Calgary Sewer Line Installation Services

At this point, you may be wondering if trenchless sewer line installation and repair methods are the right move for your property. There definitely are some huge benefits to trenchless techniques over more conventional methods that involve digging a trench.

The advantages of trenchless Calgary sewer line installation include:

• Less Invasive: Sewage lines are sometimes buried as deep as five or six feet down. That means a trench needs to be not just deep but also quite wide in order to provide access for traditional repair methods. Depending on how your landscaping is configured, you could lose flowerbeds, whole bushes and even small trees, and it can take years for your yard to recover from that level of destruction. In comparison, trenchless techniques cause virtually no damage at all—your plumber will probably only need to dig two small holes on either side of the stretch being replaced.

• Much Faster: Understandably, digging a large trench in the ground is time-consuming, and filling it in takes a considerable amount of time as well. That process extends the overall time of a sewer line installation by multiple days, which causes a major disruption in your schedule. You will need to leave your house while the installation work is happening and you may even need to take time off of work. Without the need for a trench, the installation work will go much faster. Our team is often able to complete trenchless sewer line installation within one day.

• High Quality: If you need sewer line installation, you can rest easy knowing the new lines installed by our team will be of a higher quality than the ones that were replaced, especially if your plumbing system was installed quite some time ago. The new installation can last up to a century, so it's safe to say that you won't need to deal with this particular project again. The pipe replacements also resist tree roots and harsh chemicals, are leak-proof, and are compliant to all building codes.

As great as trenchless sewer line installation and repair techniques are, there are a few situations where it's just not possible to avoid digging a trench. Here are two examples of scenarios where trenchless methods will not work:

1. The line has completely collapsed and soil has shifted down into the space where it used to be. Trenchless methods such as pipe relining and hydraulic bursting rely on utilizing the existing line, or at least the space where it used to be. If there's nothing there but a wall of soil and disintegrated pipe, there's no space to work with and a trench has to be dug so there's somewhere to place the new sewer line installation.
2. When trenches are originally dug for a brand-new sewer line installation, they need to meet minimum slope requirements to ensure proper drainage. As we all know, water flows downhill. If there's not an adequate slope, it will just sit there or worse, back up into the house. The actual slope of a trench may be much steeper than the required minimum, which is perfectly fine. But if the original installer didn't create a sufficient slope, there's no point in putting new pipes in the old space because the same problem will reoccur all over again. Instead, it's necessary for a new trench to be dug with the proper degree of slope to ensure the problem is resolved.

They absolutely do. Orangeburg pipes are made from compressed layers of wood pulp fiber that has been imbued with liquified coal tar pitch, so they are far less durable and long-lasting than other types of materials such as PVC or PEX. They stopped being used in the 1970s and they only last for about 50 years at maximum, so if you still have Orangeburg pipes your system is due or long overdue for a Calgary sewer line installation.

As we mentioned above, Orangeburg pipes only last 50 years at an absolute maximum—and that’s pushing it. Fortunately, other types are generally much longer-lived. The most common varieties are PVC, ABS or cast iron sewer pipes, and all those types can potentially last for 70 to 80 years. That means it could very well be the next generation’s responsibility!

That being said, it’s important to remember that those are only potential timelines. There’s a lot that could happen that could cause you to need a replacement installation much earlier due to internal or external forces. Factors that can cause premature damage or deterioration include tree root intrusion, seismic activity, vibration or excessive weight from heavy construction, and a lack of maintenance. Without regular drain cleaning services, stubborn clogs and mineral deposits can build up inside lines and choke off the wastewater flow to a pinhole. As the water tries to force its way through, it causes tremendous pressure inside the wastewater line that can cause it to crack. Professional, routine sewer line cleaning and drain cleaning will not only help you avoid having to deal with unexpected plumbing disasters, but it will also extend the serviceable years of your wastewater disposal lines so you can prevent the need for replacement for longer.

We mentioned that tree root intrusion could be a major issue for buried wastewater lines. The damage happens when tree roots wrap themselves around buried pipes and grow, applying immense pressure that can eventually crack the line open. When the roots get inside the pipe and have direct access to the wastewater, they grow a lot faster and can fill several feet of pipe. Needless to say, that blocks the wastewater can lead to nasty problems like sewage backups. Another big problem is grease or oil that gets rinsed down a kitchen sink drain. It coats the inside of your sewer line and hardens, causing a big, sticky mess that catches other debris and leads to a major clog that can cause a ruptured pipe. Some of the other factors that contribute to the need for a replacement sewer line installation are:

• Paper towels, “flushable” wipes that really aren’t flushable, newspaper, tissues, excessive toilet paper and feminine hygiene products
• Food particles, especially items that can turn into a sand-like texture such as eggshells, or that have a high grease content
• Small objects such as bottle caps, razor blades, and little toys that are thrown down the drain or accidentally fall in
• Harsh storms and earth tremors can cause soil to shift and grind against buried lines, damaging them

Live in Glamorgan, Haysboro, Eagle Ridge or any other part of the Calgary area? You can get reliable plumbing services from the team of experts at Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Calgary, including sewer line installation. Give us a call to speak with our knowledgeable customer service staff and find out more about what we can do for your plumbing system or to schedule a convenient service time.