Why Sewer Camera Inspection is Useful For Repairing a Clogged Sewer?

A clogged sewer is every homeowner’s nightmare. It’s a nasty mess of a problem, full of horrible smells and disgusting seepages and backups. It can also potentially cause extensive damage and require a long and costly clean up. And while it’s not a given that you’ll have to deal with a clogged sewer — many lucky homeowners go their entire lives without a single sewer line problem — but if you live in an older home or an area with lots of mature trees, you may find yourself dealing with this most unpleasant of home problems.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to keep the horrible task of dealing with a clogged sewer at bay. One of the most useful and most practical is a sewer camera inspection. What is this, and why is it so important for both preventing and repairing clogged sewers? Read on, and we’ll tell you all about it.

Locate and Identify

A sewer camera is exactly what it sounds like — it’s a camera mounted on the end of a flexible rod that is able to snake through a sewer line. Essentially, it’s digital imaging for your sewer; the plumber can see what the camera lens picks up on a screen or mobile device. It’s an incredibly useful tool to have for a sewer inspection because it can actually see what’s going on down there without having to dig up the lines.

Specifically, a sewer camera can see any clogs, including what they’re made up of and exactly where they’re located. It can also see any build up in the pipes that may lead to clogs down the road. Finally, the camera can see small cracks in the line where tree roots can get in and eventually obstruct the flow of water and sewage. When you have a sewer camera inspection done, you’ll know exactly what the problem is and where the problem is, and your plumber can then make informed decisions about what to do to fix it.

What’s more, a sewer camera can see exactly what the pipes that make up the sewer lining system are made of, and it can help a plumber determine the approximate age of the pipes if it’s not already known. This gives you, the homeowner, some useful information regarding repairs. Plus, if the pipes are old and truly do need to be replaced, your plumber will know exactly what type of material to get before he or she starts digging.

Time and Money

Using a sewer camera inspection is a much faster option than digging, since it takes much less time to do a sewer camera inspection than to dig up the pipes. It also creates less havoc on your property, in terms of people working near your home as well as the upheaval of your lawn and garden. As a result, a sewer camera inspection costs you considerably less than a traditional dig up of the lines. And, if a clog is found, only that section of the line needs to be dug up, whereas before the existence of the sewer camera, the whole line had to be excavated. The whole repair is faster, meaning you can use your bathrooms sooner without fear of backups.

Sewer Camera Inspection is the Way to Go

Fortunately, sewer and drain line cameras are affordable, and these days, the majority of plumbers use them as diagnostic tools. If you’ve got a clogged sewer, or if you’re concerned about your older home’s sewer line, a sewer camera inspection can give you a lot of information about what’s going on down there for a reasonable cost and few headaches. Be sure to ask your plumber if he or she uses this helpful imaging device to locate and repair sewer clogs for a repair that’s faster and more affordable than ever.