If you have not heard of a trenchless plumbing solution, it is because you have not dealt with broken pipes under driveways or concrete, or you have never repaired your sewer system. Trenchless pipe repair is replacing a damaged pipe in the ground without digging up the surface. Such a case can help to save money and time. However, you should know that the San Diego trenchless sewer repair solution might be inappropriate in situations such as:
- If the pipes are not laid down properly
- If a section of the piping has collapsed
- If you have thin pipes
- If the pipes show a significant amount of corrosion, cracking or are old
Trenchless sewer repair solutions
The sewer repair technologies that plumbers choose for a repair will depend on the diagnosis, and they include:
Point repairs
If your plumbing pipes are in a fairly good condition or new and the plumber determines that the issue lies at a specific point, a point repair might be the ideal solution. In this case, the plumbing union pushes the pipe down to the target area and inflates it until the lining material solves the problem. After that, the plumber will remove the bladder, and the pipe will start to work normally.
Pipe coating
If the size or configuration of the piping makes it challenging to conduct repairs, pipe coating can be an ideal option. The process will involve a thorough cleaning of the old pipe, drying it, and coating it using polyurea. Then, the plumber will apply the coating in the layer using a spinning brush as needed by the San Diego code. When the plumber completes the repair, the polyurea shell will be strong and resistant to any materials that will pass through the drain.
Cured-in-place or pipelining
It is also known as pipelining because plumbers design a new pipe inside an old one. The resulting new pipe liner will be code-approved and have similar strength features as the drain pipe and sewer installed in a new home. First, pipelining encompasses a thorough cleaning of the old pipe using a specialty tool. After that, the plumbers cut a felt tube sized for the damaged pipe and saturates it using epoxy to achieve a uniform thickness. Next, the plumber installs the epoxied liner in the old pipe and inserts a calibration tube inside the liner. The next step involves filling the calibration tube with air and water pressure to push the liner tight on the old tube until the issue is solved. After the epoxy is hardened and cured, the plumber will remove the calibration tube and use a video recorder to confirm if they have perfectly laid the inspector. Finally, the sewer line will start to operate again.
Pipe bursting
Pipe bursting involves the installation of a new pipe over an old pipe. A plumber starts the process by accessing the end of the pipe that needs repair. Typically, the plumber will pull a steel cable through the pipe and hook a bullet-shaped bust at one end. After that, the plumber attaches the new piping to the back of the bursting head. In this case, a power tool will pull the cable, and a bursting head will break the damaged pipe while installing the new pipe. In most cases, the new pipe will be a high-density polyethylene that gas firms use for their new mains. In the end, the plumber will join together the pipe sections to ensure that there are no joints that can allow leakages or tree roots to penetrate through the pipes.
How do plumbers determine if you need trenchless sewer repair in your home?
Trenchless sewer repairs start with a clear diagnosis of the plumbing issues. Professional plumbers have sewer line cameras to inspect the piping and determine the root cause of the issues. After knowing the issues, plumbers can decide if trenchless sewer repair solutions suit you.
