How sewer relining works
A new pipe formed inside the old one, without digging. Here is what actually happens in the pipe.
Quick answer
How does sewer relining work?
Sewer relining cleans the damaged host pipe, then draws or inverts a resin-impregnated liner into it, presses the liner against the pipe wall, and cures the resin in place until it hardens into a new pipe inside the old one. Connections are reinstated through the liner, all through existing access, with no excavation.
The idea, then the steps
Relining repairs a pipe from the inside. Rather than digging the old pipe up and laying a new one, it forms a new pipe within the existing one, using a flexible liner soaked in resin that hardens against the pipe wall. The technical name is cured-in-place pipe, or CIPP. The appeal is that everything happens through access points that already exist, so the ground above, a driveway, a courtyard, a road, is never opened. Here is how it is actually done.
Step by step
Survey
A camera confirms the pipe is a candidate: damaged, but still holding its shape and line, with no total collapse and no back-fall. Relining a pipe that cannot take it wastes the liner, so this step is not optional.
Clean the host pipe
The old pipe is thoroughly cleaned, usually by jetting, because the liner must bond to a clean wall. Grease, scale and debris left in place would stop the liner adhering, so a badly fouled pipe is jetted first.
Measure and prepare the liner
A liner of the correct length and diameter is cut and impregnated with resin, a process called wet-out, timed so the resin is ready to install but not yet curing.
Install the liner
The liner is drawn into the pipe or inverted into it, turned inside out by water or air pressure so it presses firmly against the full pipe wall along the whole length being repaired.
Cure in place
The resin is hardened. Depending on the system this is done by ambient conditions, hot water, steam, or ultraviolet light. As it cures, the liner sets into a rigid, jointless pipe bonded to the old one.
Reinstate connections and inspect
Where branch connections join the relined run, they are reopened through the liner, usually with a robotic cutter. A final camera pass confirms the new pipe is sound and the connections are clear.
Why the result is often better than the original
A relined pipe is jointless along its length, and joints are where sewers fail: they move, they open, roots find them. By replacing a jointed run with a continuous liner, relining removes the very features that caused the failure, which is why a good reline frequently outlasts the pipe it was installed into. The internal surface is also smooth, which can carry flow as well as or better than the scaled, jointed original, even though the liner slightly reduces the bore.
The one thing relining cannot do is change where the pipe goes or how it falls. It faithfully follows the host pipe, so if the pipe was laid at the wrong gradient, the liner is too. That is why back-fall cannot be relined away, and why relining is not always the answer. When the host pipe is sound in shape and line, though, relining is usually the least disruptive good repair available.
Frequently asked questions
How long does sewer relining take?
A single patch or a straightforward full-length liner is often installed in a day, because there is no excavation, spoil removal or surface reinstatement. The main variables are how much cleaning the host pipe needs before the liner will bond, the curing method and its cure time, and the number of connections to reinstate through the liner afterwards. Even at its longest it is usually quicker than excavating, replacing and reinstating the surface above.
Does the pipe need to be cleaned before relining?
Yes, thoroughly. The liner bonds to the pipe wall, so any grease, scale or debris left in place would prevent it adhering and compromise the repair. A fouled host pipe is jetted clean first, which is why relining a neglected line includes a cleaning stage. Skipping or rushing this is a common cause of a poor reline, so it is not a step to economise on.
How is the liner cured?
By hardening the resin it is impregnated with, using one of several methods depending on the system: ambient conditions, hot water, steam, or ultraviolet light. As the resin cures, the liner sets from a flexible sleeve into a rigid, jointless pipe bonded to the inside of the old one. The choice of curing method affects the cure time but not the essential result, which is a new structural pipe within the existing one.
What happens to branch connections when a pipe is relined?
Where other pipes join the run being relined, the liner initially covers those connections, so they are reopened through the liner after curing, usually with a small robotic cutter guided by camera. A final inspection confirms each reopened connection is clear and the new liner is sound. This is why the number of connections along a run is one of the factors affecting how involved, and how costly, a relining job is.
How do I find how sewer relining works near me in Dubai?
We work across Dubai, so near me is less about a branch nearby and more about coverage. We provide how sewer relining works across Dubai, working from our base in Al Quoz Industrial Third, so a near me search is answered less by a branch on your street and more by how quickly we can reach you. That depends on where you are in the city, the time of day and access, so rather than claim to be the nearest, we ask where you are and give you a realistic time to attend. Tell us your location and what you need, and we will be straight about when we can be there.
Related pages
Contact
Ask about relining
If a survey has found a crack, a displaced joint or roots, tell us the findings and we will explain whether relining fits.
Phone
+971 56 864 8994
Email
info@jetdrainpro.com
Wondering if relining fits your pipe?
The survey that answers it is the same one any repair needs. Tell us what your survey found, or let us carry it out.