Pipes Plumbing

If you’ve ever had a sewer line issue, you’ll know that it’s not a fun situation to be in. Whether your sewer line is old, cracked, or has a big hole, you know it’s a pretty sh*tty situation. When it comes to sewer line repairs, the choices can be overwhelming, so we want to make it easy for you to know what options are out there and which option is best for you and your home.

At Monkey Wrench Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric, our dedicated drain department has worked with busted sewer pipes all over Los Angeles, so we know the different options you have and what options are best for which homes. We want to pass that knowledge to you so you can feel confident with your sewer line solution.

If you’ve read any of our other pipe repair articles, you’ll know that there are 3 main methods for repairing pipes:

By the end of this article, you’ll learn what an epoxy liner is, what you can expect during the process, and if this option is right for you and your home.

What is an Epoxy Liner?

An epoxy liner is a method of fixing broken pipes with a fabric liner and epoxy mixture.

This process is considered a trench-less pipe repair or replacement. That’s because only one hole is dug to complete the whole lining process, resulting in minimal disturbance to your home and yard.

 

When Would You Use a Liner?

An epoxy liner may be the best option if:

  • Your pipe has cracks, is old, or is becoming weak
  • Your repair is close to the sidewalk or property line
  • Your pipe repair is over 10 feet

An epoxy liner may not be the best option if:

  • Your pipe is flattened or crushed
  • Your pipe is missing chunks or has large holes
  • Your pipe repair is under 10 feet

Since the epoxy liner is going into the old pipe, the old pipe needs to be in decent enough shape so the new liner can be inserted into the old pipe and have structure to grab onto.

 

What to Expect During the Epoxy Lining Process

So, what happens when you get an epoxy lining done on your pipes?

  1. First, a hole will need to be dug at your cleanout or where you can access your sewer line that connects to the street. Since this is a trench-less repair, the hole only needs to be a few feet wide.
  2. Your plumber will then perform a hydrojet on the sewer line. A hydro jet is a high pressure water cleaning to clear out any debris that may be in the pipe. This will get rid of any roots or other debris long enough to get the new line in properly.
  3. A felt liner is then measured and cut to the size of the old pipe.
  4. Your plumber will then mix epoxy with an accelerant. When these two chemicals are combined, they will create a mixture that will harden the liner when the liner is placed into the old sewer line.
  5. Once the epoxy mixture is made, your plumbers will cover the felt liner in the epoxy mixture. The liner needs to be completely saturated by the epoxy mixture for it to fully grab onto the old pipe.
  6. Once the felt liner is completely saturated, your plumbers will load the epoxy liner into an L-shaped tube to prepare for installation.
  7. Next, your plumbers will grab another L-shaped tube that has an air bladder inside of it. The air bladder is a balloon that will inflate inside of the epoxy soaked liner and push the liner to the old pipe, where it will hold the liner until the epoxy hardens.
  8. Once the epoxy hardens, the air bladder will be deflated and removed from the newly lined pipe.
  9. After the air bladder has been removed, the rest of the sewer line needs to be cleared out from any other blockages and realigned with the newly lined pipe.
  10. Once everything is where it should be, then the original hole that was dug will be refilled.

 

Is This The End of the Liner?

Okay, so now that we’ve covered what an epoxy liner is and what the process – now what? If you have a pipe that has cracks, but is in overall decent condition, an epoxy liner might just be the best option for your home.

Not sure if an epoxy liner is the best option? Not to worry! Like we mentioned earlier, there’s more than one option when it comes to repairing old pipes. Check out our other blogs on some of the other options for repairing old pipes.

Still not sure what’s the best option for your home? At Monkey Wrench Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric, we take pride in our planning for each home to make sure the job is done right and you are completely satisfied.

If you think an epoxy liner is best for you or want our recommendation, then give us a call at (818) 213-1773 or schedule your appointment with our online Scheduler.

Saru Yeknom

Saru Yeknom
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