For many homeowners, their lawn is a point of pride so the idea of ripping it up to fix a sewer line can be devastating. Many people are not aware that another option exists to replace a broken sewer line: trenchless sewer repair. There are several different types of trenchless sewer repair but we are going to focus on Cured in Place Piping (CIPP).
CIPP is one of several trenchless rehabilitation methods used to repair existing pipelines. CIPP is a jointless, seamless, pipe-within-a-pipe with the capability to rehabilitate pipes ranging in diameter from 0.1–2.8 meter (4″–110″). As one of the most widely used trenchless sewer repair methods, CIPP has application in water, sewer, gas, and chemical pipelines.
In CIPP, a resin-saturated felt tube made of polyester is inverted or pulled into your damaged pipe. It is usually done from the upstream access point via manhole or excavation. Little to no digging is involved in this trenchless process, making for a more environmentally friendly method than traditional “dig and replace” pipe repair methods. The liner can be inverted using water or air pressure. Hot water, UV light, or ”’steam”’ is used to cure the resin and form a tight-fitting, jointless and corrosion-resistant replacement pipe. Service laterals are restored internally with robotically controlled cutting devices. These can be sealed with additional seals into the lateral connection. The rehabilitated pipe is then inspected by closed-circuit television (CCTV).
As a trenchless technology, CIPP does not require excavation to rehabilitate a pipeline that is either leaking or structurally unsound. Depending upon design considerations an excavation may be made, but the liner is often installed through a manhole or other existing access point. While CIPP can repair a pipe with bends, special design considerations must be taken into account to prevent wrinkling and stretching. CIPP can effectively reduce infiltration and leaks in pipeline systems without digging.
At Plumbing Masters we start our trenchless sewer repair by thoroughly cleaning the line first by hydro-jetting. Once the line is clean we use the liner and a resin mixture to create the CIPP. We make the new sewer pipe on site and push it through the old sewer line using high air pressure. These repairs can often be completed in one day. To learn more about trenchless sewer repair, call the experts at Plumbing Masters at (602) 296-1127.
