Cast Iron Pipe Repair

The Old Way – Conventional Repair

Repairing cast iron pipes used to be a huge undertaking. Basically, anything that came between the pipe and the plumber had to be removed. Since pipelines are generally found below slab foundations and behind walls, that meant digging trenches through your apartment or business and removing large portions of walls, flooring, cabinetry, and more – just to access the pipes.

To make matters worse, once the conventional plumbing repairs were completed, the property owner was left with the daunting task and mounting expense of repairing the rest of the finishes that were damaged during the pipe project.

The Better Way – Trenchless Pipe Lining

Thankfully, there’s a smarter way to approach cast iron pipe repair – trenchless pipe lining. With this advanced method, the old pipes are used as a “host” and new structural epoxy liners are built directly within the cast iron pipes.

Instead of exposing all of the old pipe and repairing the damaged portions, pipe lining, also known as CIPP (cured-in-place pipe) uses small access points along with your plumbing cleanout, and other existing plumbing access areas. The result is minimal impact to your building and maximum benefit to your pipes!

A flexible, epoxy-saturated liner is inserted in one end of the pipeline and threaded through to the other end. It is gently inflated to full pipe diameter and cured (hardened), creating a new structural line within the old cast iron pipes.

Trenchless pipe lining is appropriate for lateral and vertical pipes, sewer, and drainage (rainwater leader) lines. It can be used in apartments, condos, businesses, commercial/industrial buildings, and more. Our lining product has a 50-year life use expectancy.

While CIPP works ideally for cast iron pipe repair, it can also be applied to PVC, orangeburg, clay, copper, and others.

History of Cast Iron Pipe

Since the early 1800s, cast iron pipe has been manufactured in the United States to assist in water distribution and eventually wastewater disposal. Then, as early as the 1890s, cast iron soil pipes grew into an industry where the majority of homes and commercial buildings constructed utilized this method to build their sewage pipe systems. 

While there were certainly other materials and methods used to formulate sewage piping, cast iron pipe had proven to be the most durable and reliable method of piping due to the length of time that the materials lasted.

By the late 1960’s, the piping industry was introduced to plastic PVC sewer pipe. It took some time, but once the market took notice, PVC pipe became the choice material for home construction as piping specialists recognized the benefits of using this for sewage systems. As a cheaper to manufacture material, PVC is both easily produced and easily installed. Therefore, piping companies began using PVC pipes to install in homes, commercial buildings, and condominiums.

Effects of Cast Iron Pipe Aging

Unfortunately, homes, commercial buildings, and condominiums constructed during the time period where cast iron pipe was the material of choice are now facing serious sewage problems. As the cast iron pipe ages, the horizontal base literally begins to disappear (channel) due to years of water flow along the ferrous cast iron pipe. When the pipe channeling exposes the soil underneath the pipe, causing a leak, soil erosion takes place and the drainage system is greatly compromised.

Pipelining Technologies, Inc. specializes in trenchless cast iron pipe repair. Our pipe lining solution is the most effective, efficient, and least-invasive way to reverse the negative effects of cast iron piping. Using a structural liner, we essentially create a new pipe within the old cast iron pipe. 

Structurally lining the pipes completely rehabilitates the piping system as a whole. To learn more about your options, please contact us today.

Although cast iron piping has a general lifespan of 25 to 30 years, pipe failure can happen at any time and come in a variety of forms, but the bottom line is that those buildings constructed using cast iron pipes need repair and they need it fast. 

As time goes on, the bottom portion of the horizontal cast iron pipe begins to channel away, meaning that the material literally disappears as water continues to flow. Eventually, the soil that lies below the pipe will begin to expose itself. At this time, the soil continues to erode as well and can create a serious problem for the home or commercial building’s foundation. All of these problems begin due to a failing piping system.

Avoid Cost Cast Iron Pipe Mistakes

One of the most common misconceptions regarding pipe repair is that it can be put off. While many believe that pipe failure only affects a drainage system, few understand that it can actually affect the foundation of a structure. If this is the case, the problem quickly moves from minor issue to major crisis. Pipe lining has become the most popular solution to date, and for a good reason. Not only does lining a sewer drainpipe alleviate the need to restructure the entire drainage system, but it allows for the seamless, clean, effective process.

Using cutting-edge pipe lining technologies, the integrity of the building’s foundation isn’t compromised, and the residents can mostly go about business as usual during service. Creating a “sleeve” (liner) to go inside of the current piping system makes the process as smooth as possible. While you may not know exactly what’s going on underneath the foundation of your home or commercial property, you must understand that if water flow is abnormal, a problem exists. Do not put off contacting a professional sewer pipe expert. Timing is imperative to avoid a very, very costly repair.