Trenchless polybutylene pipe replacement versus excavation in Atlanta, Georgia

Very often I encounter customers that do not want a trench in their yard. I basically give them some options: pipe splitter, sleeve the line, directional bore or try to pull the sod. My preferred method is normally sleeving the line with polyethylene but this can only be done on thin wall blue polybutylene. Consideration must be taken though of max flow rate of the residence, local water pressure, distance and the possibility of the existing pipe location is prone to future damage, whether by roots, sink holes or washouts. The pipe splitter is a interesting tool, it slices the pipe and drags another pipe behind it. I always trace the line before splitting to insure there are not many sharp bends, other underground utility interference or the possibility of crushing the sewer line of the house (since many plumbers will lay the water and sewer in the same ditch during new installation). Splitting pipe is a good option but should not be done without major consideration. Hard soils with sharp bends can cause the pipe to deform, which leads to premature failure. Cracking or collapsing the sewer can lead to a blocked drain or a possible root entry years down the road. Directional boring is a very common technique we use during replacement. The directional boring unit compacts the soil and make a very smooth conduit to replace the pipe, directional boring can be done up to 70 feet with a basic machine. Larger distances can be achieved but heavy duty equipment is required. I sometimes use a PVC sleeve in bores hole which go under trees, driveways, footers, retaining walls. Combinations of the techniques for the replacement of polybutylene is necessary on some projects. Customers with special concerns about there yard or landscape should always voice there concerns before the job starts. We can always try to minimize yard damage but in some cases there is just no avoiding it.

Michael Whitman
Atlantis Plumbing
770-505-8570