Rehabilitation means repairing an old pipe from the inside — without replacing it and without breaking open walls, floors or the yard. In effect, a new thin polymer pipe is pulled into the old one and cured in place. For pre-war buildings in central Tel Aviv or homes with paved yards, this is often the only sensible option.
When rehabilitation makes sense
- Recurring blockages that come back a week after cleaning — the problem is in the pipe walls or geometry, not the clog.
- Tree roots growing through joints — typical for private homes and ground floors.
- Cracks and chips in cast iron or ceramic pipes, visible on the camera inspection.
- A sag or "belly" in the horizontal section where water pools.
- Digging is impossible — heritage building, protected landmark, paved yard, or a freshly finished renovation.
Main methods
1. CIPP (cured-in-place pipe lining)
A resin-saturated felt or fibreglass liner is inserted into the existing pipe, then inflated with air or water against the old pipe walls and cured with hot water, steam or UV light. The result is a new pipe "inside the old one," 3–6 mm thinner.
- Service life: 30–50 years.
- Suitable for diameters 50–300 mm.
- Handles bends up to 45° without tearing.
2. Pipe bursting (destructive pull-through)
The old pipe is split from the inside with a cone head while a new PE pipe is pulled into its place. Rarely used inside apartments — mainly for external mains.
3. Spray coating
A rotating nozzle sprays polymer or epoxy coating along the full length of the pipe. Faster and cheaper than CIPP, but the layer is thinner — suitable where you need sealing, not structural restoration.
4. Pre-formed liner (slip-lining)
A flexible PE pipe is pushed into the old pipe and the gap is filled with foam or cement. Only works on straight runs without bends.
How the job is done
- Camera inspection — length, diameter, geometry and condition are mapped.
- Hydro-jetting — the walls must be bare; otherwise the liner bonds to the scale, not the pipe.
- Liner preparation — resin saturation and length measurement.
- Inversion — the liner is turned inside-out through the pipe under pressure.
- Curing — hot water or UV, 1–4 hours.
- Final camera check — geometry inspected, no folds allowed.
A typical apartment job takes 1 working day; a private home with an external run — 1–3 days.
How much it costs in Israel
- CIPP inside an apartment line — 800–1,500 ILS per linear metre
- Building riser rehabilitation — from 1,200 ILS/metre (paid by the ועד בית)
- External main for a private house — 900–1,800 ILS/metre
- Camera inspection (before works) — 400–900 ILS
- Minimum job — most companies only come out for 10 metres or more, otherwise it is not economical
What to keep in mind
- Rehabilitation does not fix incorrect slope. If the pipe sags, the liner follows the same geometry — the sag stays.
- Diameter drops by a few millimetres — negligible for a 100 mm pipe, but noticeable for 50 mm.
- Side branches must be reopened separately after rehabilitation (usually with a robotic cutter that reopens the connections and seals the joints).
- The process produces resin fumes — ventilate the apartment during the work.
FAQ
Is it really cheaper than digging and replacing the pipe?
Inside an older apartment — almost always cheaper and faster: no need to demolish tiling, screed and fixtures only to rebuild them. In a private home, it depends on access: if the pipe runs under a paved yard or foundation, rehabilitation saves 2–3× the cost.
How long does this kind of repair last?
CIPP manufacturers quote 50 years; in practice 30–40 years is routine. Comparable to a brand-new polymer pipe.
Can rehabilitation be done if parts of the pipe have essentially crumbled?
If intact walls remain alongside, yes — the liner takes over the structural role. If the pipe is fully broken (a rupture in the ground), that section must be dug up and replaced first, then adjacent runs can be lined.
Does a regular plumber handle rehabilitation in Israel?
No — these are specialist companies with CIPP rigs. On KABLAY you can find such pros in the "Plumbing" category marked for rehabilitation work; they usually arrive as a separate crew with equipment.