With proper use and under normal conditions, water pipes are capable of lasting up to 100 years. However, several issues can call for pipe replacement; for instance, normal wear and tear, faulty installation, bursting, corrosion, and cracking.
Whatever the case may be, a damaged pipe needs to be replaced immediately. Luckily, a new technology called a cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) takes away the need for disruptive activities such as heavy excavations during installation.
Read on to learn more about CIPP technology; what it is, how it’s installed, and the benefits of having CIPP lining.
What Is CIPP?
A cured-in-place pipe, commonly referred to as CIPP, is a no-dig pipe restoration method for damaged pipelines. This procedure has been utilized since 1971, mainly in repairing wastewater pipelines. With its adoption in residential and commercial settings, this nondisruptive and trenchless technology has allowed pipe system remediation without the messy work that traditional techniques often entail.
CIPP installation involves the use of a liner tube and a highly moldable resin that’s placed inside the pipe system. Once set, the combination of materials is cured, providing a tight fit against the damaged pipe, whether it’s made from brass, copper, or any of the common pipe materials.
Who Can Perform CIPP Installations?
There are two types of contractors that can provide cured-in-place-pipe lining installation and other related services.
CIPP lining specialists
As the name implies, these professionals offer specialized services, most notably commercial pipe restorations. They also often provide other services that could include pipe inspections using cameras and plumbing surveys. However, they don’t typically offer other plumbing services.
Commercial plumbers
These experts, apart from fixing water leakage and drainage problems, also offer CIPP lining services. Commercial plumbers and CIPP lining specialists both have to get a license in order to practice their profession. The advantage of hiring the former over the latter is that they offer a full range of plumbing solutions.
How Does A CIPP Liner Installation Process Go?
This trenchless method involves the use of CIPP sewer lining materials such as a flexible felt tube and a liquid resin. The tube is set in place into the damaged pipe either by pulling or inverting it into position using water or air pressure.
Once in place, the liner is inflated according to the pipe’s size and shape. To make it sturdy and create a tight fit on the existing pipe, the lining is heated using steam or hot water. Depending on the chemicals used to make the resin, CIPP installers may employ other techniques such as turning to UV light or ambient air temperature exposure.
Once fully cured, the resin forms a seamless surface within the existing pipe. Because of this reinforcement, CIPP repairs damaged pipes, covers hidden leaks, and minimizes the risk of pipe bursts. Installers will then cut a hole along the liner to restore the water flow and services.
What Can Building Owners Expect During CIPP Liner Installation?
Because there’s no need to dig trenches to remove and replace damaged pipes, CIPP liner installations generally take a few hours or a maximum of 10 hours for more complex work. Water pipes with diameters as small as three inches or as large as 98 inches can be restored through CIPP lining installation within a day.
Home and building owners are provided with door hangers prior to the installation so they can be advised not to use the water during the entire procedure. If you’re a property owner, you must store water at least a day before in order to have access to it while the repair works are being done. Alternatively, you can ask your family to stay with relatives or at a nearby hotel.
What Are The Different CIPP Installation Methods?
As briefly mentioned in the earlier section, there are two ways to install a CIPP liner in a particular system.
Inversion
This method uses water to keep the resin in place. In order to position the liner within the existing pipe, the liner is turned inside out and placed in an elevated platform. The liner is filled with water before installation, and then hot water is distributed in the liners to cure the resin with heat.
Pull-in-place
This involves the use of custom double-coated liner that’s pulled into place and then filled with hot water to ‘cure’ the resin. Pull-in-place is the preferred method for pipelines with short yet wide diameters common in industrial applications.
When Is CIPP Lining Not An Option?
While this method can be done regardless of the material used in the damaged pipes, there are some instances where CIPP lining won’t a viable solution.
When the damaged pipe is deformed, such as when there’s a severe loss of ovality, CIPP won’t be as effective. The same goes for projects that involve increasing the pipe capacity, or in chemical pipelines that can dissolve the CIPP lining material.
What Are The Benefits Of CIPP Lining Installation?
This pipe restoration method can provide property owners with the following benefits:
No Major Excavations Needed
This trenchless pipe restoration technology doesn’t require digging, which means it’s less disruptive than the traditional pipe repair method that can take days to finish. This means you won’t have to spend days without water or restore your garden or backyard post-excavation.
You Will Have More Durable Pipes
As the resin hardens inside the damaged pipes, it reinforces the pipe’s strength and creates a tough lining inside existing pipes.
CIPP lining is also corrosion-resistant and leak-proof, and it lasts for several years.
It Is Cost-Effective
Unlike traditional pipe restoration work, CIPP lining installation won’t require you to spend for excavation repairs. Pipe problems could happen anywhere, sometimes in tricky sections like your interior walls and floors. With CIPP lining, you won’t have to destroy those sections, leaving your property intact.
It Is Eco-Friendly
A cured-in-place-pipe lining installation doesn’t require the use of potentially hazardous chemicals and a large number of workers. Because no toxic chemicals and heavy machineries are involved, this restoration activity produces less carbon emissions.
It Helps Facilitate Better Water Flow
Cured-in-place pipes can help facilitate smoother water flow and don’t promote the formation of mineral deposits and other pipe obstructions. This lets you enjoy a strong water supply for years following their installation.
The Wrap-Up
With CIPP lining, property owners don’t have to put up with the damaging impacts of traditional pipe restoration works. When planning to have the installation done on your property, choose a licensed and accredited specialist to do the job so you can enjoy water service resumption as soon as possible.