Electric Pipe Freezer.

[stulew]

I am thinking of investing in an Electric Pipe Freezer, at the moment I use a Polar Ice can freezing kit but to be honest I find myself having heart failure every time I use it in case it lets by. I have been thinking about getting an electric one (Possibly a Freezemaster 280D) about £700 from BES. Do any of you use them and if so do you find yourself using them or do they end up just cluttering up the back of your van. It does seem like a lot of money and I suppose I am just trying to justify spending that sort of money when I can easily make do with the Polar cans. I would appreciate your feedback.
Cheers

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

I have a jetfreeze kit and that gets a bit scary when you are at the dregs of the bottle. Never let me down though but I always try to keep a carrot handy just incase it does. I don't use it that often but appreciate it on the times that I do especially when its one of those systems that you know you're never gonna get the air out of if you do a full drain down.
Have had success with plugging feed and vent with them rubber bungs as well on CH systems

 

[stulew]

I am a bit like you, I really appreciate my freezing kit when I come up against the badly designed system from HELL and you do know before you even attempt the drain down that you are going to have lots of problems getting the air out at the refill stage. I have had to revisit on a number of occasions to repeat the bleeding process, so I suppose when you add up all this time etc then £700 is not to bad. I saw one demonstrated at an exhibition at Chelsea (Stamford Bridge) and to be honest I was very impressed. I just like the idea of being able to hook it up and then not having to worry about it until the job is complete. MMMMMMmmmmmm I don't know I still need some convincing.

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

The one here is similar to what I have and is a lump cheaper
Suppose it depends how much you are going to use it. It does have a bottle refill cost every now and then. Unless you use it more than once or twice a week it will pay for itself quicker than electric version but you lose the advantage of freezing the pipe indefinitely

http://www.rothenberger-tool-uk-sales-and-hire.co.uk/18_pipe_freezing_kit.html

 

[DP]

When you consider having to do repeat calls to keep the system running (following drain down), electrical freezer kit is heaven sent. Clamp the heads to the pipe, sit down, read the paper and drink you coffee. Then having checked the heads have done the job, chop the pipe and complete the job.

Wonderful kit. Go for it.

 

[stulew]

As I only start work after I have had a coffee, this does indeed seem like a great bit of kit. Anybody got any preferences as to the makes available. I have looked at the Freezemaster but I believe that Arctic (same people as the canned freeze) make one as well.

 

[ChrisR]

I've looked and wondered, as you have. (Using Arctic etc, first thing I do for adding rads etc is to put in a full flow ball valve).

Some of the heads are easier to get in place than others. The Freezemaster ones look ok.

 

[stulew]

Well gents I have just ordered the BES one. (Freezemaster 280D) I have a great job to do on Tuesday which would involve a full drain down to replace a pushfit repair that was going to be buried under a concrete floor. Why do people think that a weeping joint will miraculously seal itself when it is buried under 6 inches of cement. (Customers are a very strange breed indeed). Thanks for your input Gents. I will keep you posted as to how worth the £700 it is.

 

[AdamW]

Why do people think that a weeping joint will miraculously seal itself when it is buried under 6 inches of cement

They don't?

On a different note, does anyone know the best way to dig up water-logged concrete?

 

[oilman]

Get your electric freezer heads, put them on the wet concrete, weight them down a bit, cover with lots of blankets, turn on freezer, leave for a few hours to freeze and explode the concrete, turn off freezer, remove blankets, let it thaw for a day or two, shovel debris into rubble bag.

 

[blahblah]

Stu. Bought a 280D a couple of months ago. Its a marvellous piece of kit, wouldn't be without it. Enjoy!

 

[kevplumb]

ditto

 

[brumylad]

I always worry about power cuts and blowing fuses using the electric freezer. Keep a light on the same extension cable if its gonna be on for a while.

 

[blahblah]

Suitable valves and push fit stops always ready just in case! So far been worth its weight in gold, eg fitting towel rail to nasty system with no drain offs, combi with a 99p ball valve for a fill loop and no trace of a stop cock anywhere, rad valve changes. Experimented yesterday with rad changes. Did three downstairs ones on a sealed system that needed re piping. As one was defrosting and being bled and tested the next was freezing. Meant all the floors could go back etc without waiting untill the very end. Probably not much quicker but definately less ag.

 

[brumylad]

I regret not owning one when adding a rad to a system recently that was a nightmare to refil. Vented system, had to backfil with a hosepipe in the end. I agree they r very handy at times (hiring when required at the mo...expensive though, £50/ day)