Hello,
Does anyone have any experiences with “Nu Flow” water supply repair. For those unfamiliar, it’s a system to fix underground water and sewer lines. I am particularly interested in copper supply line fixes. The technology seems to be to force an epoxy thru the line to seal leaks, after unattaching both ends. I have a small but persistent leak in my supply line that I’m trying to get fixed. This seems to be a technology that would preserve my yard and driveway from a lot of trenching work. I had a copper line repair done 15 years ago of approx. 50-60″ of the 110′ or so to repair another leak, and would welcome a fix that does not involve major yard and blacktop destruction. Anyone with comments or experiences?
Thanks
Replies
I'd look into bursting
The Water District I used to work at replaced about 10,000 polyethylene service laterals with soft copper by bursting the poly.
Two pits are dug at either end of the line, and then the line is cut and a cable snaked through it from the recieving pit.
The new service line and a cutter head are attached to the cable, and then it is winched back through the old service breaking it as it goes.
The same method can be used for copper and steel lines, but it frequently pulls the old pipe out as it goes, instead of splitting it, particularly if there are fittings.
If your supply line is reasonably straight, with no joints, many outfits will be able to pull a new pipe through, using the old pipe to pull it.
Nu Flow America
Nu Flow's technology is PERFECT for wyes and tees! Our patented Pull-in-Place liners and inserted into pipes 3/4" to 12"-wide and bigger, and can fit around all sorts of shapes! If you look at the attached picture, it is a really curvy pipe and we lined it successfully, as we do almost every day on the job! Please read more information about our drain line technology: http://www.nuflowtech.com/products/structurallining.aspx
Hey Guys, thanks for the responses. I have two proposals to do what each of you suggested. Proposal #1 is to replace existing 3/4" copper with 1" copper, and proposal #2 is to use 1" "black IPS poly", explained as similar to PEX. Both current proposals are $5000+, as I have over 140' over copper to replace, and both propose to use "trenchless" technique, with a couple of variations as to the pits for the trenchless boring/pulling machines. Each contractor said the job would not disturb my relatively new blacktop driveway, as the utility easement is under the blacktop. I was mainly looking for any experiences with the "Nu Flow" process. Here's a link to their web page -
http://www.nuflowtech.com/
...and a description of their technology.
The Nu Flow epoxy lining solution includes removing existing corrosion in the pipes and applying an epoxy coating without the need to dig a trench to access the entire pipe. Unlike alternative epoxy barrier solutions, Nu Flow’s epoxy and application process is effective in pipes up to 12” in diameter.
Nu Flow also has the Neofit solution for cost-effective and quick restoration of service laterals. Similar to the epoxy coating, it creates a barrier between the pipe walls and the water that stops leaks, bridges gaps and spans holes in the pipe.
Both solutions prevent future leaks while also preventing lead from leaching into drinking water. (my underlines and italics)
I'm curious if anyone has any experiences with this technology. It seems to be possibly even less invasive than "trenchless". I have a email into the local contractor who does "NuFlow", but they have not responded. I'd like some personal experiences. A search on the 'net did not yield much info.
Thanks!
Likely similar to the techniques used for coating sewer pipes. They did the sewer pipes in our street last year.
Nu Flow America Here
Hi Bobby- Please contact us at [email protected] or call our toll free number at our Canada office 800-834-9597 tomorrow and you can speak with a licensee sales person. We have more than 300 licensees in 5 continents, and regional offices in the US and Canada. We have helped THOUSANDS and thousands of customers save their landscapes and hardscapes. That's what we do best! I've attached a case story that sounds like it is similar to what you're dealing with. We also have hundreds of case studies and other documents you can find here: http://www.scribd.com/nu_flow
You can also read our partners program info on our web site here: http://www.nuflowtech.com/partners.aspx
I hope I was able to help you! Please feel free to call us or e-mail us and we will send you more information. Thanks for the question and interest!
~Amanda
Marketing for Nu Flow America
Amanda, thnks for appending your name and position for Nu Flow. Thanks also for really trying to answer the posters question. As far as I'm concerned, you are doing an exemplary job representing your company, as well as respecting our community. Bravo!
Yes, a rare case.
If Bobby didn't have a 6-year history I'd be suspicious.
I wouldn't put it past the spammers to initiate a memebership and ask a question. So that they can then come answer it.
Most of them can't maintain believable Chinglish long enough to pull that off.
Nu Flow is Terrible!
Amanda, i think you should talk to some of your customers. My experience with Nu Flow was TERRIBLE! Went they left my home every light was on and every door open. They damaged my property, failed to replace my hose, and I am still paying plumbing bills to fix faucets, leaks, etc. No one from Nu Flow has bothered to call or make things right.
Nu Flow is TERRIBLE! Never use them. They assured me my house would be left as it was when they came and they would leave at 6PM. When I got home around 11 PM every light and every door was wide open. Since then I had to replace the missing hose from the front of my home, replace the kitchen faucet, have a plumber come out and clean out the little purple beads that were left behind, and reinstall the bathtub fixtures that were improperly replaced. And nothing from Nu Flow. No effort to make things right. They overschedule, over promise, under deliver and leave you with bills and headaches.