When Is Trenchless Sewer Repair Not an Option

Modern plumbing techniques allow plumbers to repair or even entirely replace sewer lines without digging up the old pipes. This means that you can get the repairs your sewer line needs much more quickly, for less money, and less damage to your property than with a traditional sewer line replacement. Unfortunately, there are certain circumstances where a trenchless sewer line repair just isn’t possible. Keep reading to find out more.

Collapsed Pipes

The trenchless repair process requires your plumber to feed a cable through the old sewer line. Then, an apparatus expands and breaks apart the old pipe while providing a new flexible pipe into place instead. However, the cable and new piping cannot be fed through for trenchless replacement or repair if the sewer line has collapsed. Suppose a portion of the existing pipe is collapsed or damaged enough to prevent this cable from threading through. More traditional repair methods will need to be used. For situations where only a portion of the pipe needs to be replaced, that section alone can be dug up. However, if you need to replace the entire pipe, your plumber will need to dig an entire trench to get the job done.

Shallow Pipes

Sewer lines must be buried deep enough to protect them from freezing in cold weather and help prevent biohazards if the sewage line leaks. If your original sewer line was not installed at a proper depth, you can’t use trenchless replacement methods since the new pipes would have to be installed in the same location. For your new sewer line to be up to code, your plumber will have to dig out the old sewer line, dig deeper, then install the new pipes at the proper depth.

You could feasibly use trenchless methods if you need to repair or replace a portion of your sewer line instead of the entire line itself. However, your plumber may recommend replacing the sewer line or reinstalling it at a greater depth.

Brittle Pipes

Even though trenchless replacement methods require the old pipes to burst, you don’t want them bursting too soon. This would lead to collapsed pipes, which would prevent any attempt at trenchless repairs from proceeding. If your sewer line is significantly corroded and brittle, it might not be able to handle the trenchless replacement process, especially since it needs to be cleaned thoroughly first. You’ll likely need to dig up the pipes and replace them more traditionally.

If you need to replace your sewer line, look for plumbing services in Daly City and ask a professional to determine if trenchless replacement is possible.