drain SEWER video inspection
Drainage | Stoppage Issues
Sewer pipes work using the power of gravity. The pipes flow downhill so when something goes into the pipe—waste, debris, water—it flows or drains down through your piping system and ultimately ends up at your city’s waste treatment center or septic tank, depending on your particular situation.
However, if something is causing your system to not work properly, in most cases we can use a sewer camera to determine what is causing it. Often in cases like these we find stoppages, blockages, roots, mud, broken pipe, etc.
PVc, Cast Iron, clay tile or orangeburg Pipes
We determine what type of sewer system you have by running a video camera inside the pipes.
Sewer System Connections
With a sewer camera, we can see fittings, tee’s, and other types of connection. We can also use it at the connections to run water. We’re able to see where the water flows to or from and/or comes from one line to another.
Unnecessary Plumbing Repairs
Depending on your situation, a sewer camera inspection alone may not be adequate in finding potential problems. And it is not at all adequate if it’s leaks they are looking for.
The most important thing to know is if a plumbing company does a leak location test with a camera as the only or primary tool, it’s very possible you’re being told there are leaks when there are none. If that’s the case, you could end up paying for repairs you don’t need.
If you suspect a plumber told you, you need a leak repair when you don’t, please give us a call at 719-639-4137 We’re happy to come out and do the proper testing for your system.
Sewer line issues?
It’s hard to know what is going on in the sewer line without a camera inspection. It could be tree roots, perhaps something was flushed down the toilet that shouldn’t have been flushed down the toilet. It could even be what know one likes to hear, a broken sewer line. Whatever the problem is, a sewer line inspection will take out the guess work. With the combination of a camera and a locating device we will know what and where the issue is. If you are in the process of buying a house that is build prior to 1980, I recommend a sewer line inspection.
Prior to about 1980 the main sewer line to a house was clay pipe. Clay sewer line is susceptible to tree root intrusions. When clay pipe was installed they used a sealant at the joints where the pipes meet. After about 7 years this sealant breaks down and when it does, it allows moisture to seep out of the pipe. Tree roots find this moisture and follow it to the source which is inside the sewer line. Given time the tree roots will grow breaking and collapsing the clay sewer line.
Houses built after about 1980 have PVC or plastic sewer lines. The advantage of PVC over Clay is the PVC (if installed correctly) is sealed. There is no moisture on the outside of the pipe for trees to find so they don’t attempt to enter the sewer line.
How do I know if I have clay or PVC sewer lines? As a rule of thumb 1980 is year it was changed form clay to PVC. There is a large overlap in these years. I have seen PVC as early as 1977 and clay pipe as late as 1982. A way to see it you have clay or PVC is to look in the crawl space or basement. If you see PVC pipe then most likely the main sewer line is PVC. If you see cast iron pipe then most likely it is clay sewer pipe.
Sewer pipes work using the power of gravity. The pipes flow downhill so when something goes into the pipe—waste, debris, water—it flows or drains down through your piping system and ultimately ends up at your city’s waste treatment center or septic tank, depending on your particular situation.
However, if something is causing your system to not work properly, in most cases we can use a sewer camera to determine what is causing it. Often in cases like these we find stoppages, blockages, roots, mud, broken pipe, etc.
PVc, Cast Iron, clay tile or orangeburg Pipes
We determine what type of sewer system you have by running a video camera inside the pipes.
Sewer System Connections
With a sewer camera, we can see fittings, tee’s, and other types of connection. We can also use it at the connections to run water. We’re able to see where the water flows to or from and/or comes from one line to another.
Unnecessary Plumbing Repairs
Depending on your situation, a sewer camera inspection alone may not be adequate in finding potential problems. And it is not at all adequate if it’s leaks they are looking for.
The most important thing to know is if a plumbing company does a leak location test with a camera as the only or primary tool, it’s very possible you’re being told there are leaks when there are none. If that’s the case, you could end up paying for repairs you don’t need.
If you suspect a plumber told you, you need a leak repair when you don’t, please give us a call at 719-639-4137 We’re happy to come out and do the proper testing for your system.
Sewer line issues?
It’s hard to know what is going on in the sewer line without a camera inspection. It could be tree roots, perhaps something was flushed down the toilet that shouldn’t have been flushed down the toilet. It could even be what know one likes to hear, a broken sewer line. Whatever the problem is, a sewer line inspection will take out the guess work. With the combination of a camera and a locating device we will know what and where the issue is. If you are in the process of buying a house that is build prior to 1980, I recommend a sewer line inspection.
Prior to about 1980 the main sewer line to a house was clay pipe. Clay sewer line is susceptible to tree root intrusions. When clay pipe was installed they used a sealant at the joints where the pipes meet. After about 7 years this sealant breaks down and when it does, it allows moisture to seep out of the pipe. Tree roots find this moisture and follow it to the source which is inside the sewer line. Given time the tree roots will grow breaking and collapsing the clay sewer line.
Houses built after about 1980 have PVC or plastic sewer lines. The advantage of PVC over Clay is the PVC (if installed correctly) is sealed. There is no moisture on the outside of the pipe for trees to find so they don’t attempt to enter the sewer line.
How do I know if I have clay or PVC sewer lines? As a rule of thumb 1980 is year it was changed form clay to PVC. There is a large overlap in these years. I have seen PVC as early as 1977 and clay pipe as late as 1982. A way to see it you have clay or PVC is to look in the crawl space or basement. If you see PVC pipe then most likely the main sewer line is PVC. If you see cast iron pipe then most likely it is clay sewer pipe.