What Homeowners Should Know About Sewer Pipe Cameras
Are you currently faced with a severe sewer problem that you don’t know how to fix? A sewer pipe camera may be your first step towards repairing it. Here’s what homeowners should know about sewer pipe cameras- the equipment, the cost and the processes associated with using video cameras to seek out household piping issues and sewer line problems:
What Is A Sewer Pipe Camera?
Believe it or not, video cameras are great for seeking out problems lying along underground sewer lines. Generally speaking, inspecting your damaged sewer lines via video camera insertion is one of the most non-invasive ways available. It’s non-destructive nature allows you to see where the issue lies without digging up your precious landscape. No matter where your piping system lies, you can use video cameras to identify the source of the sewage problem. It can detect obstructions such as:
Grease or sludge buildup
Pipe cracks
Offset joints
Sagging pipes
Negative grade sloping
Inline traps
Faulty mortar connections
Broken tiles
Tree roots
No More Guesswork
Before, old plumbers had to rely on their guesswork as to where the obstruction or sewer line issue was located. They would then commence on digging up the ground beneath the pipes, hoping to get it right the first time. If not, then they would do a lot more digging, which consumes time. The repair bills quickly build up as the process gets more expensive.
Now, the latest video cameras utilize radio transmitters to record the location of defects and its depth, showing the technician exactly where to dig and where the obstruction is. Such an accurate way of sewer repair is both time and money-efficient for homeowners and property managers alike.
Video Inspection
It’s quite easy to find DIY videos on the web, and building your very own sewer pipe camera is no exception. You’ll quickly find out how hard it is to build a professional unit that stands up to the more advanced ones though, due to the complex design and machinations required.
Most professional inspection video cameras cost upwards of $15,000. They feature high resolution images and powerful lights to see the obstructions better. Furthermore, they have enhanced capabilities such as recording and autofocus. Some even have auto-righting technology that fixes the image upright, no matter how they are angled. Most of them have built-in transmitters that show how deep and how far they are along the pipe to pinpoint the actual sewer line problem.
Sewer line cameras are usually attached to long, fiber-optic rods called push rods that are fed into the pipes. The fiber-optic rod may bend and go around corners so technicians can inspect a pipe thoroughly before making a decision. The video camera transmits what it sees to a monitor or it can be saved to a disk drive. You can opt in for a higher resolution and for the images to be in full color for a clearer, more precise view of the sewage problem at hand.
Sewer line inspections vary, depending on the technician or company. It can be as low as $99 or as much as $300; the latter price normally reflect better equipment and more advanced methods in sewer line repairs.
Regular drain lines and sewer line inspections are a part of any homeowner’s scheduled maintenance. Drain camera video inspections are great because they allow for an easy, no-mess and accurate method of checking what’s blocking your drain or sewer pipe. They literally let you see the root cause of your sewer line problem.
