Modern technology has impacted several areas of home care, and the plumbing world is a good example. Take drain cleaning, for instance – what used to be restricted mostly to plungers and older metal snakes now utilizes several modern materials or solutions in many cases, bringing cost-effective and efficient methods to clearing drains.
When you come to At Your Service Plumbing, Heating & Air, you’ll find a team that’s fully trained and licensed on all the latest drain cleaning technology. One option here that’s growing in popularity in recent years, particularly for tougher clogs in sewer lines, is the video pipe inspection – what is this, and what can it help with? Here are some basics to understand.
How it Works
Also known as a sewer camera inspection or various similar terms, a video pipe inspection is a process that, as the name suggests, utilizes a small video camera fed into the pipe in question to determine what’s causing a given blockage or issue. During this process, a small, flexible camera will be fixed to a cable that’s meant to feed into pipes and run the whole way through them if needed.
From here, the line will be fed down the pipe until it reaches the blockage or other issue (such as a broken or leaking line). Not only is a camera present, but also a tiny radio transmitter that can track the precise location and depth of the issue and inform the plumber of where they need to work.
Together, these devices make clearing drain issues far more efficient than in the past. Instead of taking educated guesses at what’s causing an issue, or worse yet having to dig up pipes or part of your yard to find out, you can understand the problem quickly and with no mess or hassle, plus your plumber will know exactly what needs to be done to fix your issue.
What it Helps Identify
There are several issues a video pipe inspection can help us identify in your system:
- Clogs and blockages: Your pipes themselves might be in great condition, but the system itself will not work well if various products or messes have clogged them significantly. A video inspection can not only identify where a clog is, but what it’s made up of and what might be required to clear it.
- Cracks, breaks or other pipe issues: If your pipes have undergone strain that’s led to cracking, leaking or other breakages, video can identify this as well.
- Sagging sewer lines: In some cases, sagging sewer pipes will allow waste and other materials to build up in the sagging section, which in turn will cause major blockages. Video can spot this, however.
- Tree root issues: In certain older sewer lines, tree roots may grow toward the line and even into it as they search for water, causing major issues. Video line inspections can help showcase the issue if it’s taking place.
For more on video drain inspections, or to learn about any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff with At Your Service Plumbing, Heating & Air today.
