Why Dallas Plumbing Contractor Prefers LED CIPP

Replacement of a 4-in. cast iron sewer line was overdue for a Highland Park, Texas, residence experiencing frequent stoppages. The contractor chosen for the job was Metro-Flow Plumbing of Dallas, Texas, a family-owned, full-service plumbing company offering a variety of installation technologies.

Daryl Miller, operations director, said although this project was an ideal candidate for an ultraviolet (UV) light-curing cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) solution, it posed significant risk.

Open-cut replacement had been ruled out due to surface features such as a perfectly laid pavers and a well-manicured turf and sprinkler system, as well a gas line lying in close proximity over the pipe. Total pipe replacement with resulting restoration costs would cost at least $15,000 more than a trenchless method and take at least several full workdays to complete the project.

Metro-Flow also ruled out pipe bursting, which could disturb the natural gas line lying in such proximity to the sewer line.

Nevertheless, Ted Spillman, the Metro-Flow CIPP technician on this project, had reservations about using Metro-Flow’s UV system. The packer might hang up in the badly deteriorated, 90-year-old pipe, further compromising it. He said while he has come to appreciate the savings in time and cost of using the light-cured system, the crew would much prefer a light-cured CIPP method that allows them to invert a liner gently into the pipe with low-pressure compressed air.

Metro-Flow owner Rick Romero and his team had been looking into the HammerHead Trenchless Bluelight LED CIPP system prior to this job. They requested a demonstration of it on this project. Although both their UV-CIPP and Bluelight systems are based on light-cured resins, they are not compatible with each other. He needed reassurance it would allow Metro-Flow to live up to its customer warranty before investing in new equipment.