Inquiring minds want to know.

 

heat trace is great stuff, easier to link than explain, less typing for me .......... http://www.pexsupply.com/Easy-Heat-P...ing-Heat-Cable

 

Well, got the ice out of my sewage line, but it looks like the septic tank (or what ever the landlord buried in the ground) has a problem. Maybe the leach field is plugged or frozen as well.

Paul,
Do you tape it to the pipe or flush it? I'm going to be putting in a septic system out in Tok the next year or two.

 

heat tracing is usually spiraled around or run long the lower side of the pipe before the insulation is put in place.

 

Oooh! Heat tape.

 

Better than regular heat tape. Elect store sells it by the foot (cheaper) and you put your own plug on it. Believe you can run it up to 110 feet. I have it on my well line. Think it works by magic because it doesnt really draw power until an area gets close to freezing causing the material to conduct elect and heat up. Not a good discription but it works really well.

 

Sorry missed this....I ran mine along the bottom of my pipe...then brought up my sand bed up over pipe followed by a couple inches dry straw and covered that with foam board....Frost will ONLY go down not to the side so if you use 2 foot wide boards you will have plenty over pipe...
Are you renting....Whats Landloard doing???
You would not believe what some people have used for tanks over the years....Neighbor bought an old place, lived in it till new house finished...dug out one old van an a station wagon......
If your tank an field bed froze....that will be to spendy to fix in winter...put up a outhose or rent on....That or pack a honey bucket all day...And wait till thaw...

 

got a link???

 

What he's referring to is a heat trace that is thermostat controlled...that’s what I have on my main sewer line, (actually I have 2 but one is for redundancy)...if I can find it I'll post what brand I have, but have to go under house to get it....maybe later...

 

Man I hate to see a thread title like this so soon in the New Year. Sorry for your problem. I hate chasing toilet trout. I'd rather paint than work on plumbing. But when any of it needs doing it's my job here too.

 

If you find a candy bar don't eat it. (Caddy shack)

 

No thermostat on the stuff I use. It is self regulating-- sort of like the stuff in the link that mikmaze posted though it still may be done by magic.
Sorry, I dont have a link but will look for one. I bought mine by the foot from Browns Elect in Kenai, AK. They cut off how much you need than you put a plug on one end (or hardwire it like my garage floor drain) and seal the other end.

 

Bark, does Kenai ever get that cold? With central heating right across the creek?

 

Heres what I have....Freeze Free Like I said I ran two leads in case one dies I don't have to redig, one line has worked for 6 winters..

 

Unfortunately yes. In February we usually get hit with a few weeks of -20. The inlet gets ice on top. No more central heating until breakup.

That seems similar to the stuff I have. I found a chunk. Says Chromalox Safe-T-Melt Heating Cable 5W/FT at 40f or less 120V 100ft max per circut. Went to their website. They sell lots of stuff but I didnt see my exact cable. As I remember I was not supposed to bend it too much.