For decades, the only way to replace a sewer line was to dig a big, ugly, expensive trench right across your property. And since homeowners are legally required to pay for the upkeep of sewer lines servicing their property, that meant a big expensive mess. If there was a garden, driveway, deck, or sidewalk in the way, well, that’s just too bad.
Fortunately, “no dig” trenchless sewer options have come on the market in the past 15 years. For obvious reasons, trenchless sewer line repair and replacement have become the #1 option for homeowners and businesses looking to replace their lines without destroying their property in the process. When you choose trenchless methods, there’s 90% less damage done to your grounds on average.
There are an estimated 104,852 plumbing and sewage companies in the U.S., per the Department of Labor. There are also a number of different methods of trenchless plumbing available, but a much, much smaller number of companies trained to use the latest pipe bursting equipment.
So what is trenchless pipe bursting, and what are the biggest advantages it offers to homeowners with a busted sewer main?
Trenchless pipe bursting machines have five key components: an expander head, pulling rods, a pulling machine, a retaining device, and a power pack, which is usually hydraulic. We won’t bore you with all the technical details.
In short, pipe bursting pulls a “torpedo head” through your existing, broken pipes. You can imagine this expander head as a blunt drill. As the torpedo head is pulled through the existing water or sewer main, it expands and bursts the pipe open. At the same time, a new pipe is pulled in right through the old sewer line. The result is a trenchless sewer replacement. If your sewer line breaks because of age, wear and tear, or if you get tree roots in your sewer lines, then pipe bursting is an effective way to get your water and sewer service back up and running.
Also, many older homes were constructed with ancient, cast iron water and sewer lines. In 2016, these old pipes will eventually need to be replaced with more reliable modern pipes. Additionally, many people need to increase the diameter of their water and sewer lines.
Pipe bursting is the only trenchless sewer line replacement method that can actually increase the size of your pipes without digging. That makes it the go-to choice for countless homeowners around the country.
