Pipe lining is a logical service extension for contractors looking to diversify their services. But it’s not unusual to encounter skepticism about the process from potential customers – residential and municipal – especially where the cost is higher than traditional, open-cut repair.
But all is not lost. Contractors can use a number of methods to show customers the clear advantages of lining. Those methods include before-and-after videos, and discussions of safety, landscaping issues, and plumbing system downtime. Here is how three contractors get customers to say “go” instead of “no” to pipe lining.
“The majority of homeowners we deal with are skeptical about pipe lining because you’re looking at fairly high cost as opposed to digging,” says William Gay, a plumber and drain cleaner for Stemmle Plumbing Repair Inc. in Richmond, Va.
“But we point out the hidden costs of conventional repair, like how going down nine to 12 feet to repair a lateral might involve digging up a lot of their yard, and the thousands of dollars they might have to spend on re-landscaping.
“For the most part, customers’ biggest qualm is cost effectiveness. Of course, sometimes there’s not a whole lot of room to do anything, so trenchless is the only viable way to do it. The lateral is never where you want it to be. Each situation is unique.
“We also explain to customers that there’s less downtime with pipe lining. For the most part, we can finish in one day. The most time-consuming part is allowing time for curing and bonding – about six hours. So there’s very little downtime. Also, if you’re dealing with a large family with children, you won’t have open holes for two or three days where kids can hurt themselves.
“With an open-cut repair, you’re at the mercy of a local inspector’s schedule, so you might have to wait to get a repair inspected before the excavation can be backfilled. Inspecting the line with a camera before and after the job is also important. You can show the customer that you actually rehabbed the pipe. We also explain that the hydraulics of a relined pipe are much better because there aren’t any misaligned joints.
“We also sell our experience. Not many people do pipe lining where we are. But the more you do it, the more you learn and the better you are at doing it. It’s painstaking to do, and every job is different. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach.
“Another tool we use is a short, one-minute animated video on our Web site that explains the lining process. It really helps. I keep a laptop in my van, so if a customer doesn’t have Internet access, I can pop it up on my screen and have them take a look. We also have brochures that include information about pipe lining.”
Memories from the early days of pipe lining have made some customers leery says Duane Seals, a superintendent at Ace Pipe Cleaning Inc., which lines municipal pipes in Kansas City, Mo.
“But now, the technology has improved, and people understand what resins to apply,” he says. “The products being installed are, in the recent past, far superior, and are proving to be, in most cases, a real advantage over an open-cut repair.
“The price appears substantial on the front end, although you can also have a situation where it’s a wash with an open-cut repair. But statistically over time, if you have to break concrete or asphalt or there’s infrastructure in the way, pipe lining is cheaper. Plus you don’t have the traffic disruptions. In addition, it’s becoming difficult for municipalities and communities to field crews for open-cut repairs.
“At times, we find that engineers are skeptical, mostly about field performance. It’s a newer technology and there’s not a lot of experience level. We tell them that there’s a new mousetrap out there every day, and we go with what’s proven.
“The biggest selling point is that we can drastically reduce the inflow and infiltration in cases of large rain events. It saves municipalities tons of money in the long run. You’ve created structural integrity without disrupting the soil. It’s a pipe in a pipe. We also show them videos of pipes before and after lining, or do demos. A picture is worth a thousand words.”
“There’s a big market in our area for pipe relining,” says Michel Fleury, general manager of the infrastructure division of Caesar’s Plumbing in Ottawa, Ont. “But a lot of times, it costs more, or it’s easier to excavate.
“Still, the more we go into the city, the more we find that sometimes you can’t excavate the way you’d like because there’s so much infrastructure underground that you might disturb. By the time you dig it all up and redo it, there’s an economy to lining.
“From my experience, the best tool we have to sell customers on pipe lining is showing them the condition of the pipe from inside, with a camera. When they see with their own eyes and you can explain what’s wrong, from there, they understand.
“We always tell customers we’ll show them before-and-after videos of their pipe so they understand what they get for their money. We also tell them that re-landscaping is expensive. We have an estimating sheet to show them the difference between pipe lining and excavating. We have the capability to line or excavate. But most times, when we try to push the lining and don’t disturb anything, people are happy. They like it that we didn’t have to cut a tree down, or disturb their sidewalk.”
