Frozen Culverts

[BraggSurvivor]

Anyone know of a better way of thawing culverts? In the past Ive been running a small electric pump in the flood zone (chopping a hole in the ice) and running a hose in one end and eventually it works its way through. Bloody slow but works. Any ideas?

[Rick]

Where is the culvert? Drain for the pond, under the driveway? And how long is it?

[BraggSurvivor]

On a lease road, about 20' long - 8" pipe. Floods about 2 acres every year and worried about the trees. I'm thinking about putting a heat trace in next fall (forgot last fall) and haul a genny out there for a couple hours to thaw next year. Does not help me this year though.

[Rick]

That's why I asked the length. That was what I was thinking. Is it a concrete culvert or a metal one? If it's metal, you might be able to install a culvert flap gate. It looks like this but without the float. That would prevent the flooding all together. It will only allow water flow in one direction.

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0019/168112/L6-figure-1.jpg

Here's another one:

http://www.fws.gov/nc-es/coastal/flapgate1.jpg

[BraggSurvivor]

Yea, it's metal. Normally there is no flowing or standing water. It is a culvert for snow melt to pass under the road in the spring or for heavy rains. I might have to rig up a steam generator as there are about 7 culverts I have problems with. The beavers chewed the crap outta my last pvc culverts so I had to dig them up and replace with steel. I just wish I went bigger diameter when I replaced them as I dont think I would have had this problem. Learning the hard way.:(

[Rick]

Do you have access to a portable welder? I've seen metal water pipes thawed that way. The current heats up the pipe and melts the ice.

[BraggSurvivor]

Ahh jeese Rick, your king man, never even thought of that. Yes I have a couple welders that will do just fine. Thanks pal, you just saved me hours of mucking around.

[Rick]

Then once it's thawed. INSERT HEAT TAPE IN CULVERT.:D

By the way, I'll take a check..:rolleyes:

[BraggSurvivor]

Checks in the mail. Honest

[Stony]

rip out this small pipe and put a 2 or 3 foot culvert in it.
that will help.

[trax]

Hey Bragg? No tiger torch? 8"pipe shouldn't take that long to thaw and once the metal starts heating, same thing as what Rick suggested. You might want to look at putting in bigger holes for next year.

[flandersander]

yeah a tiger torch would do the trick.