A broken pipe, cracks or ingrown roots in the canal? For many, this is directly linked to the idea of a large construction site and an excavator in the garden. But that doesn't have to be the case. The modern alternative is Inliner refurbishment — a “pipe-in-pipe” system, which usually requires no excavation work. We'll tell you how this trenchless process works.
Inliner renovation: The most important facts explained in a nutshell
- Inliner rehabilitation is a trenchless rehabilitation process (“pipe-in-pipe”).
- A flexible hose (the “liner”) is impregnated with resin and inserted into the defective pipe.
- The liner hardens and forms a new, tight and statically self-supporting tube.
- The process: 1. Cleaning & TV inspection ➔ 2. Liner installation ➔ 3. Curing ➔ 4. Tightness testing.
- Attention when it comes to materials: derKanal.at uses only health-friendly and environmentally friendly ECO resin, which is free from harmful SVHC substances.
- Inliner renovation is a “close-fit” process, which means that it works almost without loss of cross section.
- By reducing the roughness in the pipe, a higher discharge potential is usually achieved!
How does inline repair work? Explained step by step
The “pipe-in-pipe” process sounds complex, but it follows a clear and proven process. We break it down for you in five easy steps:
1. Preparation: Cleaning & TV inspection
Every successful renovation starts with a precise analysis. First, the broken pipe is thoroughly cleaned to remove all debris. We will then travel with a special channel TV camera through the line. This investigation shows us the exact damage pattern, the course of the pipe and the exact dimensions — the basis for all further steps.
2. Assembly: The “soaked stocking”
Based on the analysis, the inline skate is prepared. This is a flexible fabric hose (often made of needle felt or glass fiber) that is cut exactly to the length and diameter of your pipe. This “stocking” is now impregnated under controlled conditions with a special resin — in our case with ECO resin.
3. Installation: The liner goes into the pipe
The resin-soaked hose is inserted into the old pipe. This is usually done via an existing shaft or a small opening point. With the help of air or water pressure, the liner is “inverted” (i.e. turned from the inside out) and thus fits the old pipe wall without bubbles and fits perfectly.
4. Curing: The new pipe is created
As soon as the liner fits perfectly, curing begins. Depending on the resin system and local conditions, the resin is now cured in a controlled manner. This is done either by introducing warm water, steam or by using special UV light. The resin reacts and becomes an extremely hard, dense and durable plastic — a completely new, statically self-supporting pipe has been created in the old pipe.
5th conclusion: Inspection & leak testing
After curing, the result is checked. With a final channel TV inspection, we control the entire renovated route. If there were lateral inlets (branches) on the route, these are now reopened with millimetre precision using a remote-controlled robotic cutter. A final leak test in accordance with ÖNORM documents the success and gives you the guarantee of a tight system.
Inliner repair vs. selective repair: What's the difference?
These two trenchless methods are often confused and describe two different solutions to different problems.
- The inline renovation (track rehabilitation): Here Will a complete route or an entire section of line (e.g. from shaft to shaft) is renovated. The inline renovation is a renovation: It creates a completely new, statically self-supporting “pipe-in-pipe”. It is chosen when a line is consistently porous or has multiple damages.
- The selective repair (e.g. inner sleeve): Here Will only one individual, local damage repairs, such as individual cracks, holes or leaks. It is a reparation, not a complete renovation of the track.
Which procedure is right for you is always decided after a detailed channel TV inspection. As we also describe on our services page, this targeted repair is often also the ideal preparation for subsequent complete renovation using inline skates.
Which resin is best for inline repair?
The resin is the decisive factor for the longevity of the renovation and the protection of health and the environment. The best resin is solvent-free and contains no harmful SVHC substances to protect groundwater.
The facts about standard resins
- Many commercially available epoxy resins contain so-called SVHC substances (Substances of Very High Concern), which are classified as of particular concern.
- These can cause allergies and are suspected carcinogenic or mutagenic to have an effect.
- When renovated without protective film, these pollutants (e.g. bisphenol A or nonylphenol) can get into the soil and thus into groundwaters arrive.
That's why we use ECO resin
Modern, solvent-free ECO resins are guaranteed to be free from all harmful SVHC substances. This decisive material advantage not only protects the health of employees during installation, but also ensures that no pollutants can get into groundwater. It is precisely for this reason — and as a clear commitment to quality and responsibility — we at derKanal.at rely exclusively on high-quality ECO resin for our inline renovations.
Benefits of inline renovation
Inliner rehabilitation is a trenchless, fast and cost-effective process. It renovates pipes from the inside without having to dig up the garden and offers a long-lasting solution with a useful life of up to 50 years.
The benefits of inline renovation at a glance:
- No excavation work: That is the biggest advantage. Your garden, paved paths or driveway remain completely untouched. There is no excavator, no noise and no dirt.
- Quick & quiet: Since no heavy machinery is required for excavation, the renovation is often completed within a single day — with minimal noise pollution.
- Cost-effective through efficiency: Modern technology doesn't have to be expensive — quite the opposite. Overall, inline renovation is almost always cheaper than open construction. You save yourself the most expensive items: excavation, construction waste and, above all, the time-consuming restoration of your garden or asphalted areas.
- Extremely durable: A professionally installed inline liner is a sustainable solution. The new pipe in the pipe is extremely resistant to cracks and root growth and has a technical service life of up to 50 years.
Disadvantages and limits of inline renovation
Inliner repair is not useful if the pipe has already collapsed or has a sharp counterslope (a “sack”). The process repairs a pipe from the inside, but does not correct its position in the ground.
The limits of inline renovation in detail:
- No correction of the slope: An inline skater always follows the course of the old pipe. If there is a structural problem (e.g. a “sack” or a sharp downward slope), the inline liner cannot solve this static problem.
- Massive damage or collapse: If the pipe has already completely collapsed or is so severely deformed that a liner can no longer be inserted, trenchless rehabilitation is no longer possible.
As a full-service provider and expert, we always analyse these points first using channel TV. If an inline repair does not make technical sense, we will provide you with transparent advice on the alternatives, such as horizontal drilling or the open construction.
Conclusion
In this blog post, we have shown how modern inline repair works and how it can completely renovate defective pipes without trenches. The exact process was explained step by step, from TV inspection to curing. We have shown the clear advantages (no excavation work, cost-effective, long-lasting) and also the limits of the process (e.g. in case of counterfalls). In particular, we explained the decisive but often invisible difference in material quality: the difference between standard resins and the health-friendly and environmentally friendly ECO resin, which we exclusively use at derKanal.at.
In short: This blog post provides valuable information to understand inline renovation as the modern alternative to open construction.
Based on a professional channel TV inspection, we will be happy to honestly advise you whether this process is the best and most economical solution for your property.
