5 Situations Where Trenchless Sewer Replacement is the Best Choice

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Fixing sewer problems with trenchless sewer replacement is a faster, simpler, and more appropriate solution than traditional trenched repairs. In some cases, trenchless may be the only logical solution. If you are considering having your sewer lines replaced, take a look at these 5 situations where trenchless sewer lines are the best option.

1. Protect Your Landscaping

If your existing sewer lines run beneath established landscaping, a trenchless sewer replacement will preserve your landscaping investment. It should also be noted that long-established landscaping– especially trees and shrubbery– is the primary cause of sewer line damage resulting from the slow penetration of powerful root systems.

2. Under Your Foundation

Traditionally, replacing the sewer lines beneath your foundation entailed expensive concrete removal, hand-digging, and more. With trenchless replacement, two holes are dug at each end of the installation, and special equipment drills beneath the foundation to insert new lines. The final costs are often much lower than the older, labor-intensive method. Consulting with a qualified plumbing contractor will help you determine which replacement method works best for your situation.

3. Crossing Paved Areas

Unless you want to have your driveways and sidewalks cut out and then patched afterward, trenchless sewer lines are the best way to put new pipes under existing pathways. A common example is when a patio or paved courtyard has been installed over the original plumbing lines.

4. Limited Sewer Access

There are a lot of reasons that plumbing contractors may not be able to get to the area for traditional ditch-based sewer lines. Renovations and household additions that have been built since the original lines were installed, lawn decorations, fixed storage buildings, and other construction are typical. Because a trenchless sewer system only requires 2 access points, it can eliminate extensive tear-down and rebuilding.

5. Municipal Tie-Ins

As cities expand, sewer systems get upgraded and older septic tank systems are replaced with municipal sewer lines. When this happens, new sewer lines need to be installed from the sewer mains to your house, often traversing areas that are difficult or even impossible to reach with traditional trenching equipment. When this happens, trenchless sewer installation is sometimes the only solution.

Trenchless sewers are more versatile than sewers that require long ditches, removal of existing structures, and costly foundation removal and replacement. Even in a situation where a trench system is less expensive at first glance, the additional removal and replacement costs associated with the job can easily make trenchless sewers a more cost-effective solution.

Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating

Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating provides 24/7 household plumbing services for homes and multifamily buildings. We pride ourselves on our professional and quality work. Contact us through our online contact form or call us at 510-528-4292 for residential plumbing services any time, any day of the week.

What is Trenchless Sewer Replacement?

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Trenchless sewer replacement is a modern method of repairing or replacing old sewer lines that no longer work properly. For scenarios where the sewer line runs beneath driveways, landscaping, or other buildings, trenchless installations may be the most appropriate method to use. To illustrate, let’s look at the benefits of a trenchless sewer replacement.

No Messy Ditches

Trenchless sewer replacement requires digging at least one hole at one end of the line to be replaced, but some methods need a hole at each end. These openings are the only places where the existing lines need to be accessed, whether you are having your existing lines repaired or a new line installed.

Faster Job Completion

Trenchless sewer installation requires less digging and other manual labor than traditional sewer line installation, and that means the job can be completed faster. Depending on the trenchless method being used, the size and type of job, and other factors, a trenchless system can be installed in as little as a single day. Even jobs that take more than one day will be completed in a fraction of the time a traditional trenched sewer would require.

Less Lawn Invasive

Trenchless sewer techniques use methods that can be performed with only a hole at each end of the line. This means there are no huge piles of soil choking your lawn, no shovels or ditch-digging machines cutting the roots of shrubs or trees, fragile flower beds can remain intact.

Trenchless plumbing is less lawn invasive in several ways. There are no long ditches, there are fewer workers to accidentally trample grass, and you will need fewer materials and supplies available to close up the worksite when the sewer has been installed. Basically, the more traffic you can keep off your lawn and out of your landscaping, the smoother, faster, and less expensive the project will be.

Reduced Demolition and Construction

While it is possible that some interior demolition will be necessary to complete the project, there will be much less than with traditional sewer pipe replacement. Since there aren’t any trenches involved, you won’t have to have huge areas of flooring removed and the slab underneath cut away. In the same vein, there will be less dust in your home’s air to settle on furniture or tables, less noise from power equipment, and fewer costs associated with putting it all back together again.

More Cost-Effective

While it is true that trenchless sewer installation can have a slightly higher initial cost, the overall price is comparable or even lower than traditional sewer installation. More advanced equipment and technical expertise are required, and that increases the initial cost, but faster job completion, fewer materials, and reduced demolition and construction help reduce the final cost. For many homeowners, the speed and reduced invasiveness are more than sufficient to make trenchless systems more appealing and appropriate.

Whether you are having an existing line repaired or installing a sewer replacement line, using trenchless technology offers enough benefits to be worth serious consideration. Before you resign yourself to a ditch running all the way across your lawn, compare the costs and other benefits between the systems carefully. You may discover that trenchless is the way to go.

Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating

Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating provides 24/7 household plumbing services for homes and multifamily buildings. We pride ourselves on our professional and quality work. Contact us through our online contact form or call us at 510-528-4292 for residential plumbing services any time, any day of the week.

How to Know if You Need Sewer Replacement Services

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Sewer lines wear out or get damaged over time, and can be efficiently repaired by trenchless sewer replacement. Trenchless sewer replacement services use end-point hoiles for pipe insertion so that most of your lawn remains undamaged, but the same techniques are excellent for areas with ground-level barriers that prevent trenching. Here are some important tips on recognizing when it’s time for sewer replacement services. 

Drains Slow Down or Stop Flowing

The first sign that you need trenchless sewer replacement will usually be noticed in the toilet, tub, or shower drains. These household drains typically have a higher flow of water than sinks, so clogged or broken sewer lines back up faster. Before you invest in sewer line replacement, try to identify other causes for drains that back up. Many of these are easy and inexpensive to fix with rooter service, such as hair in the shower drain or too much tissue in the toilet. 

Bad Odor From Drains

When material begins to collect in your sewer lines instead of draining properly, you may begin to notice foul odors near your household drains. This is a sign that matter is decomposing in your sewer pipes. Sometimes this type of clog can be cleared up by running a snake through the line or with different ways to fix a broken sewer line, but trenchless sewer replacement may be the most efficient solution.

Wet Spots in the Yard

If you have specific places in your yard that seem to be wet or have standing water more often than seems appropriate, it could be an indication of a sewer line that needs repair. These spots will typically become wetter and larger when doing tasks that use a lot of water such as bathing or washing laundry.

Bright Green Grass

When your sewer lines leak, they release nutrient-rich sewage into the ground. This may result in the grass growing a brighter shade of green, and growing faster than the surrounding area. This symptom is sometimes apparent even if the leak is too far below the ground to cause a wet spot. 

Wet Floors

In the home, floors that become wet for no obvious reason may indicate the need for trenchless sewer replacement. Because a broken or clogged sewer pipe prevents water from draining properly, it may back up in sinks or tubs, or even under your toilet if the wax ring is old or damaged.

The good news is that most sewer problems develop slowly, so you will see the need for trenchless sewer replacement developing. The reason it happens slowly is that most exterior problems are related to things like a pipe getting slowly crushed under a path or tree roots growing through the line. The important thing is to get the repairs as soon as you notice the problem because it will become more expensive as time goes on.

Trenchless Sewer Replacement — Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating

Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating provides 24/7 residential plumbing services for homes and multifamily buildings. We pride ourselves on our professional and quality work. Contact us through our online contact form or call us at 510-528-4292 for residential plumbing services any time, any day of the week.

The Different Ways to Fix a Broken Sewer Line

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Your local plumber offers more than rooter service. If you have a larger problem than a single instance of a clogged toilet, your plumber can take a look at your entire plumbing system, including your sewer line. Your plumber can insert a video camera down your pipes to find issues, such as sagging pipes or a broken sewer line. When your sewer line is broken, your plumber can repair it in the traditional way or use a trenchless method.

Traditional Sewer Replacement with Excavation

In the past, the only way to repair a broken sewer line was by excavating the entire damaged section. The damaged piping was removed then replaced with a new section of pipe. Traditional replacement is still used, but since the acceptance of trenchless sewer replacement in the plumbing industry, it’s been used less frequently. Traditional replacement can be expensive and uproot landscapes, gardens, and buildings, so plumbers try to avoid it.

Trenchless Sewer Replacement

The least invasive repair option is trenchless sewer repair & replacement. The first trenchless technology was created in the 1970s, when British agricultural engineer Eric Woods developed the pipe replacement technique cured-in-place piping (CIPP). He developed this method when he needed to repair a damaged air duct above his mushroom bed, as he couldn’t remove the pipe. Instead, he pulled a plastic-wrapped felt tube containing resin through the damaged pipe, then inflated it to fill the pipe. This hardened into a new layer, fixing the pipe without major construction.

In addition to CIPP, your sewer line replacement contractor will consider two other methods. Here’s what you need to know about those trenchless sewer replacement methods:

Sliplining

Sliplining uses the broken pipe as a pathway for the new pipe. The new pipe must be narrower than the broken pipe, so it can fit inside and be grouted into place. This turns the old pipe into an outer shell that is slightly larger than the new pipe, so if you want to upsize your new pipe, you’ll want the next method: pipe bursting.

Pipe bursting

Pipe bursting uses a bursting tool that pulls a new pipe along the broken pipe, dismantling the broken pipe open as the new pipe replaces it. The new pipe can be of any size, so this is the best trenchless option if you want a new pipe of a similar or larger diameter.

When you’ll need traditional sewer replacement

Trenchless sewer replacement requires an intact old pipe to work. If the old pipe is too damaged, misshapen with a pipe belly, or sags, you’ll need traditional replacement. Additionally, if your old pipe is close to the surface and not underneath gardens or buildings, it could be cost effective to use traditional replacement because it’s easy to dig a narrow trench. 

When you can use trenchless sewer replacement

The fundamental prerequisite for trenchless sewer replacement is the old pipe being intact enough to act as a feeder tube. In most cases, if the old pipe can be a feeder tube, you can use trenchless repair.

Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating — Family-owned rooter service

To determine the best way to fix your broken sewer line, contact Ehret. Co Plumbing & Heating through our online contact form or call us at 510-528-4292. We’ll inspect your sewer line and talk you through the different repair options available.

When Slow Draining Sinks are a Major Problem

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Slow drains are a common household problem. They’re usually taken care of with simple household fixes, like a drain snake or plunger. However, in some cases they’re a sign of a major problem in need of major repairs like trenchless sewer replacement. See below for signs that you should contact a residential plumber for further investigation.

Your drains frequently clog

One clogged drain typically isn’t a sign of a major problem. Two clogged drains at the same time is a larger problem. Worse is if multiple drains are slow draining. Though this could be an incredible coincidence, it’s far more likely that the main pipe they all connect to needs professional attention. 

Your sewer line might be obstructed by tree roots, causing buildup and sewage to leak into your lawn. It might have a pipe belly, which is a sagging section of pipe that builds up blockage over time. Whatever the reason, a household inspection can help you determine the root cause and best form of repair.

Pipe snakes and cleaners don’t help

The majority of clogs can be cleared with traditional at-home methods. First try using a pipe snake to corkscrew into your drains and break through physical clogs. Typical clogs are caused by hair, excessive food, congealed products, and grease. If the snake doesn’t break through, or there doesn’t seem to be a clog, try an overnight drain cleaner.

If the snake and cleaner don’t work, call a residential plumber for an inspection. Chances are your clog lies deeper in your plumbing system. Your main line might be obstructed and require trenchless sewer replacement.

You have additional plumbing issues

If slow draining sinks aren’t your only problem, there’s a high chance your sewer line is obstructed. These issues could include water backing up in sinks and tubs. Your toilet could make gurgling noises with air bubbles. Sewage might seep into your lawn or pour out of the overflow cap. The smell of sewage might draw pests like rats and insects into your crawl spaces, garage, or home.

A damaged sewer line can also destroy the structural integrity of your home by causing cracks in your foundation. Left untreated, your home might fall victim to sinkholes. If you’re experiencing multiple signs of a damaged sewer line, immediately contact your local trenchless sewer replacement experts. The sooner your line is repaired, the quicker your life can return to normal.

Trenchless Sewer Replacement in the Bay Area

Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating can investigate your slow drains and guide you through the best solution. Contact us through our online contact form or call us at 510-528-4292 for quick, safe, and quality trenchless sewer replacement.