Today, modern technology provides a clear and definitive eye into this hidden world: the sewer line video camera inspection. This powerful diagnostic tool enables a professional plumber to inspect the exact condition of the inside of your pipes, eliminating guesswork and allowing for precise, effective repairs. Your home’s main sewer line is its most critical plumbing component, but it’s also the most mysterious. It works silently underground, carrying all the wastewater from your home away to the municipal sewer system. When a problem like a clog, a slow drain, or a backup occurs, it’s impossible to know the true cause or the exact location of the problem without being able to see inside. That’s where this new technology comes in.
How a Sewer Camera Inspection Works
The process is straightforward but technologically advanced. A professionally trained plumbing technician will access your sewer line through a cleanout port, which is a capped pipe designed for this purpose. They will then insert a flexible fiber-optic cable into the pipe. On the tip of this cable is a small, high-resolution, waterproof video camera with its own powerful LED light source.
The technician skillfully guides the camera through the twists and turns of your sewer pipe, navigating its entire length from your house to the main sewer connection under the street. As the camera moves through the pipe, it transmits a live video feed to a monitor, allowing both you and the technician to watch the journey and see exactly what’s going on inside your pipes in real-time. A professional can record this footage for your records and can use a locating device to pinpoint the precise surface location and depth of any issues discovered.
What Can a Camera Inspection Uncover?
A video inspection can identify a wide range of common and serious sewer line problems with 100% accuracy.
- Tree Root Intrusion: This is one of the most common issues. The camera can clearly show the dense, web-like mass of tree roots that may have infiltrated the pipe through tiny cracks or joints.
- Cracked, Broken, or Collapsed Pipes: The high-resolution video can easily identify any structural damage, from minor cracks to fractures from shifting soil, or even completely collapsed sections of pipe that are causing a major blockage.
- Pipe “Bellies” or Sags: Over time, sections of a pipe can sink into the soil, creating a low spot or “belly.” This area collects solid waste and water, leading to frequent clogs. A camera can clearly show these sags.
- Serious Blockages: The inspection reveals the exact nature of a clog, whether it’s a buildup of grease and sludge, a solid foreign object, or something else entirely.
- Pipe Material and Overall Condition: The camera allows the plumber to identify what kind of pipes you have (e.g., older clay, cast iron, or modern PVC) and assess their overall condition, which helps in determining their remaining lifespan.
When is a Camera Inspection Essential?
While useful in many situations, a camera inspection is absolutely crucial in a few key scenarios:
- When Buying a Home: Before you finalize the purchase of a home, especially an older one, a sewer inspection can uncover hidden, pre-existing problems that could save you from thousands of dollars in unexpected repairs. Home inspection associations like the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) often recommend a sewer scope as a vital part of your due diligence.
- When Dealing with Recurring Backups: If you have to call a plumber every few months for the same clog, it means there’s an underlying issue that a simple drain snake isn’t solving. A camera inspection is the only way to find the root cause.
Your Utah Experts for Drain Camera Inspection
Don’t guess what’s wrong with your sewer line—see it for yourself. For homeowners and home buyers in Utah, the experienced team at Lets Fix Plumbing offers state-of-the-art drain camera inspection services. Contact us today for a clear and accurate diagnosis of your plumbing system.