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Benefits of Trenchless Sewer Pipe Repair in St Louis
Replacing damaged sewer lines the old fashioned way, with a backhoe and a big mess, can be an enormous hassle to say the least. But trenchless sewer 
pipe repair in St Louis City, MO is finally able to make this daunting project so much easier. Recent technology has led to the development of this new technique, which avoids having to destroy your driveway, lawn, garden, or patio in order to replace that old or broken sewer line.
Pipe bursting avoids the need to dig a trench
For a large majority of residential and commercial properties, this improved method of replacing old or damaged sewer pipes completely bypasses the traditional process of digging large trenches in order to locate and work on those underground lines.
The outdated repair and replacement procedure of digging a trench to get to the pipes can often lead to costly damages to existing landscaping or established concreted areas. At the very least, such a large and unpleasant trench in the yard can be a big eyesore for as many as several weeks until the job is completed.
No long construction times with pipe bursting in St Louis
There is no need to spend days or weeks of construction with trenchless sewer pipe repair in St Louis. It is a quick, convenient, and more cost effective way of repairing or replacing old, worn out, and broken pipes. You can even increase the size of the sewer lines if more capacity is needed.
How does pipe bursting work?
So how exactly does this simple system work to fix broken, old, or undersized sewer pipes, and what is the procedure involved?
The whole process begins with an assessment of your property, your old sewer line (or lateral), and your specific needs. An inspection using a video camera in the sewer lateral can determine exactly what the issues may be, and whether trenchless sewer pipe repair in St Louis is a viable option for your particular situation. If so, the typical trenchless home sewer replacement proceeds as follows:
- Once the lateral to be replaced is excavated at each end and the exposed pipe removed from each pit, a steel cable is threaded through the line. The cable will pull a bursting head, or mole, which is a steel cone that is larger in diameter at its base than the host pipe (old sewer).
- High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pipe—of equal or greater diameter than the host pipe—is thermally welded together in sections usually 20 feet in length. This process is called “butt-fusion,” which if done correctly produces a joint that is at least as strong as the pipe itself. The entire length of pipe necessary to replace the lateral is connected to the bursting head, which is then attached to the cable.
- The cable is then pulled from the opposite excavation by a hydraulically powered cable-pulling device. The bursting head breaks the old pipe and pushes the resulting fragments into the surrounding earth while dragging in the new HDPE pipe behind it.
No trench has to be dug
Because the old and damaged sewer pipe is left in broken pieces underground after performing trenchless sewer pipe repair, this particular method also avoids a few other major concerns that come up when dealing with the traditional procedure of digging trenches.
For example, there is no need for further work to be done involving the removal of the old pipe, because it merely stays right where it is in the ground, and provides the surroundings in which the new line will be installed. This also means that there is no worry of how or where to dispose of the old and damaged sewer pipe, because its busted pieces will be forming the bed for the new pipeline.
Methods that require a trench can disturb the soil
Traditional “open-cut” trenching also causes major disturbance to the soil. This means that if there were to be a storm or heavy rainfall soon after the project was completed, there may be a new drainage pattern that wasn’t there before, which could potentially lead to even further problems for landscaping or even building foundations.
If your house is more than forty years old, it is a good idea to have your sewer lateral evaluated to see if it is still in good condition. If it turns out that you may need to have your sewer repaired or replaced, keep in mind that trenchless sewer pipe repair in St Louis is much less invasive for your property, keeps the labor hours to a minimum, and thus keeps the total costs lower for you.
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