For vertical pipe rehabilitation, you have two main choices: repairing pipes via CIPP, or replacing them entirely. Which makes sense for your building depends on an interplay of factors. There are three main arenas in which these two options compete. Time, cost, and the life of the repair can all affect which is a better choice for your business.
Vertical pipe rehabilitation time vs. replacement time
For many businesses, the faster solution is the best one. When you’re in a crisis, time becomes the most important consideration. Whether vertical pipe rehabilitation is quicker or pipe replacement is quicker, depends on the placement of your pipes. If you’re replacing exterior pipes like gutters, storm drains, etc., it may be quicker to replace the pipes entirely.
If your pipes are interior pipes that extend through multiple floors of a building, CIPP is almost certainly faster. Opening up your floors and/or walls will be a time-consuming process. Repairing the floors and walls will also eat up some time. Cured in place piping can be installed in as little as a few hours under the right circumstances, and even longer installations rarely require more than twenty-four hours of curing time. That can represent significant time-savings over replacement.
Vertical pipe rehabilitation cost vs. replacement cost
Again, the location of the pipes you wish to replace will determine which of these solutions is better. Replacement will help with pipes that are easy to access in most cases. If you have to disturb a lot of earth or part of your building to access the pipe, it’s probably not going to be a cheap process. Between the amount of time it takes to access concealed pipes and the cost of repairing the access points, you can find yourself looking at a very steep bill.
Cured in place pipes rehabilitate your pipes so you don’t have. Not only that, they also have drastically reduced, access costs. On the other hand, CIPP can cost a little more than replacing pipes by the foot. Your situation will determine whether or not these increased costs are worth it.
Vertical pipe rehabilitation life span vs. replacement life span
Stop-gap solutions are fine, but eventually you’re going to want to settle the issue of your pipes and be done with it. If you’re going to rehabilitate or replace your pipes, you want something that’s going to last. CIPP is the clear winner. Some rehabilitated pipes have lifespans of 30+ years. Your installation team can tell you how long you can expect, but it tends to outstrip the life expectancy of metal and even most preformed plastic pipes. CIPP has extra protection from residing within a host pipe, which helps it avoid common pipe problems.
When it comes to repairing vertical pipe systems, you really, only have two common options: rehabilitate the pipes with CIPP, or replace them entirely. What makes sense for your business depends on your needs. If you need the fastest option, it could go either way. If budget is the main issue, CIPP is more expensive per foot, but could save you big on repairs. If longevity is what you want, the winner is clear. CIPP takes home the prize.