Main Sewer Line Repair in Vinings, GA

Replacing a main sewer line can be done without a trench from the house to the street. Pipe bursting is a trenchless replacement method that breaks the old pipe apart underground while drawing a new one into its place. For Vinings homeowners with mature landscaping, a long driveway or hardscape over the line, it can renew the full run while disturbing only a couple of small patches of ground.

How pipe bursting works

The crew digs an entry pit near one end of the line, often close to the house, and an exit pit at the other, usually near the connection to the public sewer. A steel cable or a string of rods is threaded through the old pipe. A cone-shaped bursting head, a little larger than the old pipe, is attached to the new pipe, commonly one continuous length of fused polyethylene, and pulled or pushed through. As it advances, the head fractures the old pipe and presses the fragments into the surrounding soil, and the new pipe slides in behind it along the same path.

When bursting is a good fit

• The old line is clay, cast iron or another brittle material that fractures readily
• The pipe is cracked, root-filled or broken along much of its length, so a liner would need extensive preparation
• The route runs fairly straight between the two pits
• The owner wants an entirely new pipe rather than a liner inside the old one

When it is the wrong tool

• Sags and bellies: the new pipe follows the old path, so a low spot in the old line becomes a low spot in the new one unless it is dug out and corrected separately
• Utilities close by: gas, water or electric lines very near the sewer can be damaged as the ground shifts, so they must be located first and often exposed
• Sharp bends: abrupt changes of direction usually need a pit at each turn
• Tough pipe: plastic and some metal pipes stretch instead of shattering and call for a splitting head or another method
• Shallow pipe near foundations or slabs: the outward push can heave soil or crack nearby structures

How a bursting job runs

1. A sewer camera inspection and a locate confirm the route, depth, material and any sags
2. Utilities are marked, and any lines close to the path are uncovered by hand
3. Entry and exit pits are dug, and the old line is cleared enough to pass the cable
4. The new pipe is fused into a single length and pulled in behind the head
5. Connections are made at each pit, the new line is camera-checked and inspected, and the pits are backfilled

Where a line is not suited to bursting, open-trench replacement through sewer excavation or a cured-in-place liner may be the answer. All three are compared in our statewide main sewer line repair and replacement guide.

Cobb County permits for Vinings sewer work

Permits for Vinings homes come from Cobb County. Under the county code, plumbing work needs a permit from the Community Development Agency before it starts. For a new or replacement sewer line on private property, Cobb's sewer approval affidavit has a master plumber with a state license mark the plumbing permit for sewer installation, and the line is then approved either by that notarized affidavit or by a county inspector who sees the pipe before it is covered. Since bursting leaves most of the new pipe unseen, ask early which approval route the job will use. When a contractor is hired, the contractor applies, as the county's residential permitting information explains.

Questions about pipe bursting in Vinings

Can pipe bursting go through a collapsed section?

Sometimes. If the collapse is partial and a cable or rod can still be pushed through, the bursting head can usually break through as well. If the pipe is fully crushed and packed with soil, the crew may have to dig at that spot first to open the path. A camera inspection beforehand shows whether the line can be threaded from end to end.

Does pipe bursting need any digging at all?

Yes, though far less than an open trench. There is an entry pit and an exit pit, plus small pits at any sharp bend, at branch connections and wherever utilities close to the line need uncovering. The lawn, driveway or plantings between those pits usually stay untouched.

Is the new pipe the same size as the old one?

It can be the same size or somewhat larger. Because the head pushes the old pipe outward, bursting can install a line equal to or a bit bigger than the original diameter. That is one difference from lining, where the new wall forms inside the old pipe and slightly narrows the opening.

Check whether bursting fits

A Vinings sewer line that needs replacing may not need a trench across the yard. Alpha Plumbing and Sewer can run a camera through it to see whether bursting is realistic; the number is (404) 409-4448.