Is there a home-brew way to freeze plumbing pipes?

Question

I know you can buy kits to freeze your pipes to avoid draining down when you change a radiator valve or similar, but is there a home made way of doing it?

Yes I can get a kit in my local store, but I'm curious to know if there is another way.

Answer 1

Packing in dry ice would freeze something with in 30 seconds, but, I would worry that it may 'BURST' your pipes as the expansion is not able to be absorbed by the metal, straining it to a point of expansion from the ice and cracking, (let alone what the dry ice does to metal anyways, it weakens its structure, as it becomes brittle).

I would go through the problem of draining the system. Its not hard to "chage" it up again, as in a radiator, by simply bleeding the air out...

I wish you well..

Jesse

Answer 2

your local hire shop will have something to freeze the pipes. but if your doing it your self then i would advise draining down the system. if it is upstairs then you only need to drain down half. what you will need is jointing compound for the rad valves and P.T.F.E. tape for the threads into the rad. if you can leave the old nuts in place and smear with compound. tighten the nuts onto the new valves and refill. you may need a rad tool to get the new valves into the rad

Answer 3

You could try packing the pipe in dry ice for about 45 minutes... Just a thought.

-SD-

Answer 4

I guess if you ask in your local D.I.Y. store they might have something...

Answer 5

D.I.Y