Trenchless Sewer Repair: What To Know About No-Dig Fixes For Your Home

To dig or not to dig? When it comes to repairing your home’s sewer lateral, or the portion of your home’s sewer system that connects wastewater from your home to the municipal sewer main or a private septic system, the question of digging isn’t the only one worth considering. Do you have time to spare, or do you need your plumbing fixed ASAP? Do you have money to burn on restoring landscaping after the fact, or do you prefer predictable costs upfront? If time, money and convenience are top of mind, trenchless sewer repair resolves many of the concerns surrounding a costly sewer line replacement. Still, repairing a sewer line without digging isn’t possible for every home sewer system. Discover everything you need to know about no-dig sewer repair so you can take advantage of fast, long-lasting fixes without the mess.

What Is Trenchless Sewer Repair?

Trenchless sewer repair is an innovative alternative to a traditional sewer line replacement, lessening the digging required to access the impacted pipe for streamlined service. Instead of digging up your yard, driveway or under slab to reach the pipe, trenchless methods like pipe relining and pipe bursting allow professionals to restore the pipe via much smaller, contained access points. As a result, repairs are efficient, cost-effective and minimally disruptive. And because the pipe bursting and sewer lining processes are designed with longevity and durability in mind, you can trust that your sewer line will be left in like-new condition.

How Does Trenchless Sewer Repair Work?

The goal of trenchless sewer repair is to restore deteriorating pipelines to good-as-new condition without digging up the ground to disturb the existing sewer structure. Instead, solutions like the pipe bursting method involve fitting a new pipe in place of the old one using just two access points: one entry point and an exit point. Sewer repair professionals insert the new pipe through the entry point, shattering (or “bursting”) the existing pipe as the new pipe slides into place. Alternatively, trenchless pipe lining is another potential no-dig solution for old or damaged sewer pipes, which calls for lining a sewer line from within to strengthen pipe integrity.

What Is Pipe Lining?

Instead of replacing a sewer line, the trenchless pipe lining process rehabilitates failing pipelines by forming a new structural foundation within the existing sewer line. Sewer rehabilitation experts achieve this by creating a small access point to insert a resin-saturated liner into the existing pipe, which is then cured in place to form a new, jointless pipe within the old one. The result is essentially a brand new sewer line able to withstand decades of uninterrupted performance for your home, so long as you ensure your home plumbing and sewer system are well-maintained moving forward. Innovative epoxy pipe liners fit to outdated cast iron and clay pipes for enhanced durability able to keep up with modern-day demands on your home plumbing.

Relining Your Sewer Pipe Vs. Replacement Of Your Sewer Line

When comparing a sewer line replacement vs. relining a sewer pipe, factors like cost, time sensitivity and disruption to your home are all important to consider, but the condition of your home’s sewer line is a major determining factor that can’t be ignored. Crumbling, cracked, scaled up or clogged pipes may be good candidates for trenchless pipe lining or pipe bursting, but misaligned and collapsed sewer lines don’t always allow for the pipe bursting or sewer lining processes to stick. If your sewer line is damaged beyond repair or no longer intact, a traditional sewer line replacement is often the only solution left in your toolbox. The key is being aware of emerging issues with your sewer line or plumbing so you can benefit from trenchless sewer repair before your pipes are past the point of no return.

How To Know When Lining A Sewer Line Makes Sense For Your Home

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, warning signs that your sewer line is in distress often become evident as plumbing slows down or backs up. Not every plumbing issue necessitates sewer line rehabilitation, as problems localized to a single toilet or drain likely stem from the offending fixture. However, if multiple drains, toilets, sinks and tubs start giving you trouble, the problem is likely in your sewer line.

Since your home’s sewer line is responsible for carrying all wastewater away from your home and toward the municipal sewer main for treatment and disposal or to a private septic system, blockages or damage in the sewer line prevent wastewater flow and greatly limit your plumbing. This may present as standing water in showers, tubs and floor drains as well as slow drains, gurgling sounds from your pipes, sewer smells across your home and visible wastewater backups. The earlier you notice these issues and take action, the better chance you have of ensuring your home is eligible for sewer line repairs without digging up your yard. By avoiding the need for a sewer line replacement and all of the disruption and digging that comes with it, you save yourself and your bank account from unnecessary stress.

Trenchless Sewer Repair Pros & Cons

The pros and cons of trenchless sewer repair are best broken down like this: so long as you do your due diligence to detect plumbing concerns early and maintain your home sewer line, you’re set to benefit from trenchless pipe lining or pipe bursting solutions. There are many benefits when you’re able to repair your sewer line without digging it up, including:

• Cost-effective outcome - By avoiding digging up your whole yard, you save significant money on restoration costs for your yard and landscaping, along with reduced labor charges for fast completion of the pipe bursting or sewer lining process.
• Fast & efficient work - Trenchless sewer repair limits the amount of preparation and restoration needed before and after a traditional sewer line replacement, often completed in just one to two days.
• Minimally invasive process - Rest assured your home is in good hands when working with sewer professionals who specialize in trenchless repair and pipe lining with less equipment and labor power needed, meaning minimal disruption to your home.
• Longevity equivalent to a replacement - Lining a sewer line results in longevity equivalent to that of installing a brand new pipe, ensuring a life expectancy of up to 50 years of trusted plumbing for your home.

But remember, trenchless pipe lining is only suitable for sewer lines that are still intact. To ensure you’re able to reap the benefits of trenchless rehabilitation, be sure to schedule a sewer line camera inspection so you can make an informed decision about what’s best for your home.

What To Expect From The Trenchless Pipe & Sewer Lining Process

Lining a sewer line requires professional precision from experts trained in trenchless pipe lining and sewer repair techniques. Professionals have the advanced equipment and experience to perform an initial sewer inspection, clear the pipe for liner placement and finally install the liner using the smallest access point necessary. As an added benefit, CME Sewer Repair offers a free inspection before beginning the sewer lining process to help homeowners move forward with confidence. Here’s what you can expect from sewer line repairs without digging required:

1. Sewer Line Camera Inspection

A sewer line camera inspection is essential to the sewer lining process. Not only does it determine where damage or debris is located, but it also provides an opportunity to collect data that informs the pipe liner design. To start, a sewer specialist inserts a small camera through an accessible point known as a cleanout, monitoring camera footage in real-time on a nearby screen. The camera is maneuvered through the length of the pipe, capturing damage and measurements to help form the liner later in the process. If an inspection reveals trenchless sewer repair is the right solution, the technicians are already armed with the specifications they need to provide a quote and discuss the trenchless pipe lining process.

2. Hydro Jetting Your Sewer Line

Before lining a sewer line, the pipe surface must be clear of debris and scale that may otherwise interfere with the installation. Hydro jetting blasts blockages away and removes scale and grime as trained technicians target these highly pressurized water streams at the impacted pipe, again through an accessible cleanout. No chemicals are required for this process, keeping your family and property safe while preparing the pipe for the structural liner.

3. Pipe Relining

To complete the sewer lining process, professionals insert a custom-measured liner that is saturated with epoxy resin into the damaged pipe, where it then cures in place, effectively installing a continuous pipe in like-new condition. The trenchless pipe lining process typically lasts no longer than a day or two but results in a structural sewer line prepared to face up to 50 years with your home.

CME Specializes In Sewer Line Repair Without Digging To Preserve Your Plumbing

Ready to move forward with sewer line repair, without digging up your whole property? CME Sewer Repair makes it easy to get started with a free sewer line camera inspection. Contact us to learn how we help homeowners in Ohio, Kentucky, Kansas, Missouri and Iowa save time and money through convenient trenchless sewer repair solutions or to schedule your free inspection today.

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