SEWER & DRAINS – Sewer Repair

Sewer line repairs were typically performed by using the “Full Trench” or “trench” method to access a portion of a pipe or to install a whole new sewer line. However, todays advance in sewer technology is giving home and business owners cost effective options for sewer repairs with much less destruction to their property.

The popular methods of repairs are: Trenchless Pipe Bursting and Cured In Place Pipe Lining CIPP, (see CIPP Liner for more info). Both pipe bursting and liner methods are considerably less expensive and destructive to rehabilitate a sewer than a full trench method because of the reduced time it takes to repair it and considerably less landscape damage required.

Trenchless pipe bursting is a less intrusive method for replacing sewers because instead of using backhoes to trench out the entire sewer length, only two excavations are needed to pipe burst a new sewer.

Pipe bursting works by the excavation of two holes, one at the begging of the pipe and one at the end of the pipe. A hydraulic machine is placed at one end, while a steel cable with a special cutting head passes through the existing pipe to the other end.

As the hydraulic machine pulls on the cable, the cutting head with a new seamless plastic pipe attached to it enters the existing pipe, cutting the old one out of the way; hence the new pipe takes the place of the old one.

Because the new sewer pipe is seamless, it’s highly resistant to leaks and root intrusion, extending its life expectancy. Plus, aside from being less costly than the full trench method, pipe bursting causes less destruction, capable of upsizing pipes, and passes through all types of materials such as: cast iron, clay, terra cotta, plastic and concrete.