{"id":6132,"date":"2019-08-20T23:41:00","date_gmt":"2019-08-20T13:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nuflow.net\/help-my-plumber-wants-to-dig-up-my-bathroom\/"},"modified":"2019-08-20T23:41:00","modified_gmt":"2019-08-20T13:41:00","slug":"help-my-plumber-wants-to-dig-up-my-bathroom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nuflow.net\/help-my-plumber-wants-to-dig-up-my-bathroom\/","title":{"rendered":"HELP! My Plumber wants to dig up bathroom pipes!"},"content":{"rendered":"
Help! My plumber wants to dig up my bathroom pipes! A week without my bathroom? You’d have to be joking!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Call me precious, but if there’s one thing I simply can’t live without it’s a functioning bathroom. In fact, I might even go so far as to say that just being without my own private little ensuite for a night hastens my heart a few panicked beats. As a kid it was nothing to have to traipse off down the hall and up a couple of shag-pile-covered steps to the family bathroom in the middle of the night, but the older I grew the more acutely aware I became of the need to keep your friends close and your ablution amenities closer.<\/p>\n
So it came as no surprise to hear that when Sunshine Coast homeowner, Marion, was told by her plumber that she would have to use her neighbour’s bathroom for at least a week whilst he dug up and repaired a broken drain pipe under her slab she simply refused.<\/p>\n
It’s a sad fact, but true, that just like those pipes that have been buried under the retro-orange tiles in your bathroom for 40 years, the human body’s own pipes simply don’t work as efficiently at 70 as they did at age 30. As a result, having quick and easy access to the privacy of your own bathroom as you grow older is more a necessity than a luxury.<\/p>\n
Marion made it clear to the plumber that being without her bathroom whilst the pipes were fixed was simply unacceptable. As she explained to him, it wasn’t just about the extra effort or planning that would have to go into every aspect of her day, she was worried about potential embarrassments and what she’d do at 3am if nature called.<\/p>\n
So reluctantly, he agreed to investigate other options.<\/p>\n
Repairing bathroom pipes under a slab<\/h2>\n
Avoiding blocked or broken drain pipes in the bathroom may take a little ongoing maintenance (see our article on Simple ways to keep your bathroom pipes working properly), but it’s worth it when one considers the potential stress and costs associated with repairs.<\/p>\n
Essentially there are two ways to repair broken or damaged drainage pipes in your bathroom. These are:<\/p>\n
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- relining the pipe with advanced composite resins (no dig plumbing)<\/li>\n
- traditional pipe repairs (where everything is dug up and replaced).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
In the next section we will give a basic explanation of both these methods and in the final section, some advice on how to best manage whichever choice you make.<\/p>\n
Relining solutions bathroom pipe repairs without digging<\/h2>\n
In years gone by, digging and replacing pipes was pretty much the only option available to homeowners with under-slab sewer or drainage pipe issues. But thanks to technological advances made over the last few decades, there are now some much simpler and less invasive options to consider. These options use relining technologies<\/a> to create a smooth new pipe inside the old one.<\/p>\n
What is pipe relining?<\/h2>\n
When people hear the term ‘pipe relining’ they often think it means laying a new pipe along the sewer or drainage line where the old one used to be – but it’s not. Pipe relining solutions are methods of creating new, stronger pipes inside old, broken ones, right where they lay. This means no digging, no hassles and no mess.<\/p>\n
Advanced composite resin and fibre technologies (similar to those now being used in the construction of planes, cars, sports equipment and a host of other daily essentials) are being used to create synthetic liners which are then pulled through existing access points with ropes, placed over the damaged section of pipe and cured.<\/p>\n
The new epoxy pipe coating basically bonds to the old pipe, making it rock hard and resistant to future breakage; some companies offering warranties of up to 50 years.<\/p>\n
The technology has been used successfully throughout the world since the mid-1990s and is becoming so advanced there are now liners strong enough to support large stormwater drains under highways, resistant enough to be used for industrial (chemical and high temperature) purposes and safe enough to reline drinking- water pipes.<\/p>\n
Traditional pipe repair solutions digging up your bathroom<\/h2>\n
The other way to fix a broken drain pipe under a slab is to physically expose the pipe and then mend the break or replace it with new piping (usually PVC pipes).<\/p>\n
In a bathroom, this will generally mean cutting through wall or floor tiles (or both), cutting through the concrete house slab beneath, then digging down to find the errant pipe.<\/p>\n
This will of course mean the bathroom would be generally off limits for the duration (usually 4 days to 3 weeks), there will be limited or no water supply to the house whilst the pipes are actually being worked on and there will be plenty of noise and dust about the place.<\/p>\n
It will also mean quite a hefty labour bill and the cost of retiling once the repair is finished. Finally, there is the concern that whatever caused the damage this time (perhaps a tree root or earth movement) will reoccur in a few years’ time if the same type of PVC pipe is used to replace the old one.<\/p>\n
Repairing the broken pipes yourself<\/h2>\n
If you’re the handy type who likes to get down there and dirty, then whilst not recommended, it is possible and perhaps cheaper to oversee the whole ‘dig-and-replace’ repair process yourself (see our article on ‘Do-it-yourself plumbing repairs’).<\/p>\n
You will, however, need to check your local government regulations on plumbing and drainage in your area, and any tile or concrete cutting should only be done by a professional.<\/p>\n
How to best manage your chosen pipe repair strategy<\/h2>\n
Whilst living without your bathroom is certainly possible, for the most part it’s also unpleasant, inconvenient and often embarrassing. For some, however, the challenge of it all is enticing and they embark on the adventure with vigour which usually dissipates around day three.<\/p>\n
If this sounds like you and you want to see everything dug up and replaced with new pipes, places like the local gym, swimming pool or camping store can be invaluable resources. For more advice on ways you can make life a little easier whilst living without a bathroom, read of our article on ‘Ten ways to survive life without a bathroom (just!)’.<\/p>\n
But if, like Marion, learning about pipe relining seems akin to a miracle being placed at your feet, there are still some steps to be taken to ensure a trouble-free repair.<\/p>\n