VAC
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1" PVC Conduit has ice inside it....whats the best way to thaw this?
1" PVC Conduit has ice inside it....whats the best way to thaw this?
I had to thaw some UG a few years ago. I attached a small hose to a fishtape and pushed them down to the ice. Then using a small fountain pump, I pumped hot water through the hose, the returning water was collected in a bucket, reheated with an immersion heater and pumped down to the ice again. I let this contraption run for awhile and advanced the fishtape every few minutes. I was able to melt through a LOT of ice and open the conduit.
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I buy a sackful of gas line anti freeze and pour a couple in the pipe, go drink a cup of coffee, come back and tug on the wires, repeat if necessary.
Please explain the thermodynamics that cause the anti-freeze to create the heat necessary to melt ice. Last time I sent to science class, anti-freeze could only prevent water from freezing (hence it's name), not thaw ice.
I buy a sackful of gas line anti freeze and pour a couple in the pipe, go drink a cup of coffee, come back and tug on the wires, repeat if necessary.
Kind of like Zbang say. It's not thermodynamics it's chemistry. Methonal and water want to be together more than horny teenagers so the methonal works its way into the ice.Please explain the thermodynamics that cause the anti-freeze to create the heat necessary to melt ice. Last time I sent to science class, anti-freeze could only prevent water from freezing (hence it's name), not thaw ice.
1" PVC Conduit has ice inside it....whats the best way to thaw this?
Let's say the freezing point of a 50-50 methanol/water mixture is 0F.So it works it's way into the ice. How does it create the heat needed to bring the ice above 32*F to melt it?
Sure, if the methanol is above 32, it will begin to melt it. But once it surrenders its heat and drops below 32, it quits melting the oce.
Introduce a high current does not need to be ridiculously high but, likely needs to be at least 150 - 200% of conductor "normal" ampacity or it will seemingly take forever to thaw, on any installed conductors. Maybe plug ends of raceway as well to help hold in what heat is produced during the process.
It's not the same thing as pouring hot water in.So it works it's way into the ice. How does it create the heat needed to bring the ice above 32*F to melt it?
Sure, if the methanol is above 32, it will begin to melt it. But once it surrenders its heat and drops below 32, it quits melting the oce.
Very clever!
Please explain the thermodynamics that cause the anti-freeze to create the heat necessary to melt ice. Last time I sent to science class, anti-freeze could only prevent water from freezing (hence it's name), not thaw ice.
That is where the "repeat" portion of the process comes in - not enough was added to get the whole thing "thawed" continue below...So it works it's way into the ice. How does it create the heat needed to bring the ice above 32*F to melt it?
Sure, if the methanol is above 32, it will begin to melt it. But once it surrenders its heat and drops below 32, it quits melting the oce.
The key is that temperature is the AVERAGE kinetic energy of something - some molecules are moving faster and some slower. Thus even below freezing, there are microscopic amounts of ice turning into water and back to ice all the time. The same phenomenon explains why water evaporates. So the salt or whatever sits there like a predator and once a bit of water appears it dissolves some of itself into the water and bam! it cant freeze anymore. Repeat. Kinda like a horror movie isnt it?
.....You are not really "thawing" the (frozen) water, you are lowering the "freezing point. ......