Are cameras in your sewer? Well, if you have a problem, they can be a big part of correcting it. In today’s world, there are cameras all around us. Most of us have smartphones with high-resolution cameras available at all times. Walk into a public place, and you should expect to be recorded on a video. There are even drones with cameras put to work above our heads, so why not put cameras to work under our feet? In the past, finding blockages in your sewer line was done by “dig points,” which is very labor intensive, expensive and potentially very damaging to your yard. Next time you have a sewer blockage between your house and the public sewer line, don’t be surprised if your plumber performs a Sewer Camera Inspection.
Here are a few things to know about Sewer Camera Inspections:
What is a Sewer Camera Inspection?
This is a process where a professional plumber will search for a blockage in your sewer line if traditional methods like plungers, auguring or drain cleaners do not work. The camera will be inserted from plumbing fixtures inside the house towards the connection in the street. The camera will show lighted images in the sewer pipe until a blockage is found.
This is not something you should do yourself, the inspection should be performed by an experienced professional plumber with the proper HD camera. The type of camera a professional would use costs more than $10,000. It is a self-leveling, high definition product with HD recording capabilities. It has and a length of over 300 feet with a transmitter attached on the end. A professional will recognize problems and/or potential problems that you may overlook.
What will the camera see?
The camera will show images from the traps of your fixture, the sewer lines under the house and the main line in the yard up to the blockage. If the camera can push through the blockage, it will show the image all the way to the public sewer main. The picture will be lighted and in high definition, but expect a jerky image.
Once the camera locates the blockage how do you know where to dig?
Once the camera with the transmitter stops at the blockage, the plumber will use a locating device above ground to find the transmitter. By marking the spot, you’ll be able to know exactly where the plumber needs to dig in order to remove the blockage, repair the pipe and minimize expense and damage to your yard.
