EPOXY PIPE COATING
About: Epoxy pipe coating is basically looked for as an alternative to replacing the old pipe with a completely whole new system. Talking about it with reference to theory, this process will involve coating the the pipes internally with an epoxy resin ideally to seal off the pinholes and corrosion after which plumbing is sandblasted from inside out, and silica particles that are embedded in the air are blown through pipes which ultimately creates a lasting solution to solving the pipe problems. In most of the houses and buildings, the plumbing is done with copper pipes. Gradually, the copper starts to erode and then results in leakage. They just finally wear themselves out. So, instead of replacing all the plumbing in the house, epoxy pipe lining is done. Reason being, this is cost-effective and also saves a lot of time. In addition to this, the epoxy lining provides a durable and a very long lasting solution to leaks, broken pipe, slow drains and blockages. The epoxy keeps out of heavy metals and corrosions that leaches typically into drinking water from metal pipes.
Process: First pipe mapping and spot checking is completed, then pipes are dried with heated, compressed air. A safe abrading agent is blown through the pipe system. In doing the entire process of epoxy pipe coating, the whole equipment will catch the debris where the pipe goes either up or down. Then, the epoxy liquid is blown down the pipes and will be allowed to harden. This takes just a few hours. The epoxy is just a thin coating. So, nothing heavy can be used. This is perfect for in between the walls and the floors to prevent damage. After the epoxy coating cures, valves and couplings are refitted. A final leak test and inspection confirm the lining integrity. The average warranty on the epoxy itself is somewhere between 5-10 years. That’s because while the epoxy is allowed to cure for somewhere between two to five hours if the adhesion process isn’t done correctly, the liner tends to slip and can become unstable at some point of time.
Benefits :
- Epoxy line coating is a long term, preventative solution to leaks, breaks and blockages.
- It is applicable to potable hot and cold water drinking distribution mains and water lines.
- It is safe for the consumption of water as this is considered a food grade and is used inside water cans.
- It increases the water flow capacity as it is capable of offering higher resistance to corrosion on pipes.
- Epoxy costs as little as 30-40% of pipe replacements. Hence, it is very much affordable.
CIPP PIPELINING
About: Cured-in-Place-Pipe(CIPP) lining is basically a method of trenchless rehabilitation and restoration used in the repair of existing pipes. CIPP lining uses a textile liner tube and liquid resin. To be more specific, it is a method that requires very little or no digging at all and significantly lesser time to complete than other sewer pipe methods. In most of the cases, a section of sewer pipe that is several hundred feet long can be repaired in one day. Work crews avoid digging and instead access the sewer pipe using the existing manholes. Spot repairs may require excavation before lining process. Preparation and restoration will take a couple of days to complete, but the lining process will typically take only one day at each location. However, there may be inactivity between some phases of the whole process. This liner is designed to last for about 50-years.
Process: The process begins with the wet out stage. During this stage, the textile liner is impregnated with resin mixture, an epoxy base with a pre-determined hardener.
Next, the liner is inverted into the pipe with air pressure. The resin will now be on the outside of the liner against the existing host pipe wall.
After inversion, a calibration tube is inverted inside the liner which can then be the ambient, hot water or steam cured. During this period, the curing agent activates the resin causing it to harden, creating a fitted, smooth and corrosion-resistant new pipe wall. If necessary, a robotic cutting device will be inserted into the new pipe to reinstate any branch line connections.
Benefits :
- CIPP is treated as savings over other repair methods, meaning it is more cost saving.
- It is a more efficient process as repairs done with liners can be fully completed in just a matter of hours.
- Since it requires minimal digging, it results in lesser landscaping hassles.
- It is a remedy for any kind of pipe damage, including :
• Deterioration with age
• Root or plant intrusion
• Cracking and fracturing
• Corrosion
• Damage from faulty installation.
- CIPP lasts for decades and has a range of trenchless options.