What Is Tunneling To Repair Pipes?

By Author: Nu Flow Technologies
Total Articles: 13
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When you start looking around at sewer repair prices, you may be offered to the tunnel. This is where the plumbers dig a tunnel under your property and then use manpower to crawl under the building, remove old pipes and replace them with new ones. This means no cutting through floors, saving money when it comes to replacing flooring and repairing damaged areas.

The problem is that tunneling is outdated and not recommended. It increases safety concerns, there are major liabilities involved, and structural problems can arise as a result. Trenchless pipe lining is much safer and eliminates any risks associated with tunneling or traditional pipe repair methods.

The problem with tunneling is that while all health and safety guidelines may be met, there is always a risk of human error. Over eighteen percent of workplace fatalities are in the construction industry, many occurring with workers having to climb in confined and dangerous spaces, such as under your home or building. The risks involved include poor air quality with not enough ventilation while plumbers work and the tunnel could collapse.

In many cases, ...
... a permit is required in order to tunnel under a building, due to the confined space having hazards. Health and safety permits will require the plumbers to test, monitor, and communicate with ventilation and lighting, they must put up shields and barriers and provide proper training. There must be trained rescue personnel present and anyone working in the tunnel must wear a harness. This will all increase the cost of the tunneling process to repair you're broken or damaged sewer pipe.

Before you consider tunneling, a structural engineer will have to do an assessment, due to concerns surrounding the soil strength around the property as well as the outer sides of the property carrying the majority of the building weight.

Is there an alternative to tunneling that you can take into consideration? The good news is that there is trenchless pipelining, which can eliminate the risk of causing structural damage to your building and reduce the need to dig trenches to access the pipe. Trenchless technology means no cutting of walls or floors. You do not need to move out of your property while the work is being completed.

Trenchless pipe lining uses CIPP (Cured in Place Pipe) lining, which creates a pipe within the existing pipe, adding fifty years or more of life to your sewer lines. The process is relatively simple and carried out by experienced and trained plumbing teams. The team may dig two small holes, one at either end of the pipe to gain access. They then soak feet in epoxy resin which is inserted into the pipe and pulled into place. Once the team is happy with the placement, the felt is expanded using a balloon type device, almost like a stent in heart surgery. This allows the epoxy soaked feet to push against the inside of the pipe, sealing up cracks and holes, creating a strong internal barrier.

The benefit to trenchless pipe lining is that it can be completed within a day, rather than taking weeks to complete. The damage is minimal, you are not going to have to replace floors, paving, or landscaping. The risk to the workers is eliminated, which means no health and safety concerns and you will find that your pipes become root resistant, corrosion resistant and your flow rate improves.

About Us: Nu Flow Technologies is a leading drain and sewer line repair specialist company with headquarters in San Diego, United States. This well-established company was formed in 1998 and originally manufactured and installed patented trenchless drain and sewer lines to single family homes throughout the country. Today, they are a global company that developed a new method in 2000 similar to a stent used to open the arteries to the heart. Nu Flow Technologies provides its services using plumbing partners on a global scale, offering a unique internal bladder to repair damaged drain and sewer lines in an effective, fast and affordable manner. To find out more, visit their website at https://www.nuflowtechnologies.com/.

Nu Flow Technologies was established in 1998, manufacturing and installing trenchless drain and sewer lining solutions.