How Long Does Pipe Relining Take?
Approximate Read Time: 3-4 Minutes
Key Points:
- Swift Completion: Pipe relining can restore up to 100+ meters of damaged pipe in just one day, depending on conditions.
- Minimal Disruption: Relining avoids the need for invasive digging, protecting your dwelling, garden, driveway, and other landscaping.
- Cost-Effective: Save on costly excavation, restoration, and repair work; relining is a quicker and more affordable solution.
- Long-Lasting: Professional installation with high-quality materials provides durable pipe repairs with a lifespan of over 50 years.
Pipe Relining vs. Traditional Plumbing Methods
When it comes to fixing damaged or aging pipes, property owners in Sydney often face a choice between pipe relining and traditional plumbing methods, such as excavation. While excavation has been the go-to solution for many years, pipe relining offers significant advantages in terms of time, cost, and disruption. Let’s dive into how the two methods compare:
Traditional Plumbing Methods (Excavation)
Excavation involves digging up sections of your property to expose and replace damaged pipes. This method is still commonly used but comes with several notable drawbacks:
- Time-Consuming: Excavation can take several days or even weeks, depending on the size of the project, the depth of the pipes, and how much digging is required.
- Disruption: One of the most significant downsides of excavation is the disruption it causes to your property. Digging up gardens, driveways, or floors can result in extensive damage to landscaping, pavements, and other structures. Once the new pipes are installed, restoration work is required to repair these areas, adding even more time and expense to the project.
- Higher Costs: Excavation often comes with high costs due to labour, equipment, and restoration. Property owners can end up paying for repairs to their garden, driveway, or flooring in addition to the cost of replacing the pipes themselves.
- Limited to Certain Pipe Conditions: Excavation is best suited for replacing severely damaged or collapsed pipes, and it can be challenging in areas with limited access or complex underground networks.
Pipe Relining (Heat Cure and UV Cure)
Pipe relining, on the other hand, is a modern, trenchless technology that offers a more efficient and less disruptive alternative to traditional excavation. Both Heat Cure and UV Cure methods can be used depending on the type and size of the pipe, but both share the benefits of reduced disruption and quicker turnaround.
- Speed: Unlike traditional methods, pipe relining can often be completed in just one day for pipes up to 100+ meters long. The process typically includes inspection, pipe cleaning, liner insertion, and curing, which can be done quickly without any major interruptions.
- Minimal Disruption: Since pipe relining doesn’t require excavation, there’s no need to dig up your garden, driveway, or flooring. The only access points needed are small entry holes, which means your landscaping, pavement, and other structures remain intact. After the job is done, no restoration work is needed.
- Cost-Effective: With no digging required, the costs associated with restoration work are eliminated. Pipe relining is generally more affordable than excavation due to reduced labour and equipment costs. Additionally, the time saved leads to lower overall project costs.
- Long-Term Durability: Relining offers a seamless, corrosion-resistant lining inside the old pipe, creating a strong, durable pipe that can last 50 years or more. It’s particularly effective at preventing tree root intrusion, corrosion, and other issues that can affect traditional pipes over time.
Heat Cure vs. UV Cure in Pipe Relining
While both methods fall under the umbrella of pipe relining, choosing between Heat Cure and UV Cure depends on factors like pipe size, damage type, and time constraints:
- Heat Cure: This method is ideal for smaller pipes (50mm-225mm) or those with more severe damage. The resin is activated using heat, creating a strong, durable pipe within the existing one. The curing process can take 1 to 2 hours, making it a reliable choice for residential and light commercial applications. It also emits fewer fumes, making it a more environmentally friendly option.
- UV Cure: This technique uses ultraviolet (UV) light to cure the resin and is best suited for larger pipes (225mm plus). The curing process is also faster, typically taking 1 to 2 hours, which makes UV cure an excellent choice for commercial, industrial and civil applications
| Feature | Traditional Excavation | Heat Cure Pipe Relining | UV Cure Pipe Relining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time Frame | Days to weeks, depending on scope | Often completed in one day for pipes up to 100+ meters | Often completed in one day for pipes up to 100+ meters |
| Disruption | Significant disruption to property (garden, driveway, flooring) | Minimal disruption, no digging required | Minimal disruption, no digging required |
| Cost | High due to excavation and restoration work | Generally more cost-effective, no restoration required | Generally more cost-effective, no restoration required |
| Durability | New pipes are installed but may suffer from future issues (e.g., root intrusion, corrosion) | Long-lasting, with 50+ years of durability and resistance to common pipe issues | Long-lasting, with 50+ years of durability and resistance to common pipe issues |
| Best For | Severely damaged pipes with limited access or large-scale replacements | Smaller pipes (50mm-225mm), residential or light commercial applications | Larger pipes (225mm+), commercial or civil systems |
| Curing Time | Not applicable (excavation replaces the pipe) | Curing takes 1-2 hours, depending on pipe size | Curing takes 1-2 hours, depending on pipe size |
| Environmental Impact | Significant disruption, and emissions from equipment | Minimal impact, eco-friendly with no excavation | Minimal impact, eco-friendly with no excavation |
Conclusion
When comparing pipe relining to traditional excavation methods, the advantages of relining become clear. Relining, whether using Heat Cure or UV Cure, offers a faster, more cost-effective, and far less disruptive solution. With the ability to complete the job in one day and eliminate the need for extensive digging, pipe relining is the ideal choice for property owners looking for a quick, durable, and affordable solution to damaged pipes.
For property owners in Sydney, whether you need Heat Cure for smaller systems or UV Cure for larger pipes, Sydney Relining has the expertise and equipment to get the job done efficiently and with minimal disruption. Contact us today to discuss your needs and get a free quote for your pipe relining project!
Sydney Relining Case Studies
Dive Deeper Into Our Client Work
Pipe Relining and repairing multiple faults in one comprehensive residential project
The cost-effective solution avoided disruption, removing long-standing faults and preventing future issues
We’ve had a relationship with Ranelagh for over 15 years now. At first, they asked us to reline their nine-inch boundary trap. Since that time, we have relined most of their subsoil exterior drainage. Over time, the building realised that they were actually starting to develop issues with the cast iron stack drainage. Cast iron is now defunct material, and it actually rust from the inside out.
Some of the symptoms that the residents were experiencing in relation to the dilapidated cast iron network were smells, leaks, blockages, and in the most extreme case, flooding. It would have been best if we could actually move the residents out of the building. Because that was logistically impossible, we had to break down the project into individual length reline shots. We brought on our friends from Time to Reline, which enabled us to have two inversion teams and two junction robot teams doing two shots per day and also cutting out all the junctions as necessary. We were able to reline over a kilometre of drainage, do 800 cuts, and remove one and a half tonnes of metallic silt within a six-week time period.
“We’ve had a relationship with Ranelagh for over 15 years now”
If you’re a manager of a building that was built in the ’60s and ’70s, you will have cast iron sewer drainage. Sooner or later, this will leak, break, and cause major issues for the building. Now is the time to have a look at it and see if we can provide you a solution.
Our reputation supersedes any issues that the residence or building itself might actually have. No problem is too big or small. I’m extremely proud of this project. It’s the biggest residential project of its kind in Australia and possibly the world. It’s been a great opportunity not to showcase to the industry what our skills and capabilities are, but also to other building managers and committees alike in Sydney that are experiencing the same issues with cast iron pipe work.
Frequently Asked Pipe Relining Questions
The Advantages of Pipe Relining for Efficient Pipe Repairs
Pipe relining is a modern, trenchless method for repairing damaged or leaking pipes without the need for invasive excavation. This innovative technique involves inserting a flexible, resin-coated liner into the affected pipe, which is then inflated and cured to form a new, durable pipe within the existing one. The result is a seamless and corrosion-resistant pipe that not only restores the structural integrity of your plumbing system but also improves flow efficiency. By choosing Pipe Relining, you can extend the lifespan of your pipes, prevent future damage, and minimise the risk of costly repairs down the line.
Embracing Pipe Relining as a preferred solution for pipe repairs offers several benefits, including reduced costs, minimal disruptions, and enhanced environmental sustainability. Since there’s no need for large-scale digging, Pipe Relining helps you save up to 50% in repair expenses compared to traditional methods, while also reducing the time and resources required for the job. Furthermore, the trenchless nature of Pipe Relining significantly lessens the impact on your property and the surrounding environment, preserving your garden, landscaping, and infrastructure. By opting for Pipe Relining, you’re investing in a long-lasting, efficient, and eco-friendly solution for maintaining the health of your plumbing system.
