When it comes to saving money on a costly sewer line repair, some homeowners have begun to look to alternatives to consider sewer pipe lining vs. residential excavation. Marketed as an easier, more affordable way to update sewer pipes, pipe lining has grown in popularity, despite several key drawbacks to the process and the finished product.
We certainly understand the hesitation home and business owners feel when they get the news that their sewer pipes are in need of repairs or replacement. It can be a costly process and it does require your plumbing company to dig into your yard. However, there are multiple reasons why this tried and true method should still be your go-to option when it’s time to solve your sewer line problems. Here are seven reasons to consider excavation vs. sewer pipe lining.
Plumbing Excavation: Your plumbing company uses an excavation contractor or in-house excavation team (Flow Right uses company excavators) to dig in the ground. They expose your sewer pipes to make necessary repairs or complete a sewer line replacement. Once the plumber inspects the repairs, the excavation crew re-covers the exposed piping so you can get your property back in shape.
Pipe Lining: A technician performs pipelining by covering the interior of your existing pipes with a special coating. Pipe lining should begin with a sewer piping inspection. The technician then cleans the pipes with hotjetting or some other method. After cleaning the sewer line, the technician then inserts the liner into the existing sewer pipe through an access point above ground. This is typically the sewer cleanout. The technician then makes the liner permanent using the best process for the type of liner selected. These could include fold and form, cured in place or slip liners. Your plumber should then re-inspect the “new” lines for issues before closing out the project.
Key Challenges of “Trenchless” Sewer Pipe Lining Versus Residential Excavation
1. Pipe Lining is Irreversible
Making the decision to coat the interior of your pipes with epoxy resin or other materials is a permanent modification. The pipe liner coating adheres directly to the interior of the pipe and is difficult to remove. Furthermore, any gouges or damages that occur inside the pipe in an attempt to remove the lining can become clog points or weak spots vulnerable to damage.
2. Repairing Lined Pipes is Very Difficult
The material of a sewer pipe liner can melt during internal and external repairs on the outer pipe. Additionally, cutting into the pipe ruins the integrity of the liner in that location. It leaves it vulnerable to leaks and damage. Repair seams or bumps can snag debris and slow your drains, too. In some cases, you may line your entire sewer line only to discover you will still have to excavate anyway. It is one of the most discouraging pieces of news to share with a customer.
3. It’s Easy to Mess Up the Process and Difficult to Repair the Damage
In the wrong hands, pipe lining can damage your sewer pipes. For example, if the epoxy melts and pools during the curing process, you now have a slow drain that will likely require excavation to repair. That is the very step you were trying to avoid in the first place. Sewer pipe lining costs are only cheaper if the plumber completes the process properly. It also depends on if the product lasts for the length promised by the manufacturer.
Navigating bends or complex piping also creates multiple opportunities for error. One small wrinkle or one poorly inflated or improperly cured liner and you have a hardened, built-in clog in one of the most important lines in the house. Liners are also known to shrink and pull away from the interior of the pipe being repaired.
4. Older Pipes May Be Too Damaged for a Successful Lining
Older pipes like the clay pipes you find in areas of Pueblo or in older neighborhoods in Colorado Springs, may not be the best candidates for pipe lining. Damaged pipes may have too many cracks for the liner to be effective. Tree root infestations may have created irreparable damage. Cast iron pipes are prone to buildup and corrosion. This can interfere with the liner adhesion, especially if hydrojetting or hotjetting do not work. In short, digging a trench may be the better option and the cheapest way to repair a sewer line.
Fortunately, plumbers should use a sewer camera inspection before agreeing to line your pipes. Unfortunately, the plumber’s camera limits the length of the lineable pipe they can view. It is simply too risky to feed liner into an unknown portion of the sewer pipe.
5. Pipe Lining Will Not Work Effectively on More Difficult Pipe Configurations
If you have piping with lots of bends, pipe lining could increase your sewer problems. While many companies make the claim that their lining process easily navigates the twist and turns of up to 90 degrees, the room for error is huge. The liner can wrinkle or kink while being maneuvered into the angles. It can create slow-downs and blockages if it is cured in place. Remember that the differences between what the pipe relining manufacturer claims and what a technician can actually do can be numerous. A sewer pipe lining’s cost per foot increases dramatically if the job isn’t completed correctly.
6. Potential Environmental and Public Health Risks are Still Unknown
The health and environmental impact of lining sewer pipes is still being studied. However, some scientific research notes there are real concerns about the safety of the process.
Most homeowners consider sewers a one-way street. Therefore, what goes down, stays down. Toxic fumes and VOCs beg to differ. The curing process releases a variety of volatile compounds. People have reported feeling ill or becoming hospitalized after exposure. Data is still being studied to further explore pipe lining’s contribution to several incidents throughout the U.S. If you have concerns about the impact of VOCs and other chemicals on your family, you may want to do more research about pipe liners.
7. Sewer Liners Are Illegal in Many Cities, Counties and States
Before you even begin to debate the merits of sewer pipe lining vs. residential excavation, you should check to ensure that your local area even allows the process. Several cities have banned the process. They cite reasons such as, “use of pipe lining repair is not considered equivalent in quality, strength, effectiveness and durability.”
Other cities cite concerns about the integrity of the installation process. They note the difficulty they already have with quality control across thousands of miles of sewer pipes. To sum it up, cities are worried about all of the challenges listed above. They worry about how to detect and manage those issues to protect residents and city infrastructure.
It goes without saying that a plumber who offers this service in a locale where it is banned should not be trusted.
Choose the Stronger, Long-lasting Method for Sewer Pipe Repair
We know that excavation is often the last choice any homeowner wants to make. Sewer line excavation costs seam much larger when compared to pipe lining. However, pipe lining comes with many risks and a high likelihood that you will still excavate anyway. In short, Excavation remains the best, most durable option for the longevity and effectiveness of your sewer pipes.