I have used this in the past when moving radiators round but never on a pressurised system. I need to alter the pipe work for the new kickspace heater and just need the pipes blocked long enough to cut the existing pipes and fit a couple of full bore isolating valves. So any gotchas?
Richard
I've used a freezing kit on a live mains water pipe. It worked absolutely fine. Obviously, you need zero water flow.
Does the inhibitor in a central heating system reduce the freezing point?
It is no nonsense inhibitor now renamed Flomasta and as far as I can see does not lower the freezing point of the water.
Richard
On a pressurised system I?d just drop the pressure to zero and cut the pipes. You shouldn?t lose too much water whilst cutting and fitting the valves. (Interestingly enough, I also fitted full bore taps to my kickspace heater as the small ones were too restrictive. I also got rid of the flexible connecting pipes by using large ?U? shaped loops of plastic 15mm pipe that?s much less restrictive and still allows the heater to be pulled out.)
Tim
I've used a mains-powered freezer successfully (just) but had a couple of fails with pipe freeze. I wouldn't bother with freezers; release the pressure and cut/isolate one pipe at a time. There won't be much water loss but I would have a wet vac handy just in case.
of course, don't get it finished quick enough and oops. But I'm not seeing the point of freezing here, just do the job & repressurise.
NT
Pipe freez is also not cheap, over priced in fact. Brian
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