Express Sewer & Drain Blog

Trenchless sewer repair technologies are rapidly gaining in popularity throughout the Sacramento area—and with good reason.

For home and business owners in Rancho Cordova, trenchless sewer technologies offer numerous benefits compared to traditional trenching solutions, such as:

• Reduced disruption
• Lower costs
• Avoided destruction of landscaping and structures

Trenchless technologies offer many advantages, but there are a few things that plumbers in Rancho Cordova (and many other cities) might not tell you about trenchless sewer repair:

1: There Are Many Different Kinds of Trenchless Technologies Available

Some plumbers who offer trenchless sewer repair might neglect to tell you about all of the different options you have for fixing a particular problem.

In some cases, this is because the plumber has narrowed down the list of choices to just a few solutions that would provide the best bang for your buck in the form of long-term durability and/or cost-effectiveness.

In other cases, it might be because the plumber has a limited toolset.

Less experienced plumbers might not have access to certain tools or know how to use them, so they’ll present you with the option they can use rather than the best solution. Or, a plumber might be partnered with a company that only offers a single repair solution. Either way, you might not be getting offered the repair solution you actually need.

Here, using a trenchless sewer repair expert with a variety of tools and options can be a huge help.

2: Any Lining Solution That Leaves the Old Pipe Intact Will Reduce Flow Capacity Somewhat

Re-lining existing pipe is a key trenchless repair technology that many plumbers use. However, it’s important to note that any lining solution used will add a layer of material to the walls of the pipe.

Some of these linings are extraordinarily thin and strong, but if the old pipe is left intact, the internal diameter of the pipe will be reduced. In most cases, this reduction isn’t catastrophic, but over time (or in especially narrow pipes), the application of multiple layers of new linings could restrict water/sewage flow.

This is why Express Sewer & Drain offers pipe bursting technologies that destroy the old pipe and replace it completely in addition to pipe lining solutions.

3: When Trenchless Solutions SHOULDN’T Be Used

It may sound a bit odd for a company offering trenchless solutions to say this, but there are situations where a traditional plumbing repair solution may be preferable to using trenchless technology.

If the pipes being worked on are especially close to the surface and not under solid objects (statuary, roads, foundations, etc.), then a traditional solution may serve just as well as trenchless one. In fact, the traditional solution may be more cost-effective for pipes that are close to the surface.

This is because shallow pipes don’t require nearly as much labor to unearth, and the trenches don’t need to be as wide, so there’s not as much disruption to landscaping.

Also, some types of pipe damage may preclude the use of trenchless solutions. For example, a completely collapsed pipe can’t be fixed using pipe bursting, since that method pulls the pipe-breaking head through the existing pipe. However, if trenchless solutions cannot possibly work, your plumber will tell you so.

This is why camera inspections of your pipes are so helpful—they can identify the specific type of damage your pipeline has experienced so the plumber knows the best way to fix it.

If you’re in Rancho Cordova and need fast repairs to your sewer lines, contact Express Sewer & Drain today! We have the tools and know-how to provide you with the best solution for your sewer & drain needs!