This post has been written in collaboration with Nuflow Technologies
If your plumber has given you a quote to fix a broken pipe underground that requires excavation and shoring, you may be shocked at the quote. But there may be an alternative that can fix the problem without the need for excavation. It’s less laboursome and may be a more affordable solution.
History of sewer pipes in Brisbane
When sewerage was first introduced to Brisbane, the pipes were clay, known as Earthenware. As houses have been renovated or newly built, these pipes have been left as is or replaced with PVC.
Once a sewer pipe is laid underground, the only way to access the pipe is through an inspection opening (IO) or man hole. The IO is big enough for a camera to be put down to locate breaks or blockages. It also gives access for jet rodding machines to blast out a blockage.
A common issue for houses, when it comes to blocked drains, is when tree roots have grown into the pipe which causes a partial blockage on the main line. This blockage backs up the toilets and makes any waste water difficult to flow down the plug hole.
If a pipe is bowed or broken, with tree roots growing through the break, there are three options to fix it.
- Leave it as it is and call a plumber every couple of years to remove the blockage when needed.
- Excavate the pipe and replace the broken piece
- Get Nuflow Technologies to line the orifice of the existing pipe to seal the break and prevent further blockages.
Many years ago, when Jacol Plumbing was busy with commercial work, we were working in a building in Queen Street and Suncorp was the new tenant. It was found that the sewer line into the building, which was the original earthenware with cement joints, ran directly under the ground floor, and was broken and kept blocking the toilets.
There was little in the budget to replace the pipe and Suncorp were only going to be in the building for 5 years, so they were reluctant to spend the money on excavating, shoring and restoring the ground floor for occupancy.
The only solution, to avoid excavating and making a mess of the ground floor, was to engage a plumber who was experienced in Nuflow Technologies. The plumber was able to seal the earthenware sewer pipe, manhole to manhole. The blueline technology repaired the broken sewer which meant little disruption to the ground floor and saved a fortune in expense of excavating, shoring and labour time removing the old pipe and replacing it with new.
Nuflow Technologies isn’t just for commercial pipes. It’s the best solution for houses that have broken sewer pipes due to movement and pesky tree roots. Some sewers can be 3 meters deep which makes it a difficult and expensive exercise to excavate and repair. But a simple seal with Nuflow Technologies can fix the problem. It’s the best solution on how to fix a broken pipe when it’s a couple of meters underground.
To find a plumber in your area who is experienced in installing Nuflow Technologies, head to the website for more details.
Ever experienced a blocked sewer at your house? Ever been given a quote to fix a broken pipe underground?
This post has been written in accordance with my disclosure policy.
