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When underground pipes get damaged, it can create serious problems in your home. Depending on the type of damage and the pipe, you may get sewage leaks in your yard, huge amounts of water leaking into your foundation, or total blockages of your drains and other plumbing systems.
One way to repair underground pipes with minimal disturbance to your landscaping is with cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining. Learn everything you need to know about CIPP, how it works, the benefits, when it’s the right choice for your pipe repair job, and why Wyman Plumbing & Mechanical should be your first call for reliable pipe repair.
What Is Pipe Lining (CIPP)?
CIPP pipe lining is a type of trenchless repair that uses resin-saturated felt or fiberglass tubes to seamlessly install a new length of pipe within the existing one. The CIPP lining material is placed in the old pipe via air pressure inversion, and then cured in place with either heat or a UV curing process. CIPP can restore the structural integrity of the damaged pipe with little to no digging.
How Does the Pipe Lining Process Work?
When you contact our team for help with trenchless pipe lining, we’ll begin with a pipe or sewer line camera inspection.This involves sending a special waterproof camera down the pipe to allow us to see the damage. Next, we typically clean the pipe of any debris or buildup using high-pressure water.
Once the pipe is clean, we begin the trenchless sewer line repair by inserting a flexible, resin-soaked pipe liner into the old pipe. This requires an access point, which is ideally the pipe’s cleanout. If the cleanout isn’t in the right location, we’ll need to dig a small access pit, though it’s still far less disruptive to your landscaping than a full trench.
Once we have access to the pipe, the CIPP lining is pushed, pulled, or blown into place, guided by cameras. Once it’s in position, the liner is cured using hot water, steam, or a special UV light. This hardens the resins, essentially forming a new length of pipe within the old one.
What Types of Plumbing Problems Can CIPP Pipe Lining Solve?
CIPP lining is an invaluable method when it comes to underground plumbing repair. This approach can be used to address a variety of problems, including:
- Cracked pipes (often caused by shifting sand and clay loam soil, common in Phoenix)
- Joint separation at connections between clay or concrete pipe sections
- Minor pipe collapses due to shifting soil or material degradation
- Tree root intrusion (common with non-Phoenix-native, water-hungry species like Indian Rosewood, Shamel Ash, and Citrus trees)
- Pinhole leaks
- Severe corrosion and scale buildup on pipe walls
- Outside groundwater infiltration
When Is Pipe Lining Not the Best Option?
Pipe lining is a remarkably useful approach, but that doesn’t mean it’s always the right option. Pipe lining may not be the best choice if you have:
- Total pipe collapses
- Heavily offset pipes
- Large diameter pipes
- Crushed pipes
- Severe pipe sags
- Severe root damage
- Severe mineral scaling
While CIPP may not be the best approach in these situations, that doesn’t mean all hope is lost for a speedy trenchless sewer repair. Our team is happy to conduct a sewer camera inspection, assess the damage, and offer a few options for reliable fixes.
Pipe Lining vs. Traditional Sewer Replacement: What’s the Difference?
Traditional sewer replacement, or dig-and-replace, involves digging up the line, breaking it into manageable sections, removing each one, and laying a new pipe in the trench. This approach often means complete destruction of any landscaping, patios, driveways, or other features on the surface above. While there are situations where traditional sewer replacement is the only option, it’s usually considered a last resort.
Pipe lining, on the other hand, is almost completely non-invasive to the rest of the property. Because the lining is inserted via the pipe, there’s no need to dig a trench and make a mess of your property, and the lining can be installed without ever having to access the damaged pipe directly. CIPP lining is faster, easier, and less expensive than a full dig-and-replace job.
Benefits of CIPP Pipe Lining for Phoenix Homeowners
CIPP is a great option for trenchless sewer repair in Phoenix. Benefits of this approach include:
- Avoids destructive trenching of the property, protecting your driveway, patio, and mature desert landscaping, such as slow-growing Saguaro or Blue Barrel cacti
- Preserves the integrity of foundations for pipes that run directly underneath the slab or your home’s flooring
- 30% to 50% less expensive than traditional dig-and-replace methods
- Completion in one to two days, rather than a week of major excavation
- Better durability against Phoenix’s shifting soil
- Improved resistance to root intrusion from water-hungry trees
How Long Does CIPP Pipe Lining Last?
In addition to the other benefits of this type of Phoenix sewer repair, CIPP has another clear advantage — its lifespan. CIPP linings can last for 50 to 60 years, even with Phoenix’s hard water. This impressive level of corrosion resistance means a CIPP lining can greatly extend the lifespan of your underground plumbing lines.
Signs Your Sewer Line May Need Professional Inspection
Underground pipe issues are often buried out of sight, so it’s vital that homeowners know the signs of an issue. These symptoms might include:
- Multiple slow drains throughout the house
- Frequent sewage backups
- Unusual gurgling noises from drains, pipes, and toilets
- Foul odors, especially near drains
- Unusually lush or green patches on your lawn (a sign of sewer leaks)
- Small sinkholes or indents in your yard
- New cracks in your foundation
Common Questions Homeowners Ask About Pipe Lining
Over the years, Wyman Plumbing & Mechanical has worked with countless homeowners on sewer repair projects. In that time, we’ve fielded plenty of questions.
Will my yard be dug up?
No, there’s no need to dig up your yard for a CIPP lining. This method only requires access to the pipe via a cleanout, which means there’s minimal disruption to your home or landscaping. If the cleanout isn’t in a good location for the project, we may need to dig a small access pit, usually only measuring three square feet.
Can older homes use pipe lining?
Yes, older homes can definitely benefit from pipe lining. CIPP lining is a great way to extend the lifespan of aging pipe materials common in older houses.
Is the liner safe?
The CIPP liner is completely safe once it’s fully installed. However, during installation, the materials can emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), but these disperse completely once the material is cured. We always ensure meticulous air sealing and ventilation so you’re never exposed to harmful compounds during installation.
Can tree root damage be repaired?
Tree root damage in your pipes can absolutely be repaired. CIPP liners are a good way to address areas where tree roots have found their way into pipes, though the roots themselves will need to be cleared first.
How long will the project take?
In most cases, we can install a CIPP liner in one to two days of work. We’ll provide a detailed timeline along with our cost estimate.
Can pipe lining increase pipe diameter?
No, pipe lining can’t increase your pipe’s diameter. One of the few downsides of this method is that it slightly decreases the diameter of the pipe (since the liner is installed within the original pipe). However, the resin or fiberglass used in CIPP lining is smoother than the rough, corroded surface inside the original pipe. The flow rate should actually be higher after CIPP lining, despite the new pipe being a few millimetres smaller in diameter.
If you’re looking to increase your pipe diameter, one option is pipe bursting. This is a trenchless pipe replacement method that replaces your existing pipe with a larger one without the need to dig up the pipe itself.
Will I need to leave my home?
No, there’s no need to leave your home for a CIPP liner installation. We seal off the work area and ensure proper ventilation to prevent any risk to your health or comfort during the process.
Choosing the Best Pipe Repair Solution for Your Home
In our experience of serving the Phoenix area’s plumbing needs, we’ve noticed that many companies present their specialty services as the be-all, end-all for your plumbing problems. Although we’re one of Phoenix’s top providers of CIPP liners and other trenchless repair methods, we understand that it’s not the right solution every single time. When you contact our team for help with a plumbing issue, you can trust that we’ll present you with the solutions you actually need, whether that’s a CIPP liner or something else entirely.
Schedule a Professional Sewer Inspection With Wyman Plumbing & Mechanical
Wyman Plumbing & Mechanical is here to provide comprehensive plumbing repair services in your Phoenix home. From the initial inspection to our final quality checks, you can rely on our team of trained experts to adhere to the highest possible standards throughout the process. Contact us today to learn more about CIPP lining, trenchless pipe repair, and other services that keep your home functioning as it should.
