Have you ever wondered what drain relining is and how it works? You’re not alone. Our Bath drains services team often answers customers’ questions about the process. Despite its name, drain relining doesn’t involve relaying or realigning underground pipework, it actually refers to an entirely different procedure.

In a nutshell, drain relining is a modern solution that gives damaged pipes a durable, watertight lining without the need for excavation, therefore saving you time and money.

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Discover how drain relining repairs damaged pipes with a strong, watertight lining. Save time, money, and hassle with this no-dig drainage solution.

Repairing Cracked Drains from the Inside

Drain relining uses the revolutionary Cured-in-Place Pipe (CIPP) technique invented in the 1970s by engineer Eric Wood, who needed an effective way to stop a water pipe leaking. The technique caught the drainage industry’s attention because CIPP makes it possible to repair cracked, leaky drains from the inside, which is considerably less disruptive than digging them up and replacing them. Indeed, it’s now regarded as ‘the most popular and cost-effective method to rehabilitate underground pipes’, as Trenchless Technology magazine emphasises.

Drain relining involves inserting a pliable, resin-soaked felt liner into a damaged drain and inflating it so it assumes the pipe’s shape; bends or changes in pipe diameter pose no problems. When the resin ‘cures’ – or hardens – the liner forms a new, robust, undamaged drain inside the old one and wastewater can once again flow safely from the property to the sewers.

Key Benefits of Drain Relining

• Drain relining is non-invasive, which means you avoid the expense, stress and inconvenience of drain excavation. Your driveway, garden, etc. won’t be disturbed.
• The process is the quickest, most efficient way to fix damaged drains. A drain liner can be installed and hardened in a matter of hours, whereas excavating and replacing old drains can take days or even weeks, especially if they’re in a hard-to-access area.
• It’s suitable for commercial and domestic drains made from most common drain materials, such asclay, plastic and iron.
• Drain relining is a long-term solution to cracks and leaks. Checkatrade notes that a liner can serve you well for up to 50 years.
• The liner creates a secure, protective barrier that stops wastewater seeping out while also guardingagainst drain invaders such as tree roots and sewer rats.

When Your Drains May Need Relining

Notorious drain blockers (which include invasive roots, frozen wastewater, cooking fat, oil and grease, quilted toilet paper and wet wipes) can exert pressure on your pipework. This leads to structural weaknesses such as cracks, splits and loose connections, as well as poor drainage.

After our drainage experts have removed an obstruction using our drain unblocking or root cutting equipment, we can assess the condition of your pipework using a CCTV drain survey. If we find the obstruction has created structural issues, we can resolve them by relining the drains.

Drain relining can also be used to combat general wear and tear or damage caused by soil movement.

As long as there aren’t large gaps in your drain walls and you haven’t experienced a full drain collapse, it should be possible to reline them. If just a small section of pipe is damaged, we can perform a patch repair, which means using a piece of resin-soaked fibreglass to partially reline the drain.

How a Drain Is Relined

1. Resin (typically epoxy resin, a liquid plastic) is mixed with a hardening agent and poured into an absorbent, tube-shaped felt drain liner. Rollers are then used to flatten the liner, ensuring the resin coats the inside of it fully and evenly.

2. The next step involves guiding the flattened liner through the drain and inflating it, which is often done with a machine called an inversion drum. One end of the liner is fed into the drum; when it emerges, it’s folded back on itself slightly and secured to the drum’s nozzle in order to facilitate the inversion process. The drum blows compressed air through the liner, which inverts it (i.e. turns it inside out) while pushing it through the drain and forcing it to expand so it covers every inch of the drain walls.

3. Turning the liner inside out has exposed the drain walls to the sticky resin. Drain and resin form a permanent bond as the latter hardens. (This hardening will happen by itself but can be sped up with hot water.) Finally, a CCTV drain inspection confirms the new drain-within-a-drain is structurally sound.

Expert Bath Drain Unblocking and Relining

As a trusted drainage company, we skilfully unblock drains and also repair/reline them in Bath, Bristol and the surrounding area.

Don’t let drain damage derail your drainage system – call Mega-Rod today on 01225 422980 for expert help.