Sewer line renovations are among the most stressful and expensive home repairs people can be faced with. For long-lasting results, however, it's important to find the best in the business to resolve your sewer problems.
Video inspection is almost always the first step in sewer line repair. It's the most effective way to identify how severe damages are to your home's sewer, as well as what the right solution is for the job.
What Is a Sewer Inspection?
A sewer scoping inspection is the practice of putting a small, high-resolution video camera fitted with a light down a length of pipe to get the most accurate pictures of what is going on inside. Since every crack, flaw, blockage, or piece of buildup can be recorded in high-definition video, this operation allows plumbers to know exactly what they’re dealing with.
For homeowners and property owners, that kind of certainty pays for itself in the peace of mind alone. Using video inspection equipment to identify damage could potentially save you thousands of dollars in materials and labor from an expensive repair.
Who Needs Sewer Line Inspections?
Video sewer inspections offer invaluable sight into the sewer systems for residential, commercial, and municipal sewer lines. They can help both homeowners and property owners find the exact cause of sewer damage before it becomes a major, expensive repair.
Besides giving homeowners peace of mind about the condition of their sewer lines, sewer line inspections are also essential for commercial building owners who need to know the state of their pipes. Since commercial buildings that involve the preparation or handling of food have unique sewer issues, such as blockages caused by buildup of foodstuffs and grease, video inspections can give owners a clear picture of what is going on in their pipes.
Three Reasons You Need a Sewer Inspection
There are several reasons why using a sewer scope is the ultimate solution for identifying the full extent of the problem.
No Trenching Involved
Traditional sewer inspections involve digging up yards, parking lots, roadways, and sidewalks just to expose the pipe. This is a massive waste of time and resources. Video inspections remove this waste of time and money.
Less Labor
The absence of trenching means there's much less labor involved in a video pipe and drain inspection. This means conducting video inspections to discover potential pipe damage is much more affordable and accessible.
Choose the Right Solution the First Time
By getting a close-up look at the inside of the pipe, a plumbing technician can see what’s wrong and make a better-informed decision about the specific fix they should use — finding the best long-term solution for your pipe repairs.
Three Risks of Delaying Sewer Inspections
Delaying video inspections can allow a host of problems to go unnoticed with the potential for them worsening. Avoid these potential issues by scheduling regular sewer inspections!
Heavy Financial Burden
You may have damaged pipes and not even know it — until it’s too late! With video sewer line inspections, you can quickly pinpoint sewer disasters before they happen.
Not scheduling sewer inspections may allow minor cracks to become larger until they cause an entire sewer pipe collapse, which not only is an expensive repair but also can cause heavy damage to yards and surrounding property.
Potential Health Risks
Since many sewer pipes are almost entirely underground, it can be difficult to tell when they need repairs. However, delaying inspections could pose some dangerous health risks for your household.
There may be leaks you are not aware of, which pollutes the groundwater and may cause harmful mildew and mold to spread. These fungi can cause a host of severe respiratory problems, while groundwater pollution can harm the environment and potentially spread disease.
Severe Repairs
Minor cracks or clogs can turn into collapsed pipes or major backups if you delay repairs. Sewer line inspections can catch problems before they occur, so you can have the best preventive maintenance to avoid major issues down the road.
What Do Sewer Line Inspection Services Consist Of?
Each professional plumbing company may have a different video pipe inspection process, but generally, the sewer line inspection services follow some procedure. Express Sewer & Drain, for instance, uses robotic, remotely controlled CCTV cameras, supported by high-quality CUES software.
To inspect your sewer line, a trained technician will insert a video camera into your pipe and will inspect the line through the following steps.
Step 1: Entry
Most businesses and homes have a cleanout port access for their sewer line. A technician will use this entry to access your pipe.
For properties that do not have built-in insertion points, one will need to be made so that the sewer camera can be inserted into the pipe. This will require the technician to dig a small hole to get to the pipe, and then make a small hole in the pipe through which to insert the camera.
Step 2: Insertion
The second step of the process is the insertion of the sewer camera into the pipe. The camera is small and sends a live feed to a monitor/CCTV via a fiber optic cable, which allows the technician to view the inside of the pipe.
These cameras can be inserted through existing sewer entry points in pipes anywhere from 1.5” to 72” in diameter. The thorough self-propelled cameras can even inspect adjacent sewer laterals up to 80 feet.
Step 3: Examination
Since the CCTV operators are watching in real time, they are able to use the camera to view everything as it makes its way down the pipe from the time it is inserted. This allows them to be able to see whether your pipes are broken, have slipped, or if they are obstructed by globs of hair, grease, or organic growth like tree roots. The video is recorded so that it can be reviewed for a better determination of your sewer pipe issues.
Step 4: Evaluation
Once the camera has run the length of the pipe, the video is then reviewed and a recommendation can be made about how you can proceed. Video sewer line inspection is usually a speedy process, so you’ll have an answer about the condition of your sewer pipes quickly.
Three Benefits of Conducting a Sewer Scope Inspection
Using video equipment during preliminary inspections offers numerous benefits to commercial property owners, homeowners, and municipalities.
Affordability
Sewer line inspections can help homeowners and property owners with damaged sewer lines identify the most affordable repair solution possible. Instead of digging up the entire pipe, sewer line inspections can pinpoint the specific areas that need to be addressed, reducing the overall cost and the time it takes to fix the pipe.
Fast Identification
Video inspections can detect sewer line damage within minutes, helping isolate the problem immediately. In one visit, you receive a video inspection to pinpoint the plumbing issue, expert advice on a solution for your pipe, and a repair plan to fix the damaged pipework.
Environmentally Friendly
Since video pipe inspections are non-destructive, they are a more environmentally friendly option than traditional measures. Plants, shrubs, yards, trees, and other natural elements will remain untouched during the inspection process.
Common Issues Found During a Sewer Scope Inspection
Video line inspections are a more comprehensive and cost-effective way to pinpoint the location of sewer and pipe blockages, among other problems that could be plaguing sewer pipes.
For instance, video cameras can find the exact causes of sewer damage, including:
- Root intrusion
- Earthquake damage
- Pipe cracking
- Offset joint pipes
- Corrosion
- Deterioration over time
- Poor installation or previous repair efforts
- Accidental puncturing
- Severe blockages
Sewer pipe inspections are also a preventative maintenance method, since they can catch potential problems before they materialize into serious plumbing issues.
For insurance, the cameras may detect minor corrosion or cracks. While these issues may not be causing a major threat currently, they will develop down the road into major plumbing problems. Sewer line inspections can catch these issues so they can be addressed in time before becoming expensive repairs.
Sewer Scope Inspection Costs in Sacramento County
Sewer line inspections are generally a very affordable plumbing service. Each inspection will vary based on certain considerations, including the area in which it is performed, the property’s specifics, the plumbing company itself, and several other factors.
While sewer line inspections are affordable, they also can save you thousands in potential costs from devastating repairs. So, the cost can be low for sewer inspections, and the return on investment is high on what you would save.
How to Hire the Right Plumbing Company for Sewer Line Video Inspections in Sacramento
Are you considering hiring a plumbing company for sewer line video inspections? It’s important to hire the right professionals with the experience and latest equipment to receive the most out of your inspection service. Here are some tips to consider:
Sewer Video Inspection Equipment & Experience
It’s important to ask what kind of CCTV camera equipment the plumbing company uses. For instance, Express Sewer & Drain video inspection cameras use the following functions to identify pipe damage areas:
- Automatic and remote (manual) focus
- Manual zoom up to 40x (optical and digital)
- Iris control
- Directional lighting capabilities for pipes anywhere from 6” to 48” in diameter
These equipment functions allow the cameras to pick up even small details about the pipes to find any damages. An experienced plumbing company will be able to deliver the most thorough inspection experience for your pipes.
Affordability of Repairs
Be sure you’re hiring an honest team of plumbing experts, committed to providing the most practical and affordable video inspection solutions.
While many plumbing companies out there will offer price-inflated services and require high hourly labor fees for a simple drain inspection, the best plumbers will offer you affordable repairs with excellent, long lasting repair results. You can learn more about the quality of the plumbing company’s repairs by searching for customer reviews on the internet.
California Licensed and Insured
It’s important that any plumbing company you hire is properly licensed and insured. Working with only licensed plumbers helps to ensure you’re only receiving the most responsible and highest quality services. It’s California law that a plumber must have a current license to operate, which ensures they have the right training and are properly educated on California laws and codes on plumbing procedures.
Also, it’s wise to look for a plumbing company with worker’s compensation and liability insurance with a $500,000 minimum. Why does this matter? If you hire an uninsured plumber who gets hurt on the job, the property owner can be held responsible for their injuries!
Get Your Sewer Scope Inspection With Express Sewer & Drain
Receive only the highest quality video inspections from Express Sewer & Drain! Our sewer line inspection experts service any location within Sacramento County, as well as the suburbs, including:
Ready to save time and money on your sewer problems? Contact us for a fast sewer inspection today!
