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    How to Fix a Broken Drainpipe

    5th January 2023

    Noticed a broken drainpipe? Don’t just hope for the best and turn a blind eye. If left untreated, a broken drainpipe can seriously damage your property. What starts off as a small fissure or crack can soon turn into a fully burst pipe, flooding your home and garden with foul-smelling water riddled with disease. Broken pipes can also lead to mould, wet patches and sinkholes – all things you want to avoid for the sake of your home and your health. As such, it’s important to act at the first sign of damage.

    If you’re wondering how to fix a broken drainpipe, you’ve come to the right place. This blog outlines the options available to you for broken drain repair.

    Option one: do it yourself

    Confident that you can locate the damage yourself? If so, you may want to try a DIY solution. The following steps should help:

    1. Look for any external signs of breakage, such as unpleasant smells and pooling.
    2. Once you’ve found the damage, start digging. You’ll want to make a hole at least six inches deeper than the crack or fissure to make sure you have enough room to work.
    3. You’ll then need to cut your new section of pipe. It’s important to use the right tools for safety and make sure that the length and diameter of the pipe is correct.
    4. Attach the new piece of pipe to your existing system using flexible rubber couplings. 
    5. Refill the hole to ensure your repaired drainpipe is adequately supported. 

    As always, if you’re unsure, it’s better to call in the experts. Never attempt to fix a broken drain yourself if you’re not 100% confident in what you’re doing, as a job badly done can lead to further costly damage down the line.

    Trenchless technologies vs full excavation

    Trenchless solutions don’t require a lot of digging. In contrast, full excavation can be messy and may require us to dig up your garden. The type of solution necessary will depend on the extent of the damage, which is why we’ll always assess the situation with CCTV before taking action. As experts in broken drain repair, here are the top solutions we’ll likely recommend:

    Patch lining

    Patch lining is a quick and effective solution for pipes that are only damaged in a couple of places. We won’t have to dig up your garden. Once we have identified the damage with CCTV, we’ll insert an inflatable tube and patch liner into the pipe. We’ll then inflate the tube, causing the patch to stick to the damaged section of pipe. We’ll wait for the resin on the patch liner to set before removing the inflatable tube, leaving you with fully repaired drains.

    Slip lining

    Slip lining is the process of inserting rigid tubes into cracked or damaged pipes to improve structural integrity and prevent leaks. It can be done with one continuous piece of tubing or with several segments of tubing, which are inserted separately. These tubes are often made of fibreglass or high-density polyethylene, providing a durable solution.

    Cured-in-place lining

    Similar to patch lining, cured-in-place lining involves inserting a tubular lining saturated with resin into your broken drain. We’ll then use an inflatable device to expand the lining inside the pipe, activating the resin on it with water or UV light. Once the lining has cured, we’ll remove the inflatable device, leaving your pipes fully repaired.

    Full excavation and replacement

    When it’s not possible to remedy the problem in other ways, full excavation and replacement is the only way forward. While this may seem costly in the short term, it will save you a lot of money in the long run, particularly if your home still runs on an old metal drainage system. At Cotswold Drainage, we always try to keep disruption to a minimum, working quickly to get your home and garden back to normal as soon as we can.

    Experts in broken drain repair

    Unfortunately, damaged pipes aren’t always apparent. While you’re likely to notice blocked drainpipes or large, external cracks, other types of damage can easily go unnoticed. For instance, when it comes to underground pipes, it’s often a case of “out of sight, out of mind”. The galvanised coating on the inside of metal drainpipes is also prone to corrosion damage, resulting in serious problems later down the line. Regular health checks are therefore recommended, with CCTV drain surveys providing a cost-effective method for keeping potential issues at bay.

    Need your drains repaired? Contact our expert team today.


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    - Andrea Carter
    Third time I have used this outfit. They turn up when they say they will, do the job and get you the report the next working day. Ask for Dave Streeter.
    - Mark F.
    Cotswold Drainage are a very professional and helpful company who give excellent service. They fitted and service our treatment unit, thank you.
    - andrew
    Having researched companies to install a sewage treatment plant for my house, I chose Cotswold Drainage. I have not been disappointed at any stage of the process. From the outset, communication has been exemplary, every person I met, in person or on the telephone, has been very polite, and took time to listen and answer our questions. The quality of the work done has been, to my untrained eye, of a very high standard. Disruption has been kept to a minimum and the area has been left very tidy, now waiting for grass seed to sprout! I had some further pipe work done separately from the septic tank installation, and again, it was a very straightforward process with minimal disruption. Well done Stuart and all at Cotswold Drainage. Many thanks.
    - David Sillince
    I am very pleased with the service provided by Cotswold drains . My problem was solved very quickly and expertly by Adrian . The problem was ROOTS ! They were in the main drain pipe underground. Located by means of a camera. I am in Cheltenham and will certainly recommend Cotswold drains to anyone with drain problems . Thank you Adrian
    - Mary Epke
    I think your technicians name was Luke. I hope I have remembered correctly. Excellent job, quietly spoken, polite and respectful. Clearly explained stuff and sorted the problem.
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    Cotswold Drainage were prompt in coming out to survey our sewage pipes and gave us a detailed report within 48 hours.
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