What is epoxy pipe lining and when should it be used?

Eventually old copper potable water pipes in building oxidize (or corrode) and the pressurized water begins to leak out. So may have heard of slabs leaks or pipe leaks in walls, and to replace these pipes is very costly and invasive.

Epoxy pipe lining is an alternative that works very well and is usually cheaper than the total cost of pipe replacement, which includes the demolition and repair cost of all surfaces affected by the replacement.  It is used extensively in the Washington DC, Long Boat key, Sarasota, Venice and Naples areas in Florida. Here’s how it works:

First the pipes are sandblasted from the inside to remove all the old oxidation deposits. This is done by blowing air with entrained silica particles through the pipes. There is some “blowing” equipment upstream and “receiving” equipment downstream to capture the debris. Once the pipes are clean, air is again blown down the same pipe but this time along with an epoxy liquid that hardens in a few hours.

The epoxy used is the same food grade epoxy that you have seen on the inside of food cans, so it’s perfectly safe for consumption. This epoxy pipe lining is ideal for drinking water pipe lining, as it is very thin and very hard. But hard doesn’t necessarily make it strong, as it can crack under load-bearing applications, like under roads or wall footers. So in the Washington DC, Long Boat key, Sarasota, Venice and Naples areas in Florida, we find epoxy pipe lining is used mainly in condo walls and floors, but not for sewer pipe relining.

Generally for situations where the pipe to be lined needs extra strength, regular drain lining pipe lining materials have to be used, such as the polyester and fiberglass felt impregnated with epoxy resin. These pipes are also usually of larger diameter, so the thickness of the liner has minimal effect on internal diameter reduction.

For more information about drain pipe repair or repipe alternatives, including blocked drains and pipe replacement, visit www.CraftsmanPipeLining.com.

Pipe Lining From High-Rise Condo Rooftops

Pipe Lining From Rooftop

Example 2:

We re-lined 5 x 100’ four-inch rain drain stacks from a rooftop in Boca Raton, FL (video on our web site) in 2 days for a cost of $50,000. There were no pipe connections to open afterward so the job was fast and relatively inexpensive. Each pipe had 3 x 90 degree bends and was leaking into the condos though poorly connected joints, which once lined over, stopped leaking of course.

40-50 years ago a revolutionary rubber pipe connector was invented and patented and then used to attach PVC pipes to cast iron pipes. Since then the invention disappeared and here’s why: it was unique in that it could fit around the outside of cast iron pipes and has a tapered end allowing it to be glued to the inside of PVC pipe. The problem was that after a few decades of drying and shrinkage, the glue and rubber separated from the inside of the PVC, creating leaks.

We re-lined all 5 one-hundred foot stacks from the rooftop in two days, without disturbing the privacy of the million-dollar condo residents.

Typical Condo Pipe Re-Lining Project

Re-Lining High Rise Condo Pipes

When high-rise condos have leaks in their cast iron vertical sewer pipes or rain drain pipes, the inside of the condos become flooded. The cost of repairing drywall, mould control, carpet and tile replacement, and painting is very high.

To solve this problem the old-fashioned way by removing drywall or concrete, replacing the cast iron with PVC, and then replacing the drywall and tiles floor by floor can run into the hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars per building.

Also, tenants have to move out for the duration of the construction, which lasts months. In addition, strangers (workers) are inside your tenants’ condos which raises privacy and security concerns.

Example 1:

One 4” cast iron sewage stack in a 10 story building will take 10 days to replace and cost around $30,000.

To re-line the same stack will take 1-2 days and cost $10,000 – $15,000. The work can usually be performed from the rooftop only without invading the privacy of tenants.

Pipe Lining Is Not New

It’s Only New To You!

Most of us will live an entire lifetime and fortunately never experience the need to replace pipes. And if you have never had the problem, you probably are unaware of the array of solutions. The fact is however, that pipe lining for large diameter pipes (10” – 72” in diameter) has been around for four decades, originating in Europe and Japan, but the technology for smaller diameter pipe lining has only been around for about 10 years. In fact, Perma-Liner, the manufacturer of our materials, was the leader in pioneering new ways to install these liners.