wierd way to thaw pipes

farmerwithmutt · Dec 14, 2013

i dont rember how taught me this but i use it and it works pour molass down pipe yup send briar rabbit down.
does anybody remeber using welders to thaw pipes?

Rich Iowa · Dec 14, 2013

About ten years ago the main line into my mom's house froze. I can't remember how the guy did it, but a welder came out and unthawed the pipe. Took a while to get water trickling through the line again.

55 50 Ron · Dec 14, 2013

Yes a neighbor did that when I was a kid in North Dakota.

old · Dec 14, 2013

Problem is now days most pipes in a house are plastic so you cannot use a welder to thaw them

GBCMAN · Dec 14, 2013

My late father was a Plumber/Electrician from the 40's to the 80's and occasionally he did work for the local township.
I remember him calling in a local welder to thaw
pipes using truck mounted welder.
Was slow, but worked.

jm. · Dec 14, 2013

Years and I do mean like 30+ years ago got down below zero and stayed for like two weeks. Ground froze here a lot farther down than ever before. I must have had the only portable welder in the county. Spent quit a bit of time thawing pipes that ran from the meter or street to the house. O course those pipes were steel, just hook on below the meter and where it went into the house. Twenty minutes and the water would start flowing.

Paul from MI · Dec 14, 2013

We used to thaw the water line to the chicken house with a welder. Local guy came with a portable welder, spotted it between the house and chicken house, ran a cable to the house end of the line. Then the other to the end of the line in the chicken house. Usually only took an hour or so to get water flowing again. Couldn't tell you how many amps he set the welder at, but it always worked. Carrying water for 2,000 chickens is not a pleasant job, and I'm glad I don't have to do it any more.

4xMF · Dec 14, 2013

I bought a used welder many years ago from a guy who had used it for thawing pipes. In stead of the stick holder he had put some kind of c-clamp or pipe clamp on it. I remember I used it to loosen rusted bolts on a wagon wheel once.

Anonymous-0 · Dec 14, 2013

My old Lincoln Tombstone has a circle around the 75 Amp (IIRC) setting, to denote that is the setting for thawing pipe..

Mike (WA) · Dec 14, 2013

During a cold snap some years back, couple enterprising young guys hauled a welder around Seattle and thawed pipes. Supposedly, at one place, they finished and told the guy the price, and he balked. So the one guy yells to the other, "He doesn't want to pay. Reverse the polarity!"

Guy says, "OK, OK- Never mind, I'll pay." And did.

36 Coupe · Dec 14, 2013

I have thawed plastic pipes with a pail of hot water,a small submersible pump and a length of plastic tubing.Theres a fellow here who uses a steamer to thaw plastic pipe lines.

David G · Dec 14, 2013

My dad helped thaw pipes when he as younger with a guy that had a lincoln welder with hercules engine on it. He had some fun stories about getting paid.

One story they went out to a well off farmer to thaw out the pipe. The farmer asked how much, he told them $20, the farmer said it was to much, so they started to pack up, the farmer asked them how much, he responded $25, the farmer said it was to much. His wife then stepped in and said "quit negotiating or we will not be able to afford this".

Another time they went to an elderly ladies home, and could tell she did not have much. They did the work and told the lady it was $5, the gentleman handed my dad a $10 bill on the way out and said "here is your half".

Times past.

old · Dec 14, 2013

What you go out of your way to bug me?? I do not want to hear what you have to say and I do not answer your posts so please stop answering my post. I do not care for what you say so please STOP

dcarp · Dec 14, 2013

I use a hair dryer to thaw out frozen PVC pipes. Works pretty well & no fear of starting a fire.

old · Dec 14, 2013

I do it the easy way I just let the water drip here and there so no frozen pipes in the first place. Kitchen cold water all winter stays dripping just so I do not have the mess with thawing pipes. I hate crawling under the house

36 Coupe · Dec 14, 2013

Same here Old.

36 Coupe · Dec 14, 2013

Wasnt directed at you anyway, but thought it would help folks that have frozen plastic pipe.An expert said you cant thaw plastic pipes.I have done it and will be glad to tell anybody how to do it.We know you already know how to do it.

buickanddeere · Dec 14, 2013

(quoted from post at 18:29:59 12/14/13) My old Lincoln Tombstone has a circle around the 75 Amp (IIRC) setting, to denote that is the setting for thawing pipe..

The 75amp circle is the max continuous current rating for that welder.

NEKS · Dec 14, 2013

The first winter we moved to the farm (1971)the water froze in the bathroom. Took my Forney welder and thawed it out. It told in the book where to set it. Only time I ever used it to thaw pipes.

36 Coupe · Dec 14, 2013

There is an old Maine story.The Deacon had a lot of butter he had made stored in the cellar.Deacon saw a skunk in the cellar.He knew that the butter would be ruined if the skunk sprayed .He called in a local trapper who knew how to handle skunks.Trapper went down cellar and picked up the skunk by the tail.Carried the skunk up the stairs.Deacon said how much, trapper said 50 cents.Deacon said thats too much ,I wont pay.Trapper threw the skunk down the stairs, that made it spray.Goodbye butter.I was going into a general store here.Trapper was coming out with a cage trap with a canvas over it.I said you have a skunk in there.He said thats right.I left in a hurry.

Welding man · Dec 14, 2013

Several years back, in the late 80's I think, I thawed pipes for the local Public Service District 8 hours a day for 2 weeks, paid for a new 300 Amp. Miller Engine drive welder and made a little money to boot. Those were the good old days. I guess global warming has taken care of that.

Cliff Nelson · Dec 14, 2013

My grandparents' used to have problems with the water freezing under the street. They used to have a portable welder thaw it. He would park it in the street and run one cable in their house and the other to the house across the street. Don't remember how long it took but it did work.

Roy Suomi · Dec 14, 2013

I did it with my Hobart G-261 pipeline welder many times.. Worked slick.. I had one thaw job that only took 4 minutes to get water running.. Had a heck of a time to get my minimum charge.. Guy said it wasn't worth it.... Another time, I saw a guy hooked up to a KFC [new store].. He was there several hours drinking coffee and reading magazines.. On my way back home , I stopped to see what was going on.. I noticed his Lincoln SA-200 wasn't straining in the least way.. He burned up his welder and had to pull off the job.. I hammered out a price with management and hooked up.. 35 minutes later water was running.. I turned up the amps nearly full and turn the voltage until I see a slight ring of sparks at the brushes, then let 'er cook...

36F30 · Dec 14, 2013

(quoted from post at 17:32:38 12/14/13)

(quoted from post at 18:29:59 12/14/13) My old Lincoln Tombstone has a circle around the 75 Amp (IIRC) setting, to denote that is the setting for thawing pipe..

Click to expand...

The 75amp circle is the max continuous current rating for that welder.

Actually it denotes the setting for 100% DUTY CYCLE, anything below can be used continuous duty, anything above the duty cycle goes down as the amps go up

Frank 41 · Dec 15, 2013

In the early 60's. it got down to -32 at Gold field, IA. Water pipe was 4' in the ground that froze. Ran a welder 4 hours to no avail. Thank goodness we had an artesian well to water the livestock. Had a hand crank John Deere B that we did chores with. Three pulls and it started but I could not get into gear because the oil was so thick. Pushed the clutch in and came back in 30 minutes and I could shift it.

That is a good place to be FROM. Had 83 inches of snow then.

wierd way to thaw pipes

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