When to hire a camera sewer line inspection
You can’t easily check the condition of a sewer line. These lines sit out of sight under the ground, and it can be hard to know when they have a problem.
In the past, homeowners might have had to dig up a line to check for damage; however, professional plumbers can now use special video cameras to get inside these systems and check their condition without any excavation work.
When should you consider asking a plumber to inspect a sewer line?
1. You’re Buying a New House
When you buy a new house, you should have a home inspection. While these inspections help you find out if the property is in good condition, they are a limited assessment. They don’t cover every part of the property.
For example, general home inspectors don’t look at sewer lines. So, you won’t know if a line has a problem before you buy your new home if you solely rely on this report.
If you buy the house and then discover that the sewer line has some damage, then you could have costly repair or replacement bills. Your homeowner’s insurance doesn’t typically cover general damage here, so you will have to find the money.
You can ask a plumber to run a camera inspection of a property’s sewer line before you decide to buy it. The inspection tells you if the line is in good shape. Or, it can highlight problems that need immediate repair. An experienced plumber can even assess if the line is likely to fail in the near future.
This is useful information to have. If the inspection shows that the sewer line is in good shape, then you don’t have to worry about it. However, if your plumber finds a problem, then you can make an informed decision on what to do next.
For example, you might be able to negotiate with the seller to reduce the price of the house to cover necessary repair costs. Or, you might simply decide not to go ahead with the purchase because the problems are too significant.
2. You Notice Changes in Your Plumbing System
Sometimes, you get signs of a problem sewer line in your plumbing system. These signs can be small initially but will get worse if you don’t fix them.
For example, if your sewer line has a clog, then you might notice an egg-like smell around your toilets and sinks. Water might drain out of your sinks more slowly. Regular drain cleaners won’t improve the situation.
In some cases, your toilet might bubble periodically. It might make odd sounds after a flush. Plus, it might fill up too far when you flush. Or, the water in its bowl might recede to lower levels than normal after a flush.
If your problem gets worse, then you might even see signs of sewage in your bowl. This tells you that your line is badly clogged or broken and is backing up. If you have any of these problems, then a camera inspection is a fast way to work out if your sewer line is at fault.
3. You Have Large Trees in Your Yard
Even if you don’t have any signs of sewer line problems right now, you should still consider having an inspection if you have one or more large trees in your yard. Tree roots can cause significant damage to sewer lines.
If trees are too close to your line or if they have extensive root systems, then a root can break into the line if it finds a weak spot. It then damages the line and creates a blockage inside. You will then start to have system problems.
A camera inspection can check for root ingress. If you do have roots in a line, then your plumber can use hydro jetting to remove them. If your line has weak spots, they can repair the damage to prevent future root growth problems.
To find out more, contact Spartan Plumbing Services and ask about our sewer line video camera inspections. We can check your system fast and, if you do have a problem, can make an appropriate repair.
