FAQ

Neofit Frequently Asked Questions

Is Neofit certified for potable drinking water and how long will it last?
Answer: Yes, Neofit is NSF-61G certified for potable drinking water. Neofit is made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and has a minimum life expectancy of 50+ years. Plastic potable water bottles are also made of PET.
Estimates compiled from the U.S. National Park Service, United States Composting Council and numerous other federal and state agencies, estimate plastic water bottles made of PET may last 500+ years in the landfills. This is bad news for landfills but good news for Neofit.

Is Neofit a pressure pipe?
Answer: Neofit is not a replacement pipe. Neofit helps maintain the existing service pipe by re-lining, not by replacement. Its purpose is to seal leaks and extend the existing service pipes life or to create a safe barrier in existing lead service piping. Extensive testing was performed on the Neofit liner for different requirements in the US, Canada, Australia, Japan and Europe. For example, in one of the US tests, Flow-Liner subjected the liner to a 210 psi test for 48 hours with no loss in pressure. The test involved drilling several ½” ID holes with perpendicular 1” saw cuts in between the holes, into a section of 2” ID potable PVC pressure pipe. This was an “extreme conditions” test and the finished thickness of the Neofit liner was .05”. This demonstrates the strength and effectiveness of the PET polyethylene terephthalate liner.

Does Neofit affect the flow within the service piping?
Answer: Thousands of case history installations show no issues with the Neofit liner affecting the velocity flow of the host pipe. In fact, most cases show an increase in the velocity of older pipes due to the liners smooth continuous joint less characteristics. The same holds true for CIPP liner flow velocity effects.

Can the thickness of Neofit liner be increased if needed?
Answer: The Neofit liner is available in graduated thicknesses, and one could use the next thickness of liner to increase its structural abilities if you choose do to so. For example, the standard thickness of the Neofit liner for 3/4″ ID pipe could be doubled to an approximate .06” thickness. With thousands of Neofit case histories documented, this option has rarely been needed for small diameter service piping.

What is the advantage of this process over pipe-bursting and pulling new service tubing between curb and meter? It seems that both methods require the same amount of disruption.
Answer: Flow-Liner has years of experience with pipe-bursting and the pull-in technology for both water and sewer piping. The main important differences between the two technologies are as follows:

  • Pipe bursting requires both ends of the host pipe to be excavated and in some cases additional excavations are required if the pipe bends in different directions. In most cases this also requires the demolition and breaching of basement walls or concrete slabs/floors. This can be very invasive to the property owner, especially when it requires jack hammering up concrete slabs that may disrupt business operations or the home owners living environment, plus causes demolition debris, dust and noise.
  • Whenever an existing concrete, block or stone wall is breached in order to pipe burst through another service pipe, especially in older homes and buildings, the outside of the wall must be excavated in order to get the pipe through the wall and to properly re-seal and waterproof the outside and inside wall openings. In most instances this will require the removal or demolition of landscaping, porches, decks, sidewalks, driveways and other items that may be above the service pipe entry. This is very invasive, inconvenient and costly for the property owner.
  • Neofit only requires one excavation pit at the curb stop or in some installations where there is an adequate inground meter box, no excavation pit is required at all. With Neofit, the installer is able to pull or push the liner through the existing pipe into the basement, crawlspace or vertically up through a concrete slab. They are able to do this without excavation or demolition and without disturbing the original service pipe entry. Also, most polyethylene, copper or lead service piping, when rising up through a concrete floor, have a long sweep 90 degree bend or fitting, Neofit is capable of negotiating around these bends. This is not possible with the pipe bursting method.
Neofit is a viable non-invasive option with many benefits current technologies cannot offer. Neofit offers you another choice for repairing, protecting, maintaining and extending the life of your potable water service.

Kim C.

“Once again, Stemmle Plumbing Heating and Air, Inc. rescued me! And at a good price for a Sunday emergency call. The leak was diagnosed & fixed in what seemed like an instant. As always, I am a very, very happy long time customer! Thanks Clay”

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Frequently Asked Questions about Stemmle Plumbing in Richmond & Newport News, VA
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