All professional drainage companies specialise in offering the most recent advancements and techniques in drain repairs.  Since this no-dig technology was first discovered in 1971, there have been a number of advancements in the way it is carried out in order to make it easier for drainage experts to easily locate where the repairs are needed.  

You may be wondering what exactly is drain relining? Put simply, it is a method of inserting a brand-new lining onto your existing drains, without the need for excavation, to cover over breakages and cracks that causes blockages or other issues with your drains.

In 1970, when a man named Eric Wood realised he had a leak in a pipe located underneath his garage floor, he had no desire to dig up his flooring, or worse still have to knock down the entire building to get to all of the drain’s underneath. 

He therefore invented a technique that would allow him to smooth over any leaks using an adhesive fixative that could be easily inserted into the drain from a nearby access point.

This method avoids disruption to your time and domestic, commercial or industrial space and cuts down on the heavy costs associated with excavation and new installation.  But how is it done? 

You may ask, how can a drainage company detect where the drain relining services are required, unless we dug up all the pipes and examine them?

CCTV has also, since its invention, been applied and developed for use in many different areas of life other than film or security.  Live footage fed from small cameras can also allow us to see otherwise hidden areas, such as for surgery. 

In a similar way to keyhole surgery, CCTV drain surveying allows you to take care of the pipe without the need for opening up the entire area.  To ensure the process goes well though, certain actions must be followed.

First the CCTV finds the exact location of the damage.  This may occur when a blockage requires attention, or when you have asked for a complete CCTV survey of all your underground pipework.

Next the pipe will require thorough cleaning, as the best way to ensure that you accurately fix a problem is to remove anything that may obscure your view.  It will also make it difficult to adhere the new material to the inside of the drain if it is not a clear surface.

The next step is to insert the material.  The drain relining and repair is done by impregnating a fibreglass material with Epoxy coating and an accelerator that, when left for a time, hardens to become part of the pipe. 

CCTV footage can confirm when you have the material in the exact place, and that you have not obstructed any other adjoining pipes. Then an inflatable bladder or calibration hose holds it in place until, about an hour later, the resin has hardened.  To help the drainage specialist know if it has cured thoroughly, some of the resin material may be kept behind, or a test patch may be used.

Once the resin has become fixed, other equipment can be removed from the area.  A final clean will help ensure that everything is smooth and ready to go.  A final CCTV examination may also be carried out.

For more information on drain relining and repair, contact us at 247 Drainage Solutions Ltd.