Most people don’t know the first thing about sewer line repairs. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Unless you’re a plumber or someone who builds houses, you shouldn’t be expected to know anything about them. However, if one of your sewer lines needs to be repaired or replaced, you’ll have two options. You can try to handle it yourself, which we wouldn’t recommend. Or you can contact an experienced Miami-Dade emergency plumber. Our team has decades of combined experience fixing and installing sewer lines.
One thing you need to know about your sewer line repairs is whether it’s part of the municipal sewer system or not. For the most part, if you live in an urban or even suburban area, there’s a good chance you have city sewer lines. There are all sorts of things that can damage these sewer lines. You have a tree root that works its way underneath or around your pipes. You could have a busted pipe and not know it until you see the leak. In either case, you need to call an emergency plumber right away to come out and take a look.
There are Two Main Techniques for Sewer Line Repairs
Any plumber can tell you that there are two major ways to do sewer line repairs. The first method is the traditional method. This involves removing the old pipe and replacing it with a new one. This method is terribly invasive and can take a week or longer to complete.
In order to access the pipes through the interior of your home, you’ll need to tear up your drywall and flooring. Once you manage to get to the hidden pipes, you’ll need to dig a trench so you can get to the buried pipes.
The other method for sewer line repairs is the trenchless method. This method utilizes modern technology and equipment. Unlike the traditional method which tears through your home to access the buried lines, the trenchless method is quite different. There are two ways you can approach a trenchless repair.
What are the Two Approaches to Trenchless Sewer Line Repairs?
Ideally, you’ll be able to use the trenchless repair approach if possible. However, this isn’t always the case. If you’re fortunate enough to use this method, you can choose from two different main approaches.
The first approach to sewer line repairs is called pipelining. This approach involves replacing the old sewer pipe from the inside. Your emergency plumber will use an epoxy coated sleeve and insert it into the damaged sewer pipe. Once it’s inside, the sleeve is inflated. You have to give the epoxy enough time to cure. When it hardens, it creates a replacement pipe inside. The great thing about pipelining is that you don’t have to remove the existing pipe. This makes it a lot cheaper and faster than any other method.
The second approach to sewer line repairs is called bursting. The approach involves inserting a device into the drain of the old sewer line. As you move this device forward, a new, flexible sewer line will instantly be occupying the space the device moved through.
What Are the Pros and Cons of the Traditional Method?
There are pros and cons to both methods. If you use the traditional method, you don’t have to worry about the environmental concerns associated with lead pipes. The old, dangerous pipes are removed and replaced with safe ones. It’s also a great way to fix issues caused by improper repairs made to the pipe previously.
One reason a lot of Miami-Dade emergency plumbers like this method is that it allows them to repair a small piece of pipe without having to replace the whole thing. Rather than create a new interior or replacement pipe, you can remove the problematic piece and save the rest.
Some of the cons of the traditional method is that it’s very expensive. It’s also very invasive. You can end up tearing up your floors and drywall just to reach the pipes. You shouldn’t have to destroy an entire room or floor of your house to fix a sewer line.
The other problem with the traditional method is that you typically destroy your landscaping, hardscaping, and other outdoor structure. This is unavoidable. It’s the only way you can reach the old pipe.
The Trenchless Approaches Have Their Own Pros and Cons
The trenchless method is a lot cheaper than the traditional method. It is also a lot faster. You can complete the repairs using this method in a matter of a day or two – not weeks. The other great thing about the trenchless approach is that it’s less invasive than the traditional method.
While the trenchless approach is a lot faster and cheaper than the traditional method, it has its own drawbacks. First, you can’t use this method to do small, partial repairs. It’s an all-or-nothing approach. Second, some older lines are too old to fix this way. You may spend time and money on this method only to find out halfway through that you need to revert to the traditional method.
Call and Speak With One of Our Emergency Plumbers in Miami-Dade, Florida
If you think there’s a problem with your sewer line, it’s in your best interest to call an emergency plumber in Miami-Dade right away. You can’t afford to let a busted or cracked pipe any longer than absolutely necessary.
These repairs can be quite complicated. The last thing you want to do is try to attempt this by yourself. This is why it’s in your best interest to leave it to the professionals. We can have a team of technicians come out to survey the damage outside your home. We’ll discuss the options as far as which method you want us to employ.
Rather than wait to see how bad the damage can get, call our office as soon as possible and we’ll try to get someone out there as soon as possible.
