Frozen water lines are such a problem in Fort Lupton, Colorado, that they earn a special page on the city’s website.

“I’d like to say that residents follow our advice,” Public Works supervisor Jose C. Reyes says. “But many don’t — until it’s too late!”

To fix past problems, workers laboriously dug around shallow mains entries, exposing frozen lines just ahead of water meters. Then using welding equipment, they cautiously thawed the pipes.

“That took too much time,” Reyes says. “And we needed a less hazardous method.”

So city crews sought a fast, handy way to minimize the inconvenience and potential damage from burst pipes during Colorado’s harsh winters.

The swift, safe solution

That’s when the City of Fort Lupton got a Hot-Shot 400 from General Pipe Cleaners. Weighing just 31 pounds and generating 400 amps of power, the lightweight, easy-to-operate device safely, quickly and efficiently thaws up to 175 feet of 1 1/2-inch-diameter metal lines.

Reyes says it’s “very, very easy to operate. In my opinion, practically anybody can learn to use Hot-Shot.”

Simply transport Hot-Shot 400 to the job, stretch out two cables, and clamp them to either end of the frozen section. Then plug the unit into a clean, grounded 115 volt receptacle. The unit hums, indicating a good circuit. In minutes, Hot-Shot restores water flow to frozen metal pipes.

“We like the compact design,” Reyes says. “Our Hot-Shot is much more convenient than dragging around welding equipment in freezing weather.”

Forget tearing up floors, breaking through walls, or digging in icy ground. And forget the liability and fire dangers of risky blow torches and welders, both of which can melt solder joints, triggering line failure.

“For all practical purposes, Hot-Shot eliminated those dangers. It works really well.”

Safe, effective Hot-Shot 400 warms metal pipes only enough to thaw outer ice layers. Water pressure then melts remaining blockage.

Hot-Shot technology puts low, 5 volt current with 400 amps through frozen metal lines for thawing 1 1/2-inch-diameter lines up to 175 feet long. If the unit pulls too much current in older homes, just switch to the lower power 320 amp setting. Low voltage effectively eliminates risks of accidental electrocution when touching metal pipes during operations. But amperage is still strong enough to heat conduits without risking fire or collateral line damage.

Additionally, General offers the lower powered, lower cost Hot-Shot 320 for thawing 1 1/2-inch-diameter lines up to 100 feet long.

Reliable and versatile performance

Reyes really values equipment dependability. “Hot-Shot is very reliable,” he says. “It has always done the job and never let us down.”

Reyes also likes General’s safety features, like thermal overload protection and circuit breakers as standard equipment.

“That gives us extra peace of mind,” he says. “Workers feel very safe operating our Hot-Shot.”

But what about thawing plastic pipes, stacks or waste lines? General recommends water jet drain cleaners, that work equally effectively on grease, sediment and other soft blockages. The 3,000 psi, 4 gpm units like General’s J-2900 water jet, for instance, cuts through ice at 1 foot per minute in a 4-inch line — with cold water.

“We finish jobs quicker with Hot-Shot,” Reyes says. “It’s a wonderful thing!”

For more information, contact the Drain Brains at General at 800-245-6200 or by email info@drainbrain.com.