The 4 Most Common Issues With CIPP Liners (and What You Need to Do to Fix Them)

Oct 20

CIPP liners solve nearly any sewer and pipe problem you can imagine. But what happens when you have issues with CIPP liners? There are ways to fix poorly installed liners, with only a few exceptions. But with the right training, these issues are completely avoidable.

What Causes Issues with CIPP Liners?

When CIPP lining is done correctly, the repair can last up to 50 years without issue. But it takes the right preparation to make that happen. Most repair issues, then, start before the technicians ever start the job.

Lack of Adequate Training

More often than any other reason, issues with CIPP liners start all the way back at the training stages. If technicians don’t receive proper training, simple mistakes can cause serious issues with CIPP repairs. Starting with the right training and certification is critical to running a successful trenchless repair business.

Improper Cleaning and Prep of Host Pipe

CIPP liners rely on adhesion to the host pipe to work properly. That requires a thorough cleaning and CCTV confirmation of a viable interior. When a pipe isn’t properly cleaned, the resin won’t adhere completely. The results are serious issues and further repairs.

Incorrect Mixing and Preparation of Epoxy Resin

Many epoxy resins are 2-part mixtures. When the two components are combined, they begin hardening almost immediately. But if the mix isn’t right, the resin won’t cure correctly.

The Most Common Issues with CIPP Liners

When CIPP liners aren’t installed properly, technicians end up seeing several problems, ranging from shifting and warping of the resin to weak spots within the newly added pipe liner.

Lifts and Sags

Liners can bend and swell inward when infiltration from above or below the pipe pushes the improperly installed resin to shift. These lifts and sags then allow the infiltrating water to further corrode the host pipe, resulting in pipe failure if left unrepaired.

Resin Washout

Improperly mixed resin can get washed out by cure water, causing weak points in the new CIPP liner. This kind of issue with CIPP liners creates new leaks as the host pipe continues to corrode and weaken.

Delamination

Delamination occurs when a host pipe hasn’t been cleaned properly, or when pipes aren’t dried adequately. Host pipes will continue to corrode, and the integrity of the liner could be compromised.

Incomplete Curing

Most resins rely on heat curing to fully harden. But if the temperature of the hot water or steam isn’t steady and even through the entire stretch of pipe liner, the resin may not fully cure. These uncured areas create bubbles and blisters inside the pipe as the host pipe continues to deteriorate.

How to Fix Common CIPP Liner Issues

In rare cases, these common issues with CIPP liners will require a complete replacement to fix. But with a fast enough response, a poor CIPP lining job can be salvaged.

Reprocessing

Using a pressurized bladder, the lifts or sags in a defective installation can be pushed back into place and then cured again. So long as washout isn’t the issue, this process works well and is relatively simple.

Spot Repairs

For cracks and washouts in small sections of the original repair, technicians can reapply either a liner without resin or a resin-impregnated liner for those areas. The whole curing process is repeated, strengthening any defects from the original repair.

Full Liner Repair

In cases where the defects are extensive, relining the entire repair is the best option. Technicians will have to account for the added diameter from the first liner, but the process will once again be the same as the original relining.

How to Prevent Common Issues with CIPP Liners

While fixing defective issues with CIPP liners may be possible, the best fix is prevention. By starting with the right training, the right materials, and the right processes, CIPP repairs can be effective, efficient, and viable for decades.

High-quality training should be your first line of defense against improper installations. Training your technicians to mix, measure, and apply resins eliminates issues like washout and poor curing. Keeping curing processes on target can be tricky, but industry-leading equipment makes it far easier to keep temperatures where they need to be. CIPP repair companies can even eliminate the guesswork of hot water curing with more advanced UV light curing systems. And with training in CCTV inspection techniques, it’s easy to check that pipes are ready for installation, as well as viable once the job is done.

Find state-of-the-art training right here at T3, where our experienced team of CIPP professionals can teach your crew everything they need to know about trenchless repair systems of all types. We train at our headquarters, on-site with your teams, and virtually to make it easy to start your CIPP repair business on the right foot.

Trenton Wollman