Recent Job: Sewer Pipe Relining at a Coogee Apartment Building

Service: Pipe Relining
Location: Coogee, Sydney

A blocked sewer beneath the driveway at this Coogee apartment building needed to be cleared and checked.

Our team used high-pressure water to remove loose waste and debris from the sewer. Tom from Friendly Plumbing then used a CCTV drain camera to inspect the pipe and see what was happening further down the line.

Tom found several sections where the pipe joints had moved out of place. These uneven areas could catch toilet paper and other debris and make the sewer block again.

Tom and the team repaired the damaged section using pipe relining. This created a new smooth surface inside the existing pipe without digging up the driveway.

If the sewer had been left to get worse, repeat blockages could have continued. The pipe may also have become too damaged for relining, meaning the driveway could have needed to be dug up.

A Blocked Sewer Beneath the Driveway

The main sewer line runs beneath the driveway at the Coogee apartment building.

Our team first used high-pressure water to clear loose waste and debris from the pipe. Once the sewer was clear, Tom used a CCTV drain camera to inspect the line.

The camera found several damaged sections further down the sewer where the pipe joints had moved out of place.

These uneven areas could catch toilet paper and other debris as it moved through the pipe, making another blockage more likely.

What Did Tom Find?

Tom found several damaged sections downstream of the second sewer stack.

Some of the pipe joints were no longer sitting in line. This created uneven areas inside the sewer where waste and toilet paper could catch.

As Tom explained on site:

“Just relining this main stack here, all the way down to the boundary trap.”

He also noted:

“It’s standard PVC on the back end.”

The CCTV inspection also helped Tom and the team measure the section that needed to be relined.

Tom from Friendly Plumbing and the team carrying out sewer pipe relining at a Coogee apartment building.

Repairing the Sewer Without Digging Up the Driveway

Because the damaged sewer was beneath the main driveway, digging it up would have meant a much larger repair.

Tom and the team instead used pipe relining to repair the sewer from the inside.

A fibreglass liner coated with resin was placed inside the old pipe. Once it set, it formed a strong, smooth new surface.

The team used CCTV to measure the section that needed repair, prepared the liner and placed it inside the sewer.

The liner was then left in place while it hardened.

This allowed the damaged section to be repaired without digging up the driveway.

A New Smooth Surface Inside the Sewer

Once the liner had set, the damaged section had a new smooth surface inside the existing pipe.

This covered the uneven areas where toilet paper and other debris could catch.

Tom and the team then carried out another CCTV inspection to check the new liner and inspect the full sewer line.

The relining solution comes with a 25-year warranty.

The sewer was repaired while the existing pipe and driveway stayed in place.

What Could Have Happened Without the Repair?

If the damaged pipe had been left, toilet paper and other debris could have kept catching inside the sewer and caused repeat blockages.

If the pipe became more damaged, relining may no longer have been possible and the driveway could have needed to be dug up to replace the sewer.

Need Pipe Relining in Coogee?

Signs that a sewer may need to be checked can include:

• drains that keep blocking
• slow drainage
• bad smells
• unusual sounds from drains
• wastewater backing up

A CCTV drain inspection can help show what is happening inside the sewer and whether pipe relining may be suitable.

Learn more about our pipe relining services, or contact Friendly Plumbing to arrange an inspection.