An essential part of the household is the drainage system. Like other parts of the house, it’s subject to wear and tear. When your drainage system is damaged or not working well, a repair or replacement may be needed. Traditionally, it involves costly and time-consuming processes like digging, pipe removal, and replacement. The good news is, there’s a cheaper and easier alternative – pipe relining solutions. They’ve been around for 40 years. They are also proven to be the best option in renovating your drainage.
Cured-In-Place Pipelining (CIPP) or pipe relining is a method of repairing the inside of a pipe through a special resin cured by time to form an even stronger pipe. It’s a trenchless technology. There’s no need for digging to remove damaged or old pipes. The key element used to fix the pipe is the resin. A felt tube made of fiberglass or polyester is also used. They are inserted on the damaged or old pipe for resin impregnation.
6 Stages of Pipe Relining Solutions
The process of pipe relining covers different stages.
The first stage involves a thorough check of the pipeline. A close circuit camera or Forced Electron Leak Location (FELL) equipment is used. By inserting either toll inside the pipeline, plumbers will be able to check the extent of the damage and the location of the damaged pipe.
This is followed by the cleaning stage. Robotic cutters are used to remove any large or solid blockages. Afterward, a high-pressure jet pumps water inside the pipeline to flush out the dirt inside the pipeline.
The third stage involves another check using a close circuit camera. This is to ensure that all blockages and dirt were removed inside the pipeline. It also helps the plumber determine the damaged pipe length and the extent of the damage.
The fourth stage is the insertion of a flex tube together with saturating it with epoxy resin. Such a stage can easily be conducted in a straight pipeline, while joints and T-sections are quite challenging and tricky.
The fifth stage is the curing stage. It’s the longest step in the pipe relining solutions. There are times when plumbers let the resin cure manually. But in most cases, hot water is pumped inside the pipeline to accelerate the process. This is followed by UV radiation to completely harden the resin. Before doing the UV radiation, all excess in the inspection pits and junctions are removed using either a grinder or robotic cutter.
The sixth and final stage is checking if the pipe relining solutions are effective. A performance test will be done to ensure that the pipeline is now working well.
Advantages of Pipe Relining Solutions
Pipe relining solutions have many advantages when compared to traditional digging-a-trench and pipe replacement methods. Among them are:
Cost-Effectiveness. Pipe relining solutions are a better choice because they have lesser labour and peripheral costs. You save a lot from digging and landscaping.
Durability. Resin pipes last longer than ordinary pipes as they’re corrosion-resistant. Plus, some plumbing companies offer a 50-year warranty for their pipe relining solutions.
Fast Repair. Pipe relining solution may only take one day to complete. They’re a faster way to fix your pipeline problem than the traditional way which may take several days or weeks to complete.
Property Preservation. Pipe relining solutions don’t involve digging, drilling, or excavation. You’re able to save the natural landscape of your property and keep your home untouched.
Safety. Digging can be dangerous as it disrupts the surface of the ground. Debris, holes, and trenches are also accident-prone spots. Avoiding these things through pipe relining promotes safety.
Value Addition. Once your drainage system is fixed, it increases the resale value of your property. It’s a plus factor for new owners to avoid the expenses for new plumbing.