Why Use Trenchless Sewer Line Replacement?

April 10th, 2013 Posted in Sewer Lines
Comments Off on Why Use Trenchless Sewer Line Replacement?

Simple, because now you can! In times past, existing pipe repair or replacement meant that the ground burying those pipes must be removed. Traditional methods required deep excavation and the digging of trenches, potentially damaging lots of ground and landscaping, oblivious to their aesthetic appeal. Today’s trenchless sewer line replacement techniques have practically eliminated such distasteful consequences. It is now possible to replace existing water and sewer lines completely underground.,

Traditional trench digging and pipe excavation caused an enormous amount of disruption, of land and quiet. Where the pipe lays, under what road or building, is no longer an issue, as with trenchless pipe replacement there is no more land disruption. Additionally, this new hydraulic pipe laying method is quieter and smoother, no longer consisting of threatening noise levels or jarring vibrations. Furthermore, by accomplishing the replacing of sewer pipes entirely underground, a enormous saving in labor and equipment time is recognized (breaking apart the ground, digging a trench, refilling the trench, etc.). Of course, we all know that “saving time, saves money!” By saving time, labor and equipment, trenchless sewer line replacement can be performed at much less cost.

Another advantage of the trenchless sewer replacement technology is the potential for reduced delays. In the past, encountering the unknown in existing cables or pipes has necessitated additional trenching, causing further damage to ground surfaces, time, and cost. By using sensors, this technology can quickly identify the potential hazard of interfering objects, enabling adjustments and rerouting of the pipe, so that work may be continued safely with little interruption.

It certainly seems that the overall benefits of today’s trenchless pipe replacement system warrants a call to your local plumbing or sewer replacement professional for further consideration.

 

, ,
Read More

Sewer Lateral Care

December 19th, 2012 Posted in Sewer Lines
Comments Off on Sewer Lateral Care

If your home is connected to the city sewer line, it’s understandable to assume that you’re absolved from much of the responsibility of caring for your waste water system. In actuality, you are responsible for the private sewer lateral that connects to the public system to carry waste out of your home. Sewer line repairs including repairing cracks and breaks, as well as maintaining a free flowing connection through that lateral, will ultimately be up to you as the property owner.

Thankfully, there are several ways that you can help to protect your sewer lateral and fend off sewer line clogs and breaks. Pouring fats, cooking grease and oils down the drain of your sink is one of the most common causes of lateral clogs, and should be avoided at all costs. Diapers, wipes and even feminine products that are marketed as flushable and biodegradable can also cause problems, especially if your sewer laterals are older and have any intrusions like tree roots or grease build-up.

When you’re planning a new landscaping project, be sure to keep the location of your sewer lateral in mind. The roots of trees and large shrubbery can grow towards any cracks in your sewer lines in search of water, forming root balls and other intrusions that greatly interfere with the flow of water or clog the line altogether.

Even when taking these precautions, it’s wise to install an overflow protection device to ensure that any spills resulting from a clog in either your own sewer lateral or the public line will remain outside, rather than backing up into your home. Sewage overflow in your home can present substantial health risks and property damage; an outside spill, while certainly unpleasant and inconvenient, is much less difficult to clean up and presents fewer health risks.

, ,
Read More

When to Replace a Sewer Line

December 19th, 2012 Posted in Sewer Lines
Comments Off on When to Replace a Sewer Line

Though the municipal sewer line that your house is connected to through a sewer lateral is maintained and repaired by the city, care for the sewer lateral ultimately falls to you. That’s why, as a homeowner, it’s important to understand when a simple sewer line repair will suffice, and when you should start considering a complete replacement of the sewer lateral.

If you’ve had recurring sewer line problems, including frequent stoppages and back-ups that are not solved by rodding or hydro-jetting, there’s a good chance that your local sewer repair specialist will recommend replacing the line. This advice is especially sound if you have any plans to sell your home in the foreseeable future, as failure to repair the problem is something you’ll have to disclose to any potential buyers and could very easily drop the value of the home or make it difficult to sell altogether.

If your sewer system is older and comprised of obsolete clay pipes, it’s especially prone to root intrusions and other problems. Cleaning out a clay pipe regularly may delay necessary replacement, but is by no means an absolute fix. To truly restore your sewer lateral to proper working order, replacement of sewer lines comprised of clay or other outdated materials is imperative.

New methods of sewer line replacement often don’t even require complete excavations, which can destroy existing landscaping and damage your lawn. Trenchless sewer replacement systems use a cable with a bursting head, which will split existing pipes and moving them aside to make room for the new pipe as it’s pulled through. This method only requires holes at each end of the line, rather than a full trench along the length of the pipe.

, ,
Read More

Sewer Lines: What Type Are Yours?

October 29th, 2012 Posted in Sewer Lines
Comments Off on Sewer Lines: What Type Are Yours?

Many homeowners don’t know what their sewer lines are made of until a break or backup occurs and they find out the hard way. But by knowing what type of lines you have, you may be able to avoid further messy problems, and anticipate replacement or sewer line repair costs.

Depending your home’s age, your sewer line could be made of one of the following:

Clay – From 1900 to about 1920, clay was often used in home sewer line construction. Generally very porous, clay has a tendency to soften and crack, which leads to problems with tree roots growing inside the pipes and clogging them. 

Concrete – In the 1920s and 1930s, concrete was often used. Very prone to cracking and breaking, this material also resulted in problems with tree roots and leakages.

Cast Iron – Cast iron has been used almost since the beginning, but was very popular in the 1950s and 1960s. While extremely strong, it has a tendency to rust and corrode over time. 

Orangeburg – A very popular sewer line material from the 1950s to the 1970s, Orangeburg was made of layers of compressed layers of coal tar and wood. The trades virtually abandoned Orangeburg when it was deemed too soft and apt to deteriorate underground.

PVC – Polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, is the most commonly used material in modern sewer pipes because it’s durable, relatively inexpensive, resistant to chemicals and easy to joint. It is a plastic derivative that comes in either white or grey. 

ABS – Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or ABS, is also a plastic derivative, most often seen as a black pipe. It, too, is extremely durable and heat resistant, although it can be affected by ultraviolet rays. While similar in dimension, ABS and PVC should not be used together in sewer lines because of their different expansion rates.

Most municipalities now have codes that dictate the type of material that should be used for your sewer line, usually PVC, ABS or sometimes cast iron. It is important to check with your local building department or sewer septic contractor before doing any sewer line installation or repair.

, ,
Read More

Sewer Line Relining

April 8th, 2012 Posted in Sewer Lines
Comments Off on Sewer Line Relining

If your home needs sewer line repairs, one alternative to digging up the sewer line or replacing it is sewer line relining.  If your sewer line is a good candidate, a relining can be an excellent alternative to replacement or traditional repair of the existing sewer line.

There are some slightly different techniques in use for relining a sewer line, but they all create a new inner wall for your sewer line rather than replacing it.  The first step in any sewer line relining is to thoroughly clean the inside of the old sewer line using high pressure hydro jetting.

Once the sewer line is clean, it is inspected with a video camera to make sure it is in good enough condition and ready for the relining process.  Some techniques spray the inside of the sewer line with an epoxy type material that dries to create a new inner wall of the sewer line.

Other techniques insert a flexible PVC or fiberglass liner which coated with epoxy.  Once the liner is in place, an inflatable tube is inserted inside the liner and inflated which presses the liner against the walls of the old sewer line. Once the cement has dried, the inflatable tube is removed and the relined pipe is ready for use.

In order for relining to work, your old sewer line must be in reasonably good condition. A collapsed sewer line cannot be relined and if the pipe is broken, the ends must still be aligned.

Relining requires very little digging.  In some cases, your plumber or sewer septic professional may be able to get access through a clean out and no digging at all will be necessary.

, ,
Read More

Repair or Replace Your Sewer Line

April 8th, 2012 Posted in Sewer Lines
Comments Off on Repair or Replace Your Sewer Line

If you are having problems with your sewer line, you will likely have to make a decision whether to repair the existing sewer line or whether to replace it.  Replacing is sewer line is an expensive proposition, but sometimes trying to repair it is just throwing good money after bad.

Your plumber or sewer septic contractor can help you with the decision making process.  They have high tech video cameras that can be used to inspect the inside of the sewer line and provide you with information on its condition.

Repairing the sewer line will usually be much less expensive than replacing it and is the right thing to do if you have good access to the pipe and the rest of the sewer line is in good condition.  Don’t spend money on sewer line repairs for a pipe that is poor condition.

Other considerations include whether the sewer line is properly sized for the home in the first place.  If the sewer line was undersized to begin with, or if the home has been expanded and there are many more occupants than it was originally designed for, then the sewer line will be a constant source of problems until it is replaced with the properly sized sewer line.

If your sewer line is bellied or collapsed, a replacement is the better alternative.  In addition, make sure the pipe is made from the proper material.  For example, Orangeburg pipe is a type of fibrous sewer pipe that was installed in many homes around the country 40 or 50 years ago.  This type of pipe deteriorates over time and is not worth repairing.

If your sewer line is in good shape, you may be able to have it repaired without digging by having it relines. If you have to replace the pipe, trenchless pipe replacement is an alternative method of pipe replacement that requires much less digging that traditional trenching techniques.

, ,
Read More

Dealing With Orangeburg Pipe

April 8th, 2012 Posted in Sewer Lines
Comments Off on Dealing With Orangeburg Pipe

Orangeburg pipe is a type of pipe that was used as sewer line in homes built from the mid 1940’s to the early 1970’s.  Cast iron was commonly used for sewer pipe until World War II when most iron production was diverted to the war effort.  Without cast iron pipe available, homebuilders turned to inexpensive Orangeburg pipe.  Orangeburg pipe is made from a fibrous woody material coated with asphalt and tar.  It is essentially little more than very heavy duty cardboard.

Since it was inexpensive and seemed to work well, it was commonly used throughout the country as sewer line until PVC pipe took over the market in the early 1970’s.  Over time, Orangeburg pipe has not held up well.  To its credit, it has a useful life of about 40 to 50 years.  However, once it starts to break down the entire pipe needs to be replaced.

As Orangeburg pipe deteriorates it begins to deform which encourages blockages to form. In addition, it becomes susceptible to tree root infiltration. Attempting to use a plumbing snake on an Orangeburg pipe or to clear it with high pressure hydro jetting is not recommended since either technique will probably cause more damage than good.

The only permanent solution for sewer line repairs with Orangeburg pipe is to completely replace all of it.  Although it is possible to reline Orangeburg pipe, since it deforms so easily relining it is not a very effective solution. The better alternative is to dig it up and replace it or to use trenchless pipe replacement techniques to replace the pipe.

, ,
Read More

Sewer Line Repair Methods

December 16th, 2010 Posted in Sewer Lines
Comments Off on Sewer Line Repair Methods

Your sewer lines carry wastewater, including untreated sewage, from your home to the municipal sewer.   A broken sewer line provides an avenue for this wastewater to seep to the surface.  In addition, it can seep deep into the soil and contaminate the groundwater.  In either event, it poses a health hazard and potentially expose you to legal liability.

If you suspect a broken or leaking sewer line, have it checked out by a sewer septic professional today.  This is not a problem that the homeowner can handle themselves.  Sewer line repairs require special equipment and expertise and are best handled by a professional with experience in sewer line repair services.

If your sewer line is broken, there are a couple different types of repairs to consider.  The traditional method involves digging up the old line using a backhoe, then replacing the damaged section or the entire line if necessary.  This method really tears up your yard, shrubs, driveways, patios, and sidewalks.

There are “trenchless” methods that involve less digging.  In one such method, a section of flexible pipe is dragged through the area where the old pipe was laid.  The old pipe is destroyed and the pieces are removed in the process.  This method has the advantage of requiring less digging.   Usually, only two medium sized holes are needed, one at each end of the pipe section to be replaced.  One potential downside is that this method is not allowed by some local building codes.

In the other trenchless method, a coating is sprayed on the inside of the old pipe creating a new pipe “liner” like the inside of some tin cans.  This method minimizes the necessary digging, but it is only effective on pipes that are essentially structurally sound but have a few cracks.

, ,
Read More
Newer Entries

Find Local Company | Find Local Sewer Septic Services