Which Trenchless Technology Is Better? Cured In Place (CIPP) vs Pipe Bursting

Sewer Pipe Line Repair

A burst sewer pipe in your home or small business is always a major inconvenience, but you can limit the impact on your wallet and stress levels by making a few smart choices about how you handle the situation. Fortunately, these days you do not need to tear up your entire yard to get at a broken sewer pipe thanks to advances in trenchless repair technology. However, choosing the right kind of trenchless repair for your particular needs takes a bit of knowledge.

While they both represent major advances in plumbing repair technology, not all of the current trenchless pipe repair techniques are as effective in different situations. When you are facing burst or leaking pipes is the worst time to try and learn about the different types of trenchless repair, so we have compiled all the necessary information for you here. Before you make a decision about how to fix your piping problems in your residence or office, it is worthwhile to take a moment to compare pipe bursting trenchless repair versus epoxy pipe lining.

What Are the Similarities?
Both of these technologies have gained broad acceptance for both residential and commercial pipe repairs since the early 1980s. Epoxy pipe lining is also known as “cured-in-place piping” (CIPP) and pipe bursting is usually known as upsizing or pipe splitting. Both of these techniques will repair your damaged sewer and water lines without needing to dig up and remove your old pipes.

The trenchless approach for solving underground piping problems saves many home and business owners a few thousand dollars every year. Both of these technologies eliminate the cost and stress of an excavation, which also helps preserve any expensive landscaping. While both of these techniques will accomplish the same goal, they each depend on very different operations.

Does Pipe Splitting Actually Burst Pipes?
Pipe splitting performs very much as advertised, using special equipment that will burst through your existing pipe, while it also expands the surrounding soil and draws replacement piping into place. This process can generally handle any diameter of piping.

The large size of the pipe-bursting equipment will require digging a pit for insertion, which means that the operation is not actually totally trenchless. Percussion forces resulting from the bursting pipe will often cause substantial ground movement that can affect the infrastructure around the work site. Pipe splitting is more risky in sandy or rocky soils, so its use always requires a thorough site study to establish the appropriateness of the conditions, and also requires a high degree of mechanical caution when in use.

How Does CIPP Work?
Cured-in-place piping involves the fabrication of materials on-site, and then the running of resin-soaked liners through your damaged sewer or water pipe lines. The two-part epoxy will cure in place, which creates a structural bond to the material of the original pipe. This way the success of the operation is independent of the surrounding soil conditions, and it will not generate any dangerous ground movement. This technology will work with any type of line including clay pipes, PVC and cast-iron drains, with an average completion time of one or two days. Most epoxy pipe lining brands come with 10-year guarantees. Unlike in the case of pipe splitting, CIPP is safe to use in virtually all types of sewer or water line repair.

Whether relining or pipe bursting is better for your needs depends on the details of your situation: how deep is your pipe, how extensive is the damage, and where is it located on your property?

Pipe bursting will cost roughly $125 to $200 for each foot, which will result in a $3,500 to $20,000 bill depending on the length of your repair. Pipe bursting is basically the underground replacement of your pipe, and the cost will depend on the depth and length of the damaged pipe.

Relining your damaged pipe will usually cost between $150 to $250 for each foot, which will result in total repair costs between $4,000 and $20,000 depending on the circumstances. Most relining operations end up costing between $6,000 and $12,000.

Since the final cost and safety of the operation depends on the exact circumstances of your problem, the first thing you should do is contact plumbing professionals who offer both services, as well as inspections and estimates.

We would love to offer you an estimate for both. Give us a call today.

Why use a Licensed Plumber?

If you choose to hire an unlicensed plumbing contractor there are so many things that can go wrong. If someone tells you they can make the repairs but they aren’t licensed to do so, you open yourself up to countless potential problems. Because they most likely don’t have the experience or the expertise, the work they do might not be in compliance with the current plumbing codes (if they even do any work at all). You could be sued if they are injured during the repair because they won’t have the proper insurance. Your own homeowner’s insurance will be invalidated if something goes wrong. If the job takes longer than expected, not done properly, needs to be redone, you are at the mercy of the unlicensed “plumber.” If something is damaged, the repair makes things worse, the materials are of poor quality, there’s nothing you can do legally. Here’s a short list of some of the possible problems that can happen:

Foundation and other structural problems

Sewer backups/stoppages Sewer system not working as it should

Rodents and insect issues

And depending on the repair, you could be putting you and your family’s health and lives at risk like potentially deadly sewer gas odor issues. Not to mention the potential danger to the plumbing crew themselves.

Honestly, the number of things that could go wrong are too many to list here. To be safe and know the job was done right and you are protected, I strongly urge you to always hire a licensed plumber if you need a repair.

Lead Pipe Line Replacement

To reduce exposure to lead in drinking water, effective July 28, 2017, lead service lines are prohibited in
the Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW) system. Enforcement of this prohibition is being phased in
over 15 years, and owners will have a grace period before any action will be taken.

Here is a very informative article about the water safety issues of lead pipes and partial lead pipe replacement. Read Article Here

Damaging Roots

Can roots grow through PVC? Roots penetrate these openings to reach the nutrients and moisture inside the pipes. … Clay pipe, which is most common in older water and sewer lines, is also easily penetrated and damaged by tree roots. Concrete pipe and PVC pipe may also allow root intrusion, but to a lesser extent than clay.

Renew Downspouts and Underdrains

One of the most common storm drains or underdrain is the French drain. Also called a weeping tile or rock drain, a French drain typically consists of gravel or rocks that filter water through a trench and into a perforated pipe. These are especially common along a building’s foundation. The first step in fixing a French drain typically involves finding the damaged section of the pipe. We can help you.

What is Hydro Excavation?

Hydro Excavation is the process of removing or moving soil with pressurized water. An air conveyance or vacuum is then used to transfer the soil or debris to a debris tank. This allows for a non-destructive and more accurate way to excavate soil and locate underground utilities.

The popularity of hydro excavation today started with oil and gas industries. Soon, the plumbing industry was able to see the efficiency of hydro excavation as compared to other methods.

How Hydro Excavation Works
Hydro excavation equipment combines high-pressure water with an air vacuum. This system cuts through the soils and breaks it up. The vacuum then lifts the slurry from the excavation area. The debris is transferred to a debris tank.

Hydro excavation equipment needs a vacuum source. There are two choices for this, a fan system or a positive displacement blower. A fan system is able to move air in huge amounts. This allows for faster excavations. It is easier to control and operate. This is often lighter and less expensive than the positive displacement blowers.

A displacement blower is able to move air in longer distances than the fan system. Excavation can be done at greater depths but at a slower rate. Most hydro excavation applications can be done more effectively using the fan system.

Hydro excavation equipment combines high-pressure water with air vacuum. This system cuts through the soils and breaks it up. The vacuum then lifts the slurry from the excavation area. The debris is transferred to a debris tank.

Applications
Underground facilities and subsurface utilities are almost always needed for construction. Excavation to lay these utilities is not an easy job and has a lot of risks. The existence of hydro excavation has considerably lessened these risks and it can now be used for several excavation applications.

Hydro excavation is used for line, sign and pole installation and location. It is also used for potholing or daylighting. It allows for less congestion and traffic in the excavation area because the equipment can be positioned at a distance.

Pipe and sewer rehabilitation is another application for hydro excavation. This method reduces risks for any damages to or punctures in the pipes. This eliminates the additional time and cost that repairs require.

By using hydro excavation for landscaping, accurate excavation is done so the surrounding soil is not disturbed. The soil stays compact and strong while the necessary removal and is completed.

Benefits
Hydro excavation brings a number of benefits to the industrial excavation world. It is now the most preferred method of digging because of its efficient and accurate results.

The primary benefit of hydro excavation is that it provides for better damage and safety control when compared with mechanical methods. Since it is accurate, it limits accidents and injuries for laborers as well as other people. It also does a better job of digging.

Using hydro excavation avoids damage to underground pipes, lines and cables. This, in turn, eliminates the high expenses needed for repairs and restoration. Needing to do fewer repairs means less time to get the job done too. Interrupted utilities bring inconveniences and high costs. This process of excavation is able to minimize damages.

In general, hydro excavation is a method that creates a better service for the customer and that makes it easier for us to service our customers and the more safety for our laborers.

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