You may not run into issues with your sewer often, but when you do, you want it to be handled as quickly and efficiently as possible. And the best way to do this is by opting for a sewer camera inspection. What is it? Read on and find out!
How a sewer camera inspection works
A sewer camera inspection is one of the best ways to diagnose your commercial plumbing issues. The process works by attaching a camera to a rigid cable and then inserted into a sewer pipe. A radio or GPS transmitter on the camera keeps track of its location, including the depth differential from the surface. This would later allow the plumbers to know precisely where any revealed issues are. And because the whole process relies on a camera, it is almost guaranteed to discover all problems if they exist. Of course, the precondition is that clogs do not prevent the plumber from fully exploring a pipe and cause them to miss some other problem.
What makes a sewer camera inspection a good idea
Excellent means of finding tree root infiltrations
A sewer camera inspection makes it very easy to find where tree roots have infiltrated your pipes. Especially since, presumably, you would be able to notice problems relatively early on. Roots are typically a complicated problem to diagnose. Because without using a sewer camera, your only option would be having your pipes dug up and checked manually. You can’t even anticipate where they’ve entered the pipe since roots spread in unexpected ways quite far from their trees. Another reason why this particular method is suitable when used against root infiltration is that it can slip past the only partially blocked pipe segments and check its entire length all at once. This means you would not need additional sessions and will be able to detect all problems early. Like the experts from Teddy Moving and Storage like to say, anticipating a problem lets you solve it much more easily. It’s true for relocation planning and anything else.
You can easily find blockages
Of course, a sewer camera inspection is also quite good for detecting regular blockages. Due to the nature of the procedure, you can skip a lot of extensive and tiring checks. And immediately find the major clog which is giving you trouble. The plumbers may even be able to somewhat mitigate the situation by using the rigid cable to break through. This, of course, depends on what the blockage is made of. But, if possible, it would also allow them, once again, to inspect the full length of the pipe. Still, prevention is once again better than looking for solutions. So make sure you understand what things you should never put down the drain due to how likely they are to cause serious clogs.
Pipe damage is easy to spot
A sewer camera inspection is not just good at noticing evident problems. Due to the way the cable used for the process moves inside the pipes, as it ‘hugs’ or ‘slithers’ along the walls, it is very good at checking them for damage. Your plumbers will quickly spot cracks, breaks, or collapsed pipe segments. So, if a leak is your issue, it will be located and then efficiently dealt with minimal time wasted on pointless digging.
Pipe sagging is hard to notice
One problem that is typically very difficult to notice but can develop into a more severe issue is pipe sagging. Due to age, previous damage, or various other reasons, your pipe may start to ‘sag.’ In other words, it would develop bumps or unevenness. The most basic trouble caused by this would be clogs and accumulation of debris catching onto these uneven pipe surfaces. If you don’t notice the problem quickly and the sagging grows pronounced enough, the chance of leaks increases substantially. Severe leaks can even temporarily make you vacate your home, and even when moving during summer, you still need to prepare the right way, let alone in harsher weather, so it’s best to be careful and prevent the need to do that.
Non-invasive and cheaper
Finally, the main reason a sewer camera inspection is such a good idea is how it’s done. In the past, any attempt to locate a problem with pipes would result in a lengthy and costly process. You would need to dig up individual sections of it. It would only prolong the time necessary to devise and put a solution into practice. It would also cost more and even ruin your yard. Obviously, people would prefer a quick and easy solution that requires putting in a call to the local plumbers. Digging out your yard should always be the final resort.
When to do a sewer camera inspection
You should look for an expert plumber to perform a sewer camera inspection when you notice any sign of plumbing issues and are reasonably sure it is not coming from within your house. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Sewer backup
- Slow drainage
- Odd and unpleasant smells coming from your sinks and drains
- Brown spots appearing on your wall or ceiling
- Gurgling toilet
In other words, anything that hints that there is a problem with your pipes.
Final comment
Now that we have answered what a sewer camera inspection is, it should be obvious when they are the preferable way of locating sewer pipe problems. Anything else would mean spending lots more money than you need to. Not to mention that it would also take much longer to complete a simple inspection!