FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Trenchless Technology is a science that has evolved over the last 50 years. When sewers and underwater piping need repair, there are simply two options: Dig up the ground above, underneath, and around the pipe, OR repair the damage without disturbing the surrounding ground.
This is where Trenchless Technology comes into play. The ability to repair and/or replace damaged or inefficient underground water systems without disturbing the surrounding grounds allows for a quicker, cleaner repair that causes less disturbance and inconvenience for the surrounding communities. MOST often repairs can be made by entering the systems at manholes and other areas.
Not surprisingly, this is a common question with a standard answer: “It depends on the job.”
What you can depend on is that most often trenchless repair and maintenance is LESS expensive than excavation. Because there is less disturbance of the surrounding area, often the repair can be done for much less than traditional methods of excavation and repair. Today’s Trenchless Technology can handle most problems that arise within a sewer system at less expense than you might think.
We are happy to provide you with a written estimate or proposal for your work. Please contact us for a quick response to all of your questions.
A harmless white smoke is forced through the sealed sewer system. A sealed system means that there are very specific locations that the smoke should be able to exit the system. When a system is fully sealed the smoke will exit at these locations and nowhere else.
When smoke exits the system at locations OTHER THAN the identified locations it represents a crack, leak, or damage to the pipe system. Mr. Rehab identifies the locations of the leaks, takes pictures, and logs the location so that repairs to the system can be completed at a later time.
As the pipes within your system age and the ground around them settles and moves, there are many factors that can damage and decay your system. Tree roots and other natural (and un-natural) factors can also damage pipes. The traditional solution to this problem has been to dig up the pipe and the surrounding pavement, landscaping, and other impediments in the way and replace or repair the damaged pipe.
As technology has evolved we have found a better way. Cured in Place Pipe (CIPP) lining allows us to repair damaged pipes without any excavation in many cases and substantially less excavation in many other cases. There are times when traditional excavation is required; but with today’s sewer technology, trenchless is almost always the preferred option.
Lining your pipes is a cost-effective way to repair the damage, without the costs and disturbances of excavation. We can enter the sewer system through existing ports of egress and complete most work from above the ground. By combining a specially designed fabric liner, the right mixture of chemical ingredients, the right temperature water, and the right amount of air pressure, the fabric liner hardens to a solid pipe. It forms itself to the existing pipe while filling holes and sealing gaps and cracks.
The end result is a pipe that is as strong the original.
Mr. Rehab will propel a harmless white smoke into the mainline sewer system and will then observe where the smoke exits the system. A sewer system is a “sealed system” and the smoke should only exit at very specific locations from the system.
If the smoke escapes from any point along the sanitary sewer line, it indicates a defect in the sewer. Leaks in either public or private sanitary sewer lines may allow storm water to enter the sewer during a heavy rainstorm. This is called inflow and infiltration, which may result in sewer overflows. Residents who notice smoke escaping from their private sewer lines (between the main line and their home) should take note of these defects as well, and plan to repair them as soon as possible.
Rest assured that Mr. Rehab is a professional organization and will handle this project with the care and expertise that has earned us our excellent reputation across the state of Pennsylvania and throughout the Mid-Atlantic.
No. During the testing, white smoke will exit from the vent pipes on the rooftops and from breaks in the sewer lines. The smoke used is not harmful to people or furnishings. It is almost odorless and leaves no residue. The smoke cannot enter buildings unless there is a defect in the plumbing or a dry trap in a seldom used sink or drain.
We are currently working for your Township/Borough to upgrade your existing sewer lines by means of trenchless CIPP rehabilitation methods. CIPP is a jointless, pipe-within-a-pipe method with the capacity to rehabilitate pipes within a wide range of diameters and sizes. CIPP is one of the most widely used rehabilitation methods in sewer applications today. It is installed by utilizing existing manhole access points and it is inserted using air pressure. The latest robot technology is then used to reinstate your house connection and restore your service.
Here you can see an example of how our CIPP lining will rehabilitate your sewer system:
Typically NOT. If fact, digging up the road to facilitate a CIPP installation is very rare. Our lining installation uses the latest in trenchless technology to offer a “no dig” solution with sewer pipe rehabilitation. The only exceptions may be due to the lack of suitable manhole access or existing pipe damage that is severe such as crushed or partially crushed pipe.
A typical CIPP installation runs between an 8 – 10 hours per day from start to finish. It would be rare to find yourself without access to your driveway. However, If you need to enter/leave your drive way and a vehicle or piece of equipment is parked in front of it, please ask a field team member to move it for you.
You may notice a smell like that of new plastic during the pipe repair process. This odor may be caused by an ingredient that is used to make many types of plastics and resins, including many household products. This ingredient is called styrene.
Styrene has a very low odor threshold and can be detected by its smell even when there are very small amounts of it present. As a result, persons living along the sewer lines may notice the distinct plastic smell during the new cured-in-place pipe process. You can minimize the possibility of odors migrating into your home or business by making sure your sewer connections are in proper working order and that you frequently run water into all the drains in your home or business, especially seldom used floor and laundry drains. This exercise will ensure that your property’s plumbing traps, which are designed to constantly hold water, have not dried out. They’re called traps because they do just that: trap water inside, preventing sewer gases from coming back into the building.
The release of styrene during the typical sewer rehabilitation process is in such small quantities that any risk to human health or the environment is minimal. It is established that styrene exists only briefly in the environment as it dissipates in the air very rapidly.
Any water used during the lining operation will build up in your house connection and potentially cause a back-up. If you experience an emergency, you may use your toilet but do not flush until the installation work is finished.
If you anticipate needing water during restricted hours, then you may fill your sinks with water. Please do not let the water drain until your house connection has been reopened.
The work we will be performing is in your sewer system, which is where your water drains to.
No, you do not need to leave your home during a CIPP installation.
Please contact the phone # on your notice for guidance/assistance.