Trenchless sewerline pipe replacement is a practical method of replacing a damaged, cracked or failing original sewerpipe without major digging or tedious excavation .Most of the time. The plumber is involved in replacing the original 3” or 4” red clay drain pipe that came in 4 foot lengths. It was put together with cement mortar joints and over time, as the ground settles , hairline cracks allow tiny roots to enter the pipe. But guess what? Over time these roots grow bigger and bigger and create a clogging condition. The Trenchless Process involves using pneumatic special equipment to either repair the pipe from the inside (sewer pipe liners ) or replacing it by breaking it apart with with a cone shaped steel bursting head and pulling new plastic HDPE (High Density Polyurethane Pipe) thru the same path using the old red clay pipe as a guide or a “conduit”. Once the job is set up and equipment is in place , the original sewerpipe is replaced at about one foot per minute! Amazing right? Whats the benefit of Trenchless you ask ? Simple, we don’t have to teat up your whole front yard, planters, brick pavers or walkways or driveway to get the new pipe in.
Sequence of Events
Ok , here it is.
✔ The plumber digs 2 access pits 4ft x 4ft x 6ft deep to install and set up the bursting equipment
✔ The plumber cuts out 2 small sections of the original sewer line and threads a ¾” steel cable and bursting head thru the old clay pipe.
✔ The plumber starts “pulling pipe” and the cone shaped bursting head will break apart as it is pulled thru by the afore mentioned hydraulic equipment.
What happens is new black HDPE drain pipe is pulled in the old drain pipes place just behind the cone shaped bursting head which replaces the old , defective red clay sewer pipe.
Plumber then install a new 2 way access clean out fitting to aid future maintenance , test new drainpipe for leaks , back fills and compacts the excavated soils ,will do a video camera inspection to assure the integrity of the new pipe and finally turns on the water to all fixtures to test proper drainage of the system.
In a word this amazing process will quickly replace the old failing sewer line with a new one.
The Advantages and Benefit With The Trenchless Process
✔Minimal Disruption In Your Daily Routine
Well, the fact of the matter is, there is much less disruption , lost time, and worry if you elect to use the trenchless pipe replacement method when replacing an obsolete, failing original red clay sewerlines. If you choose to use trenchless technology , your plumber can minimize hand digging, excavation, damage and harm to trees and plants, expensive concrete work, brick pavers and walkways,expensive landscaping and asphalt driveways.We don’t have to disturb any of that stuff.
✔It is Time and Cost Effective,
Yes , it may seem at first glance , the first costs can be larger and higher, but the actual reduced labor and restoration work can and will make it much more affordable in the overall picture.In the first place , you won’t have to worry about the tremendous cost of replacing expensive concrete work. Trenchless method has a minimum intrusion factor when it comes to expensive landscape and concrete flatwork.All that can be avoided with trenchless technology.
✔Rapid Completion
A trenchless sewer job has no comparison compared to a traditional “Dig –Up” sewerline replacement. When you consider all the time it takes to have a crew of guys laying down canvas tarps , measuring and mark the digging area, starting excavation , removing and carefully storing sections of sod, hand dig and exposing original sewer pipe , busting up, removing , and disposing of original clay pipe . Installing new 4” ABS pipe , installing a 2 way access fittings test for leaks , replace and compacting soils. Honestly , you are looking at a 2 day job here. And that does not even consider navigating and dealing with tunneling under existing concrete work or removing plants in our way. With trenchless you will incur a minimum or none of those issues and most of the time the install can be done in one day. I ask you,,,,which one makes more sense?
Let’s Talk about Warranties and Key Benefits of Trenchless Pipe
My preferred product, HDPE plastic pipe when I do a trenchless installation is JM Eagle pipe , HDPE stands for High- Density Polyethylene Pipe. JM Eagle offers a 50 year guarantee on their great product.It is really tough ,and actually you can drive a truck over it and it won’t crack! We at Rapid Rhino Plumbing offer a one year warranty on workmanship which is the standard of the industry. Keeping that thought, after we install the new trenchless pipe to our standards, we will come out once a year , do a video camera inspection and in the rare event there is any foreign debris or material in the drainline , we will clear it out with a Hydrojet procedure.
Lets , talk about the many benefits of installing HDPE sewer Pipe for a while.
✔ Great Durability : because HDPE piping enjoys a lengthy service life because of its resistance to abrasion, chemicals, and acid corrosion.
✔ Flexibility : HDPE flexibility makes for easy installs mainly in tricky tight access situations and places where you find a lot of vibrations or movement in the ground. “Think Earth quake!!!
✔ Little Maintenance : Once the job is done, HDPE piping needs very little maintenance which reduces lifetime costs to you.
✔ No – Leak Joints : This is a good one ! Because trenchless sewer pipe is installed one continuous monolithic piece , it is a “sealed vessel” just like a water glass or a test tube and no tree roots can penetrate it. Actually , the pipe is put together with a process known as “butt fusion” where the pipes are melted and joined together which creates a leak proof joints eliminating loss of water and random contamination.
✔High Flow of Drainage Water: The internal services of HDPE pipe are super smooth with minimum friction lose which makes very little hydro friction hence very little loss of drainage pressure.
✔Great Sustainability: Trenchless pipes are friendly to the environment and in a large fashion reduce consumption of resources and benefit the environment.
Ongoing Maintenance After Trenchless Pipe Replacement
Ongoing sewer maintenance is very important to ensure the maximum benefit and longetivity and peak performance of your recent trenchless sewer pipe replacement.
✔ Please check out the “low down” on for the care and upkeep of your new drainage system
✔ Do Regular- Inspections – We at Rapid Rhino Plumbing . org include regular annual video camera inspections with every trenchless installation. These “check ups” will identify and point out possible problems likely to occur in the near future like tree root intrusion, leaking joints or corrosion situations early on.
✔ We recommend scheduling us for courtesy inspections or drain jetting every year on newer homes and of course once every 2 years on “elderly homes” built in the 20s 30s and 40s.
✔ Be Careful What Goes Down the Garbage Disposal!- Think twice before flushing down suspect items that can clog your system like; bacon grease, olive oils, pasta , potato peels , casseroles, you get the picture! Put this stuff in a zip lock bag and throw it out on trash day.
✔ Also do not ever flush things down the toilet like baby wipes, paper towels, feminine hygiene products and coffee grinds. The only thing that should go down the toilet is toilet paper and human waste.
✔ Please use the strainers in you sink to collect and remove trash and drain harmful items. And pour some liquid soap like Dawn done the disposal drain for about a minute about once a week while the disposal is running.
✔ Stop Using Drano or any Caustic Drain Cleaner –Very Dangerous/. This stuff is not even sold in Europe. It is highly toxic and acid based. It will burn off the skin of your hands. Use a enzyme based drain cleaner for best results.
✔ Manage the Use Of Your Water – Install water saver faucets to reduce wear and tear on your plumbing system. Less water down the drain is good!
✔ Be Conscious of Roots From Trees- Why not plant bushes and trees at a safe distance from your sewer and water supply lines. This should be a distance of 15 feet or less. Be mindful of proof of root intrusion evidence such as gurgling sounds and lazy drains and take action right away.
✔ Mark and Identify Your New Access Clean out Fittings- Install a round 6” Clean Out Cap and keep them uncovered with your grass lawn and you might want to paint them a bright color like yellow or orange.. Ask your gardener to help keep them exposed in case you have trouble in the future, don’t let them get covered by grass . Make sure your clean out caps and plugs are screwed down tight to prevent trash from getting inside.
✔ Don’t Ignore a Problem Sewer !!- If you have a slow drain situation, notice puddles or wet spots, bad odors and the like, , don’t fool around , call your licensed plumber to address it immediately and take action to prevent major damages in the future.
If you follow these simple guide lines you can be sure your new trenchless sewer system will give you many years of good service.