Sewer repair is always a major headache for any homeowner. The damage that a broken sewer pipe can cause is extremely serious, and fixing it is always time-consuming, disruptive and expensive. However, knowing a little bit about the different techniques available for trenchless sewer repair in San Francisco can help you choose the right technique for your situation, and save you as much stress and hassle as is possible.
Trenchless Sewer Repair
Trenchless sewer repair has become the standard means for fixing broken sewer pipes whenever possible because it avoids the need to dig a trench, which means far less cost, time and mess. The actual trenchless technique used may cost more than trenching in terms of simply getting your sewer pipe fixed, but the resulting cost of the restoration of your yard will, in the vast majority of cases, make the trenchless option far less expensive overall.
There are two main techniques for fixing broken sewer lines without having to dig a trench to get at them.
Pipe Bursting
The pipe bursting technique works by bursting and expanding the existing broken pipe while also replacing it with a new polyethylene pipe at the same time. The bursting is done by pulling a bursting head through the old pipe, which cracks open the existing pipe and pulls the new pipe in along behind it.
Cured in Place Pipe
Cured in place pipe usually involves the use of a resin-infused fiber or felt sleeve. When the resin is uncured it can form into a conformable and flexible tube for insertion into damaged sewer pipes. The tube of uncured resin is pulled through the length of the pipe, and then it is inflated until it conforms tightly to the outline of the damaged pipe. As the resin hardens, the sleeve becomes the new inside of the damaged pipe.
Which Technique Is Best for You?
Whether your sewer line repair problem requires pipe bursting or cured in place pipe will depend on a number of factors. Pipe bursting is usually better for old and heavily damaged pipes, as you are getting a whole new piping system put in place of the old one. However, it does tend to be more expensive, and the cost only grows alongside the length of the pipe that you are replacing. Cured in place pipe, on the other hand, is better suited for repairing smaller damage to sewer pipes that are in a decent state. Furthermore, the cost does not increase as much with pipe length. The downside is that you are only patching a pipe that may need to be burst completely one day soon enough anyway.
Be sure that any contractor that you hire for your trenchless repair in San Francisco does a thorough inspection with a pipe camera, and then explains in detail why they believe that one of these techniques is better for your situation. Armed with the knowledge in this article, you are now prepared to ensure that you get the best trenchless repair for your sewer problems at the lowest possible price.