, too fast and they almost bounce backwards.
They freeze because the compressed air expands in the mole, so you must make sure you have the winter oil, it has additives to prevent freezing.
They can need a knack to start them again, it will depend on model, some you cycle between reverse and forwards, some will need kick starting by kinking the air hose and releasing it to give a surge in pressure.
Exfarmer
Member
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds
Yes you produce heat where you compress the air in the compressor.
The other end where the air is released from compression the decompression will take up heat, this is the refrigerant effect, and can indeed induce freezing
Learn something every day on here