Express Sewer & Drain Blog

In response to sewer pipe and water line damage, many Sacramento homeowners may feel overwhelmed by the renovation options, techniques, and providers available to them. The entire process of inspection, finding damage sources, consultation, and repairs can be drastically simplified early on, by contacting the right plumbing professionals. 

In fact, the right plumbing team will conduct a thorough inspection to determine the cause of your sewer pipe damage so they can properly repair it. However, as a homeowner, understanding the causes as well as the repair options can simplify the process for you as well as help you find the right professionals for the job.  Stress free pipe repair is possible.

What Causes Sewer Pipe Damage?

Homeowners who learn the early indicators of pipe damage can be much more prepared for pipe renovations than those who don’t, and can thus make better-informed repair decisions. Early detection and preventative countermeasures will significantly streamline renovations and pipe repairs later on.

If you begin noticing the following plumbing symptoms, your sewer pipe or other pipe systems may be damaged:

• Poor, decreased water pressure and pipe flows
• Strange or unnatural odors
• Lawn puddles, dampness, or lush grass patches
• Clogging or frequent blockages

Before moving forward with any sewer pipe repair operations, it is important for homeowners to assure damages are to their sewer line and not other water pipe systems. A full, comprehensive inspection should inform you of where damages exist. Homeowners can pinpoint pipe damages using a variety of analysis techniques, including water meter inspection, irrigation inspection, and water valve tests. If pipe damage has been detected, local plumbing professionals can help you determine the fuller and exact extent of damage.

Knowing the primary causes, factors, and indicators of pipeline damage can significantly help you determine which sewer pipe renovation is ideal for your pipeline. Typically, most leaks, cracks, ruptures, and corrosive buildups of pipes result from external interferences, such as environmental or foundational changes.

The most common examples of these pipe-threatening factors are: 

• Surface pressure
• Improper or faulty pipe installation
• Shifting foundations and soil activity
• Underground animal activity
• Chemical deterioration with age
• Root infiltration 

Having identified pipe damage, you can begin to weigh your renovation options and decide which repair is best suited for your sewer pipe. Deciding between repairing a pipe and replacing a pipe depends on the extent of the damage and the condition of your pipe. However, homeowners no longer need to worry about damaging trench pipe replacements or incredible labor fees with today’s trenchless technology. These trenchless technology techniques, having been quickly adopted by plumbing professionals in the Sacramento area, can effectively repair and replace damaged sewer pipes; whatever work the damages require, trenchless technology is today’s preferred solution.

Understanding Sewer Pipe Repair vs Replacement

When it comes to dealing with a damaged sewer pipe, homeowners are faced with the decision of whether to repair or replace the pipeline. While both options may seem similar, there are important differences to consider.

Sewer Pipe Repair

If damage to your sewer pipe is centralized, or concentrated around a specific section of pipe, a trenchless technique known as sectional point repair may be your best option. This method, also known as “sectional lining,” does not require sizeable digging, but rather two small, manageable cavities at both ends of the damaged pipe section.

First, a plumbing service professional performs a video inspection of the damaged pipe to determine the exact location of the damage. Using small cavities as entry- and exit- points, plumbing professionals line the existing pipe with a fiberglass and resin repair segment. Repair segments are made from a liquid solution, which is led through the existing pipe and cured within it using air pressure; hence why trenchless technology is also known as cured-in-place-pipe (CIPP).

These new segments are stronger and more durable than existing pipelines, and their installation does not result in any great property damage. Due to sectional point repair’s swift and simple process, and minimal digging, the technique has quickly become the industry-preferred pipe repair method. 

Sewer Pipe Replacement

However, as time progresses, and environmental and structural elements take their time on sewer pipes, repair operations may not resolve a damaged or broken pipe problem; rather, full replacements may be in order. Traditionally, these replacements would require large digging operations and costly labor; fortunately for Sacramento homeowners, your local plumbing service professionals are able to use trenchless solutions to replace unsalvageable sewer pipes.

Employing the same fiberglass solution as sectional point pipe repairs, these new pipes are fed through a small opening and cured underground, preventing the expensive, time-consuming hassle of digging and lawn remodeling. The unique and advanced material composition of these pipes gives them a 50+ year life expectancy.

More severe pipe replacements often begin with pipe bursting. Pipe bursting is the non-invasive process of fragmenting and dislodging old, broken sewer pipes; this is done by driving an expanding head, which is slightly wider than the damaged pipe, through the length of the pipe. This expanding head is physically attached to the new, replacement pipe, which is seamlessly installed as the expanding head clears the old pipe out of its way.

Pipe bursting replacement shares many of the same benefits as standard trenchless technologies: 

• Highly controlled and minimal digging
• Incredibly fast installation
• Cost-effective labor and process
• Professional and durable results

These new trenchless technologies are a significant improvement over traditional trenching renovation methods and are something you should strongly consider if dealing with a damaged or broken sewer pipe. The thorough excavations of trenching repairs are a thing of the past with this new technology, as well as the property damage, high labor fees, and stresses that came with it.

Get Professional Sewer Pipe Repair With Express Sewer & Drain

To learn more about sewer pipe repairs in your Sacramento home, or what trenchless technology can do for your home pipe system, contact Express Sewer & Drain today. Our service professionals have the experience and professionalism needed for successful plumbing consultation, inspection, and trenchless repairs.

We understand the frustration and inconvenience that comes with traditional trenching methods for sewer pipe repair. That's why we are proud to offer a faster, more efficient solution through our trenchless technology services.