Underground Drain Repairs

Some drains can be repaired without digging them up

Where the existing drain still has a usable shape, patch lining or a longer liner can sometimes create a new internal surface without digging down to the pipe. Connections and bends still have to be considered.

Sometimes the damaged pipe has to be dug out

A complete collapse, badly displaced pipe or failed connection may leave too little of the original bore for a liner to pass through. Excavation then allows the damaged section to be rebuilt directly.

Ask what the defect is actually causing

Old drains often show minor marks on camera. Give most weight to defects that coincide with the blockage point, admit roots, leak surrounding material or reduce the bore. A harmless-looking age mark elsewhere in the run may need no work.

Make sure the fault has been located before anyone digs

If digging is proposed, ask how the contractor has located the defect. A sonde on the camera or measured tracing from a chamber can put the excavation over the failed section instead of opening a large area in the hope of finding it.

A survey may show several old joints and minor cracks. Concentrate on the defects that coincide with blockage, root entry, leakage or loss of pipe shape instead of treating every mark on the footage as a repair job.