Using CIPP, or “Cured-In-Place” Piping to augment or replace underground pipes is a quick and cheaper alternative to excavating a front or backyard in a private home. It is also very cheap compared to the cost of digging through a foundation or digging up the parking lot of a business.
The CIPP is a tough, flexible tube created from fiberglass or polyester cloth. Replacement tubes have wide-ranging applications and can be used to repair or replace pipes with a diameter of 4 inches up to 110 inches (2.8 meters).
To ensure that it is properly fitted, the old, underground piece must be inspected for damage, cleaned and measured. Then the new pipe must be prepared and placed inside the old one. There are seven steps to this process.
1) Inspection. A video camera is attached to a plumber’s sewer line to record the extent of the damage. There must be enough of the original underground pipe material remaining in order for a replacement to be able to keep its shape and not turn or twist during insertion.
2) Preparation. Augers and other cutting tools are now used to cut through tree roots and other blockages. Rooters and brushes are then used to remove debris, dirt and mud that may have built up inside after damage has occurred.
3) Cleaning. After anything that might interfere with insertion is removed, water jets are used to remove any chemicals, grease or oils that might remain.
4) Measurements. Length and diameter of the damaged pipe are now measured to calculate the amount of the material needed for the replacement.
5) Preparation. Needed length for a replacement is cut from a roll of material. This is now impregnated with a special resin. The first end is pinched off and placed into a specialized machine; remaining length is coiled onto a roller in a manner similar to an un-inflated hose. The second end is pushed through the machine and into an exit nozzle. This is folded backward over the nozzle and clamped in place.
6) Insertion. The end of the hose is now fixed onto an undamaged portion of the old pipe. Oxygen is forced through, inflating the flexible pipe and forcing it through the length of the old pipe. Now, while this happens, the new pipe expands to its full diameter. Since it is still very flexible, the new pipe can still turn up to ninety degrees to match the existing pipe. Once this is completed, both ends are cut and clamped over undamaged sections of the old pipe.
7) Curing. This now has to be hardened or cured before it can be used. Depending on which resin was used to impregnate the material, curing is accomplished using hot water, steam or UV lighting. This can take from only sixty minutes to over 24 hours depending on diameter and length.
The new replacement CIPP is extremely corrosion-resistant and is also protected against caustic compounds and high temperatures. CIPP Underground Pipe Repair pipes are also certified in many countries to be ecologically compatible to the surrounding environment.
