FAO Regulars: Freezing of 8mm - 28mm pipework

[Gas2Air]

I'm currently toying with the idea of purchasing pipe freezing equipment. I tend to end bung most systems upto 22mm. However i've never tried this freezing method nor anyone i know has.

Have any of you tried it and if so what success have you had?

 

[fitz1]

tried it on cold main . worked well. will always be handy.

 

[ChrisR]

Have an Artcic Polar kit. Works ok. COsts a few pounds per freeze in freexer "can". I always add £40 if freezing. Point out that alternative is to take longer, risk other problems etc.

 

[kevplumb]

what you lose in the cost you gain in the not having to refill and vent dept
i use it reg

 

[watertight]

I have had the Rothenberger Rofrost CO2 kit and now have their electric one.

CO2 freezer froze pipework a lot quicker but was unreliable. Furthermore it was expensive to run. I'd advise never to buy one of these, they are a complete headache. In the end I took it back to the merchant and asked for a refund.

Got credit for the gas freezer (about £260) which I then used towards an electric one (£750ish). Although it takes longer to freeze it's guaranteed, cheaper to run and can be left on for as long as necessary without the need to change a gas cylinder. It's worth the extra money and as ChrisR said you can always add on a few quid to the job. More than that it removes the need to drain and refill a system and the headache of airlocks!!!!

 

[brumylad]

I have used an electric pipe freezer to change a stop cock on mains pressure. Worked very well. The unit is heavy though (15-20 Kg).

If there is a power cut you have about 5 mins to finish up.

 

[kevplumb]

so you get your finger out

 

[htgeng]

so you get your finger out

how far away from the 'freeze plug' do you have to be before you can safely make a capillary? Ive been toying with getting a freezer for a while!

 

[kevplumb]

1 m is recommended when you get used to it you draw your own boundries

 

[htgeng]

1 m is recommended when you get used to it you draw your own boundries

I was hoping you'd say that. If you got everything lined up and fluxed, I'd hope that it would be a *lot* less than that.

 

[doitall]

so you get your finger out

how far away from the 'freeze plug' do you have to be before you can safely make a capillary? Ive been toying with getting a freezer for a while!

Pipe expands when freezing so doittoclose and the fitting don't go on pipe

 

[kevplumb]

use compression fittings then

 

[brumylad]

If you wanted to solder you would have to work quick. One thing I noticed was that because the pipe is very cold it gathers condensation very quickly, in fact this then freezes and to get on my compression fitting I had to scrape off surface ice.

It takes about 10 mins to freeze 15mm pipe.

I was working 8 inches away from the freezing heads and the bathroom was cold and damp. Mind, I am a bit ponderous and getting off the old olive took me about 10 mins.

 

[kevplumb]

i have froze a long plug with cans cut the middle and insert a compression tee

not for the faint hearted tho

 

[doitall]

Dinosaur says that to test the pipes is cold when freezing drill a smallhole where you intend to cut the pipe, self tapper can then plug it back up if not ready.

Piisssst alway cut the ppe with pipe cutters the little groove it leaves stops the plug shooting out.