The importance of pipe maintenance is too often overlooked by property owners. It very much falls into the category of ‘out of sight, out of mind’. However, failure to properly maintain pipes can lead to all manner of larger issues, such as:
- Risk of leaks – a build-up of debris, and steady corrosion increases the likelihood of leaks or burst pipes.
- Low water pressure – the same build-up also blocks access to the water, resulting in lower water pressure reaching the faucets in the property. That’s why pipe relining in Sydney, or ‘trenchless pipe rehabilitation’ is becoming ever more popular
- Higher water costs – any leakage will negatively affect the water bill, but undetected leaks have been known to add up to astronomical costs.
- Contamination – a hole in a drinking water pipe can lead to contamination of the drinking water. A leak in a sewage pipe leads to contamination of the soil and surrounding areas. Here are a few tips for sourcing a hot water system in Canberra.
- Larger scale damage to property – constant exposure to a leaked pipe can cause huge damage to the property, compromise the integrity of the foundations of the property and/or cause mould within the walls.
Despite all these possible issues, maintenance is often overlooked due to the cost and inconvenience of excavating pipes. It’s expensive, it’s messy, and it takes time. This process does not require excavation but is maintained whilst still underground. The process is simple:
- An assessment is carried out using cameras, or similar tools to diagnose any issues.
- The damaged pipe is cleaned thoroughly so that nothing can disturb the relining process.
- A lining material is then inserted, and inflated to conform to the exact size and shape of the pipe.
- The lining is then hardened, using one of a number of methods, such as steam, ultraviolet light, or hot water.
- Finally, the pipe is inspected once more to ensure that the issues have been resolved.
This entire process, compared to an excavation, minimizes disruption to the property owner, and the neighbours; is a process that takes far less time to complete; can often lead to more resilient pipes as the relined pipe can often be more resistant to corrosion; and is more cost-effective in the longer term.
For pipe relining, it is quite straightforward to find a suitable company to carry out this work. A quick search will find you a company that can offer interest-free finance with a 35-year guarantee that can beat any comparable quote.
You will want to consider some of these additional factors when choosing a provider.
- Is it fully insured and licensed? – Does it offer public liability insurance, and can it offer home warranty insurance?
- Is it environmentally friendly? – Find a company that is Enviroplumber Accredited. This shows that the company use only sustainable plumbing practices.
- Check the reviews – although not an exact science, reading about the experiences of others who have used the company is an invaluable source of information and will paint a picture of the level of service you can expect.
Be sure to maintain your pipes to avoid bigger costs and damage in future, and rely on a dependable company to carry out the maintenance.
