Trenchless Pipe Lining in West Chester, PA
Historically, the only way to repair or replace a broken sewer line was by digging it up to access the damaged pipe. This was costly, took time, and destroyed landscaping and infrastructure like walkways and paving or indoors required ripping out walls or tearing up floors. Today, a lot of that time, cost and mess has been eliminated with the development of trenchless technologies. Pipeshark specializes in all those technologies such as trenchless pipe lining in West Chester, PA, and the surrounding areas.
What is Trenchless Pipe Lining?
Trenchless pipe lining is a technology that was first developed for sewer mains under the street and then adapted for use in buildings and underground services. It’s the manufacture of a new pipe right within the old one. This new pipe has the same strength characteristics as the sewer and drain pipe sold at a plumbing supply house. In fact, the technical name in the code for pipe lining is Cured-In-Place Piping (CIPP). Because it is a new pipe, as a master and one of the leading pipe lining companies in West Chester, PA for many years, we get a permit from the Borough when we do an installation.
Most of the homes in the Borough of West Chester, PA have sewer lines that are a mix of cast iron and terra cotta piping. As they age they deteriorate in different ways. Cast iron tends to scale up inside which causes paper and organics to get caught up and left behind by the water flow. Low water consumption plumbing fixtures add to the problem. Cast iron will often rust out along the bottom or crack along the top. Terra cotta does not rot but can develop cracks and holes. Typically terra cotta was installed in two-foot sections with mortared joints. The mortar cracks over time and tree roots find an entry point to get into the line causing their own backups.
These sewer piping defects can cause blockages and overflows. Sometimes those backups cause sewage to spill out of the trap vent on the lawn. Other times the sewer will overflow from a fixture like a toilet or a shower drain in the home. It can even just show up as a puddle in the basement or a stream of water coming down the basement wall or perhaps a sewage smell in the sump pump. It might just be a continual wet or soft spot in the yard. If you have any of these symptoms consider fixing the problem with a trenchless sewer repair such as CIPP pipe lining or pipe bursting.
How Does Trenchless Pipe Lining Work?
The first step in settling on any pipe repair is to be very clear on what the issue is. This means that we always begin with a video inspection of the sewer line using a quality pipe inspection camera. That way the plumber and the homeowner can clearly see what, if any, problems exist. If an issue is identified, one of the options for a sewer repair is pipe lining in West Chester, PA. The technical name for pipe lining is actually Cured-In-Place Piping or CIPP because the process actually manufactures a new pipe right inside the old one — a new pipe that will stand on its own even if the old pipe disintegrates away entirely.
If you choose sewer pipe lining, we will start by removing scale buildup and roots inside the pipe. To do this we use special de-scaling and cleaning equipment which is operated while viewing the cleaning with a camera to make sure the equipment is focused on where the cleaning is needed. We then flush the piping clean and take our measurements for the new pipe liner. The liner is a felt tube that is impregnated with epoxy to a very specific thickness to ensure it meets the code requirements for strength when cured. The liner is turned inside out as it is installed so the wet epoxy side is against the old pipe and the dry side is on the inside. Then a calibration bladder is installed inside the liner. That calibration bladder is inflated to push the liner tight against the old pipe until the epoxy hardens. To help the epoxy harden hot water is circulated through the bladder from a portable water heater. Once the epoxy has been cooked enough to make it hard, the calibration bladder is removed and the newly lined pipe is put back into operation.
What Are the Advantages of Trenchless Piping?
Cast iron pipe lining is today’s top solution for rehabilitating cracked, broken, and leaking cast iron pipes — and not just in buried sewer lines. Inside cast iron piping running under floors, behind walls, and in ceilings can be lined as well. So pipe lining (CIPP) saves not only your landscaping and brick sidewalk from excavation, but it also saves you the restoration expense of fixing walls and floors and such inside your home. Furthermore, it saves you the aggravation of having your home turned into a mess while all that access work is being done, not to mention it saves you the cost of that extra work that comes with a traditional repair.
Of course, pipe lining in West Chester, PA can also be used on other types of pipes such as terra cotta (clay) and PVC. Typically, in the Borough, the sewer line transitions to terra cotta once the piping is outside the building. CIPP will line over cracks and holes and open joints in terra cotta or clay pipes running through your yard or under walkways and trees, thereby saving you a lot of restoration costs.
Our trusted pipe lining company provides high-quality trenchless pipe lining and other plumbing services in West Chester, PA, as well as in:
- Philadelphia, PA suburbs
- Bryn Mawr, PA
- West Chester, PA
- Paoli, PA
- Ardmore, PA
- Berwyn, PA
- Devon, PA
- Harrisburg, PA
- Hershey, PA
- Lancaster, PA
- Lower Merion Township, PA
- Pottstown, PA
- Reading, PA
- Villanova, PA
- Wayne, PA
Schedule an Appointment for Pipe Lining Services
The trenchless pipe lining experts at Pipeshark can size up to any job and provide the information you need. Feel free to call us today or fill out our online form to schedule an appointment. We also specialize in:
- Trenchless Sewer Repair West Chester, PA
- Trenchless Pipe Bursting West Chester, PA
- Trenchless Sewer Lining West Chester, PA
- Drain Cleaning West Chester, PA
- Sewer & Drain Replacement West Chester, PA
- Sewer Inspection West Chester, PA
- Sewer Pipe Replacement West Chester, PA
- Sewer Repair West Chester, PA
