Trenchless sewer repair in northern Utah

Trenchless sewer repair renews a buried sewer pipe without digging a trench along its whole length. The crew works from one or two access pits, or from a cleanout, and uses the old pipe as the path for the new one.

There are two main methods. Pipe lining builds a new pipe wall inside the old pipe. Pipe bursting breaks the old pipe apart and pulls a new pipe into its place.

The pipe does the same job afterward. What changes is the damage on the surface. A trench across a yard can take out lawn, sprinklers, a driveway, or a mature tree. Trenchless work leaves most of that alone.

It is not right for every pipe. The old line has to qualify, and a camera inspection decides that.

Pipe lining, also called cured-in-place pipe or CIPP, puts a flexible tube soaked in resin inside the old pipe. The tube is pressed against the pipe wall and the resin is cured until it is hard. The result is a smooth new pipe inside the old one. Lining seals cracks, holes, and the gaps where roots came in. The inside of the pipe ends up slightly smaller. A liner follows the shape of the old pipe, so it cannot fix a sag.

Pipe bursting pulls a cone-shaped head through the old pipe. The head breaks the old pipe outward into the soil and pulls a new pipe in behind it. The new pipe can be the same size as the old one or larger. Bursting needs a pit at each end. It works on badly broken pipe, as long as the head can follow the old path.

Often, but not always. The camera decides.

Trenchless methods fit when:

• The pipe is cracked, leaks at the joints, or has roots in it, but still holds its path.
• The line runs under a driveway, a patio, a mature tree, or finished landscaping.
• The line is deep, so a trench would be large.

They do not fit when:

• The pipe has a sag. That section has to be dug up and set at the right slope.
• The pipe has collapsed so far that nothing can pass through it.
• Other buried utilities run too close to the pipe for bursting.

Even a trenchless job needs some digging. Expect one or two pits, each a few feet across, and a repair to whatever surface was over them.

The steps are the same for most home sewer lines.

1. We inspect the line by camera and measure its length and size.
2. We clean the pipe. Roots, scale, and grease have to come out before a liner can seal against the wall.
3. Buried utilities are marked, and we dig the access pits.
4. We install the liner and cure it, or we pull the bursting head and the new pipe through.
5. We reconnect the new pipe at each end and reopen any branch connections.
6. We run the camera through the finished pipe, then fill the pits.

The camera inspection decides which method we recommend. Your drains are out of service while the pipe is being renewed. We tell you when to stop using water and when you can start again.

We give free estimates. These are the things that change the price of a trenchless job:

• Length and size of the pipe. Longer and larger pipe takes more material.
• The method. Lining and bursting use different equipment and materials.
• Depth and pits. Deep pipe means deeper pits, and pits through concrete cost more than pits in lawn.
• Preparation. Heavy roots and scale take more cleaning before a liner can go in.
• Connections. Each branch that ties into the line has to be reopened or reconnected.
• Permits and inspections. Your city or sewer district sets these.

Trenchless work is not always the lower-priced choice. It pays off when a trench would destroy a driveway, a tree, or landscaping. Financing is available.

A little planning makes the day go smoothly.

• Plan for the schedule. Buried utilities have to be marked before any pit is dug. Blue Stakes of Utah 811 asks for the request no later than 3 business days before excavation begins.
• Plan to be without drains. You cannot run water or flush while the pipe is being renewed. Shower and run laundry before we start.
• Clear the way. Move vehicles off the driveway and clear a path to the cleanout, basement, or crawl space.
• Tell us what is buried. Blue Stakes notes that private lines, such as sprinkler systems, may not be marked. Show us where yours run if you know.
• Keep children and pets away from the pits.

We go over the plan with you before the work day, including where the pits will be.