MANSFIELD, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—A local company has become an industry leader in giving old drains new life.
Specialized Pipe Technologies, 143 Orange Street, is the fixer-upper firm for clogged drains, leaks, and sewer backups. And they do the repairs hassle-free without having to tear out walls or dig up property.
The trick? A pipe within a pipe.
“Our main job is lining old pipe, old sewer or drain lines, and rebuilding them from the inside out,” said Chuck Miller, the company’s account manager. “We’re basically installing a PVC pipe inside of a pipe.”
Many homes and commercial buildings, Miller said, are plagued with old sewer pipes and storm drains made of copper, clay, and cast iron that have either deteriorated over time or become clogged with tree roots and other debris.
Instead of replacing the entire system, Specialized Pipe Technologies restores it using a state-of-the-art technology called cured-in-place lining, a trenchless method which is less costly and time-consuming, he said.
“People like that. It saves them money,” said Miller, who retired from Adena Corporation in town to join the family business. “We run three crews now. It’s really growing, money wise and business wise. Last year we did over 400 jobs.”
Miller’s son, Josh, is the company president and founder. He learned the trade in Sarasota, Florida, where he eventually became the lead technician for Specialized Pipe Technologies there. He also has a background in construction.
The younger Miller, 38, decided to open the Mansfield SPT branch shortly after moving back to Ohio, his father said. He invested in trucks, equipment, and machinery and hired a crew of skilled technicians to do the job.
Before any repairs are made, the pipes are thoroughly inspected and cleaned, Chuck Miller said. Then a textile liner saturated with epoxy is pulled into place and a rubber bladder inflated, which presses the epoxy against the pipe walls.
Once the epoxy-based resin cures, the bladder is deflated and removed, leaving behind a seamless “pipe within a pipe,” Miller said. “It’s like a stent when a doctor does work on your heart.”
The lining method works on all types of piping materials – “high rise stacks to grandma’s old sewer lines” – and on pipes from two inches in diameter up to 18 inches, he said, regardless of where they’re located.
SPT crews also unclog HVAC drains and do a big business repairing pool leaks, Miller said. “We do a specialty service. We’re the only one around. Business has been good. We’ve been blessed and we hope we keep being blessed.”