What is pipe relining and how it works?

Cured In Place Pipelining (CIPP) process or pipe relining is the method by which you replace the pipelines without the extra costs associated with having to dig up and replace the already existing pipelines.

The piping infrastructure is the most dreaded part of a home. Even worse is the nightmare of replacing pipes which give in due to use over time. According to The Relining Company Australia, there is an easy way out, even if the internal damage to the pipes seems extensive .

What is relining the pipe? 

Pipe relining helps to repair the pipes by curing the pipe’s inner side using a resin, which cures overtime to make another strong pipe. 

In this method, the key to curing pipe is resin. A resin-saturated felt tube made up of material for impregnation of resin is put into the broken pipe. This resin solidifies and forms another pipe inside the broken pipe. The addition of resin takes place from a point which is upstream. It is possible to insert from a downstream access point, but it has more risk and hence it is avoided. 

How is pipe relining done?

 There are a lot of stages for pipe relining, which are mentioned below – 

1. First, the pipes are inspected to see the amount of damage. Traditionally, it was done with the help of CC cameras (closed-circuit cameras), but nowadays (FELL) Forced electron leak location equipment is used to check the damage more closely so as to design much better solutions.
2. The next step is cleaning the clogged pipes which have a large number of steps. At first, cleaning is done with regular methods, and then the solid or large blockages are eliminated. Robotic cutters are used. Finally, a water jet of high-pressure is used to complete the cleaning process and ensure a smooth surface on the pipe walls for setting the resin.
3. Another last check is done to make sure that the pipes are ready to be relined using CC cameras (closed-circuit cameras).
4. Now the lining length is measured from the length of pipe, also the extent of the damage to the pipes.
5. After finding the length of pipe, the pipe is filled with epoxy resin. This means that the complete length of the pipe will be filled with a resin that later becomes the pipe after curing. Wider and straighter parts of the pipe are easier to deal with than the tricky joints.
6. This is then followed by the process of curing, which is the lengthiest step in the complete method. The step can be performed either by manually letting the lining cure but hot water is generally used to accelerate the process. Lastly UV rays are used to take the cured lining to full hardness.
7. Prior to completing the process, all the junctions or inspection pits are cut. This uses robotic cutters to eliminate junctions, although inspection pits may be handled using grinders or any other surface-level cutters.
8. Lastly, the pipe relining process is complete. Checks must be performed, see that the pipes are working well just after the final checks done by the pipe relining service you hired.

 Conclusion 

Pipe relining is considered a trenchless technique since no digging is involved in the process. This makes relining a more cost-effective and less intensive process than traditional ‘dig and replaces’ pipe repair methods.