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Pros and Cons of Main Sewer and Water Line Material

Plumbing Repair

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At Wisler Plumbing and Air, we choose the best products we can get our hands on for our sewer and water mains. Once you put them in the ground, you don’t want to be digging them up frequently. There are several options, all with pros and cons, when it comes to main line materials.

When we’re talking about a main line, we’re referring to the sewer line that goes from your house to the street or septic tank, and the water line that comes from the meter at the street or from the well to your home. For the most part, those lines are underground. We use trenchless technology for both water and sewer lines. That can be pipe bursting, pipe lining, and then we pull water lines through the yard.

When it comes to water line product, the first one is what we call a poly pipe, which is a flexible black polyethylene pipe. We use the top PSI version, so that means it’s much thicker and more resilient to rocks, cuts, and leaks.

Another type of water line pipe is copper. It’s not frequently used, but it is a good pipe. It’s just much more expensive and doesn’t offer a tremendous value over the poly pipe. Some advantages are that it’s metallic, so it would be less susceptible to crushing or kinking. With poly pipe, if you get a really heavy rock or you’re driving over it repeatedly, it might crush because it’s a plastic product. However, the advantage to that is not having to excavate, because as it turns it the ground, it can bend and ply to different contours.

For sewer lines, there is SDR 35, which is a very thin wall. Many times, city sewer systems will use that pipe. There is Schedule 40 PVC, and then we have the HDPE pipe, which is a heavy-duty polyethylene. And if we do pipe lining, that’s done with wool, epoxy, and polyethylene.

The advantage to the SDR 35 is it’s less expensive and it’s easier to handle because it’s thinner and lighter. But it can be compromised much easier with rocks and can get holes. It’s also not a glued joint. It’s a gasket joint, which means roots can grow into those and cause problems.

With a Schedule 40 PVC, it’s much more rigid and not going to collapse. It’s going to be sturdy enough to handle going under driveways or sidewalks where there’s traffic. And it is a glue joint. So, if it’s installed properly, you won’t have root issues. It is probably one of the more expensive products that is used for sewer lines, so one of the disadvantages is just the sheer cost of it.

Some of the advantages to the epoxy lining system is that it’s seamless, so it doesn’t have fittings or anything in it. That causes the flow rate to be very high. One of the cons is that you wouldn’t want to put it in unless you can’t gain access.  You probably would just use pipe bursting or excavation to do that.

As far as the HDP pipe, which we use for pipe bursting, a disadvantage to it is that it’s not as rigid as the Schedule 40, but it’s still better than the SDR 35. It is fused, so you have to have special equipment to be able to put together that pipe. We heat it up and actually fuse it together instead of gluing it. It’s very resistant against roots; there are hardly any cracks to it. It’s also flexible, so we can pull it in and match the contours of the sewer line.

All in all, you need to be able to rely on the professional that’s coming to your home to look at your situation and assign the correct products. A lot of times, you might benefit as a consumer by going with the cheaper option. The materials are a very small portion of the overall cost. So, we’re going to use the best materials: the highest PSI poly pipe for water lines, Schedule 40 PVC for excavation jobs, and HDP pipe for our pipe bursting.

Like I said in the beginning, when you put them in the ground, you don’t want to dig them up. We choose the best products possible for sewer and water mains.  If you have any questions, you can reach out to the team at Wisler Plumbing and Air at 540-483-9382.

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Pipe bursting is basically a method of replacing a drainpipe. We put in cables, splitting heads, and use hydraulic rams. We connect the pipe on one end to the cable and pull it through the underground area to the other side. It takes specialized equipment, knowledge, and materials.

The benefit of pipe bursting is that there’s less demolition or excavation. In the small chance that we would be doing pipe bursting inside the home, it would be under a concrete slab or in a basement. Instead of busting up so much of the concrete to replace the pipe, we could pull it from one hole to the other with our equipment.

Most of the time we are working outside the home at the main sewer line. We can dig a hole at the house and at the street, and then pipe burst that line to get a new line underground. This allows us to dig less dirt.

People might not think about this, but if you have a deep sewer and you have to displace all of that dirt to expose the whole pipe, you have to put that dirt somewhere. If you have a small front yard, it can very challenging and can mess up your grass. When you displace dirt on virgin ground, which is ground that hasn’t been excavated before, unless you compact it when you put it back, you’re going to have extra dirt. And sometimes even when you do compact it, it’s going to settle, and you might have a sunken spot in your yard.

If you pipe burst, you’re not disturbing that ground. In other instances, instead of cutting the sidewalk or driveway, we can pipe burst under it. And a lot of times, pipe bursting can be done quicker than an excavation job. In general, less excavation is a huge benefit.

There are some cases where we cannot gain access, so we can’t use pipe bursting every time. But it is about the same price as an excavation, since we don’t have to do the compaction, trench protection and a few additional things. So, it’s definitely something to consider.

If you have any questions about pipe bursting, call us at 540-483-9382.

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Underground drain pipes tend to deteriorate over time, especially in older homes. Pipe lining and pipe bursting are both trenchless technologies for replacing drain pipes. With pipe lining, we insert a liner into the existing pipe. We’re able to reline the pipe so that it looks brand new by the time we’re done. Even if the pipe has broken or the bottom has rotted out, putting in a liner will restore it completely back to new condition. We can usually do this without having to tear up the floor, which would be really messy for homes with hardwood or tile. Unlike pipe lining, pipe bursting doesn’t actually use the existing pipe. Instead, we use the channel to pull a new pipe into its place.

Generally speaking, pipe lining is used inside the home. It might be a slab home that doesn’t have a basement or crawlspace, or a home with a basement that has a concrete slab with pipes underneath. We usually use pipe lining with cast iron pipes, but it works with PVC or other materials, too. Pipe bursting, on the other hand, is mainly used outside the home. It might be from the home to the city connection or from the home to a septic tank. Pipe bursting can be an awesome option to spare the nice landscape, sidewalk or driveway and prevent tearing up the whole yard. It’s also generally less labor-intensive, more economical, and less time-consuming than pipe lining.

If someone is trying to decide between pipe lining, pipe bursting, or traditional replacement, I think it all depends on the specific situation. Each option has different pros and cons. For a homeowner who doesn’t want to tear up the yard or house, pipe lining or pipe bursting are two great options. Lining is a phenomenal option for finished spaces. Sewer lines can sometimes be as deep as 10 to 11 feet in our area. It takes a lot of space to displace that much dirt and it’s very challenging to get the job done safely in a small yard without significant scarring. Pipe bursting might be a good option in that case.

Regardless of your choice, it’s a good idea to contact an experienced company. Lining is a very technical process, and sometimes mistakes will happen. It involves careful timing and the epoxy needs to be mixed with precise ratios. (The ambient temperature determines how quickly the epoxy sets up.)

If you have any questions about pipe lining or pipe bursting for your home, reach out to the team at Wisler Plumbing & Air today. Contact us online or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

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Water lines can be accessed a few different ways, depending on the type of home. In homes with a basement, the water lines generally run along the basement ceiling. In homes with a crawlspace, the water lines are usually accessible from there. In a slab house (meaning the house is built on a concrete slab), the water lines usually run underneath the slab, making them much harder to access. Because the concrete slab has acid in it, copper water lines can corrode and develop holes over time.

You’ll probably find out that there’s a hole in the water line if you get an excessively high water bill. In very rare situations you might see water come up from the floor our outside the home. But generally, you’ll notice a loss of water pressure. If a hot water line running under the slab develops a leak, you might run out of hot water very quickly even though nothing is wrong with the water heater.

Dealing with leaky water lines in a slab home can be very difficult and invasive. We do have equipment that’s kind of a digital stethoscope, which allows us to listen to the vibrations of a water leak. However, it’s still very hard to find the location of the leak. Unfortunately, it’s going to be most economical to just repipe the home with a different pipe. You definitely don’t want to have a leaky water line in a slab home, but you can’t just let it go, either. Excessive amounts of water running into a home’s foundation can cause significant damage over time because it’s just not meant to have that kind of water.

The water authority usually sends letters warning about excessive usage. That could be indicative of a water line leaking under the home, but it could also mean that the water line is leaking outside the home. A professional inspection will uncover the source of the leak very quickly. One of the ways you can determine whether the leak is inside or outside is by cutting the water valve going to the house. Then go check the water meter, which is usually located by the street, to see whether or not it’s still turning. If it is, that means the leak is probably underground between the meter and the house. If it’s not, the leak is probably in the house somewhere.

If you suspect that you have a slab leak, give us a call and we can come check it out. Contact us online or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

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A plumbing emergency is a situation in someone’s home that creates an unsafe environment. It could be something like a water leak coming through the ceiling that causes flooding and leads to the risk of a ceiling cave-in. A sewage backup in someone’s home is an emergency because the water is extremely unsanitary. The smell of gas around the water heater or HVAC unit is definitely an emergency because it could pose an immediate risk. Extended HVAC breakdowns during times of hot weather can be unsafe as well.

If you experience a water leak pouring through the ceiling, it could either be a leaky drain line or  a leaky water line. The leak will not be constant if the drain line is leaking. (When you stop using the toilet, using the sink, taking a shower, or using any other plumbing fixtures, the leak will go away.) If the leak is constant, it’s generally the water line.

It’s really important that you know where the main water valve is located and how it’s operated. The first thing you’ll want to do in case of a leak is cut off the water going to your home. If you don’t know where your main water line is, locate it now, while you don’t have an emergency. (It isn’t a good idea to stack large storage boxes that obstruct the main valve because it won’t be possible to quickly shut off the water in an emergency.) Emergency stops are located under each sink and toilet. Turning off those valves will allow you to isolate a single problematic fixture instead of having to cut off the water to the whole home.

If you smell gas, the best thing to do is call the gas company so they can cut off the gas to your home. Otherwise, if you’re a little handy, you might be able to shut off the valve yourself. (It’s located at the gas meter.) If you’re experiencing a sewage backup, the best thing to do is stop using any water in the home. Do not flush any toilets, run any sinks, or take a shower until the situation is resolved.

Everyone should call a professional, whether it’s heating & air or plumbing, to assess the situation. If you encounter water damage in your home, you’ll want to call a reputable remediation company. The sooner you can stop the water and get the area dry, the less damage you will have. A warm, moist environment can potentially start growing mold within 48 hours. That’s why it’s really important to get a professional remediation company in there as soon as possible.

The next thing that we sometimes don’t do is learn from our mistakes. After an emergency situation, it’s always good to ask yourself or a professional what could have been done to minimize the damage and/or prevent the issue from occurring again in the future. Most people won’t have to deal with frequent emergencies. However, if you have a leak in one area of the house, it could very well happen in another area. Addressing the situation proactively and without procrastination could prevent another emergency situation later.

Take a step back and ask yourself what you can learn, and maybe what you can do differently. Plumbing emergencies tend to happen during the most inconvenient time. It’s a nightmare to go through these things, especially if you end up with excessive water damage. You definitely don’t want to experience an emergency while guests are visiting for the holidays and the system is most heavily used. Just pay attention, be proactive, and learn from emergencies.

Sometimes staying safe can be as simple as hiring a professional for plumbing, electrical, and HVAC. If you have any questions, contact us online or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

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You need to be very careful if you have a small leak—do not let it go because it will cause extensive damage to your home unless it’s fixed. For instance, a toilet with a little leak around the base might not seem like a big deal because it only leaks whenever you flush it. But think of it this way: if you flush the toilet three or four times a day, multiplied by a week or a month it comes out to hundreds of flushes. A tiny bit of water each flush becomes enough to do serious damage, especially on a wood floor. Eventually it will begin to rot and become soft, and the challenge of replacing a floor is much more complicated than just fixing the slow toilet leak.

Structural decay happens because water and wood don’t get along together. So if you notice a small stain on the ceiling, get it taken care of right away. Stains are a telltale sign that there’s a leak somewhere that needs to be addressed. Don’t gauge the seriousness of the problem by the size of the stain, either, because a little spot could be an indicator of a very large problem. Even worse, the combination of water and warm temperatures from something like a hot water leak can lead to mold issues.

Sometimes you might be able to check the attic for the source of the problem. If there’s a tub right over the stain and there’s an access panel, you could pop it off and take a look. For a sink located right over the stain, maybe open the cabinet doors and check for water. If you have a stained drop ceiling, you might want to pop off the drop ceiling to try and spot the cause. It’s probably time to get a professional involved if you look around and still aren’t able to find the leak that caused the stain.

A home’s crawlspace might remain sight unseen so that you never even find out about a little pinhole leak. It can lead to an excessive amount of water loss and high water bills (utility overpayment). You’d definitely save money by fixing the problem, but first you have to pay attention to crawlspaces or any other areas where you don’t look very often. There are many different components in a home can lead to stains, including HVAC, plumbing system, or roof. If you can narrow down the culprit, it will help you determine which professional to call.

If you suspect that there’s a leak in your home, reach out to the team at Wisler Plumbing & Air today. Contact us online or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

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