If you have drains that are experiencing backups or an area that is obstructed that can’t seem to be pinpointed, or you suspect you have pipe damage, smart technology is available for getting the job done. For these and other issues, plumbing technicians can perform what is called a video pipe inspection.
A video pipe inspection involves the insertion of a video camera into a sewer or drain line. The video camera is connected to a highly flexible, yet durable, and waterproof fiber-optic scope that is capable of insertion into even small-diameter pipes through an access point. Typically, this access point is a vault, an inlet, or a drain. Once inserted, a plumbing professional can observe on a closed-circuit television screen what is going on inside your pipes. This technological advancement provides a wealth of benefits for the homeowner. If you are in Orange County or a surrounding area and are having issues with your pipes, a video pipe inspection just might be the way to go.
The roots of video pipe inspections date back to about 60 years ago. Early systems were extremely bulky and heavy and came with a great deal of difficulty when used for pulling through pipelines. Early pipe cameras were black and white, had low resolution, and required a great deal of light in order to produce a viewable picture.
Up until 2001, inspections were recorded on VHS tape, so easily providing the results of the inspection to the homeowner was also a challenge. Now, the process is fairly simple, can produce clear imagery even in low-light situations, and can be done with lightweight equipment in just a couple of hours. The practice of pipeline inspection and the CCTV systems now utilized bear little resemblance to the antiquated tools of yesteryear.
Let’s go over all the various benefits that come with such an inspection.
Finding Lost Valuables
It is quite common for homeowners to lose rings, other types of jewelry, or valuables down their drains. With a video camera inspection, your plumbing professional can much more easily find the missing item if it is still residing in your pipes.
Identifying Blockages
A major advantage of these types of cameras is that they provide the ability to identify blockages in your pipes that could be missed otherwise. For one thing, if your blockage is not happening at the level of your drain, it can be pretty difficult to find manually. Drain cameras can find the blockages that are happening deeper down. They can even locate debris that may be present at pipe junctions and sharp turns.
Clog Composition
What your clog is comprised of could determine how it should best be dealt with. By utilizing a video camera system, your plumber can see what material is causing the clog. For example, sewer line clogs could be made up of feminine products, bathroom tissue, grease, or tree roots. By knowing exactly what is causing the clog, your serviceperson can better determine the correct method for clearing it out.
Locating Line Breaks
Line breaks are a serious plumbing issue that can be difficult to spot. Line breaks can result in sewage leaking into your yard or your property’s foundation. If not treated quickly, you could be looking at some serious damage. With a video pipe inspection, line breaks can be found quickly, so the necessary repair can happen more expediently than otherwise.
Protecting Your Lawn
Before the advent of this type of technology, finding a clog in your sewer line meant digging a long trench in your lawn. The kind of damage this would cause to the grass, trees, and shrubs could take years to repair. Thankfully, the adoption of video pipe inspections has made targeting more precise and has rendered this more intrusive traditional approach obsolete.
Less Paperwork
When it becomes necessary for a plumbing company to trench through a homeowner’s lawn, there may be a need to apply for permits to do the work. This can often take a significant amount of time. With video pipe inspections, removing the clog is easier, so applying for a permit is often not needed.
Saving Money on Future Repairs
When considering purchasing a new home, a video pipe inspection can potentially save you a great deal of money. With a proper inspection, you can determine the health of the sewer system. Sometimes, updating sewer lines can cost thousands of dollars. With the proper amount of information going into such a massive investment as buying a new home, you can know if there is an unseen financial burden that you would be taking on.
Finding Leaks
With a sewer inspection camera, the location of a leak can be found quickly. The exact point of a leak can sometimes be elusive, particularly if it is hidden behind a wall or your home’s slab. A plumbing professional can measure just how far a cable went down your pipes before a leak was identified.
Preventative Maintenance
Some issues in your pipes, like cracks, can start small and build in severity over time. There may also be shoddy workmanship problems, where there might not be a problem yet, but which could lead to issues in the future. By scheduling a video pipe inspection as part of your regular plumbing maintenance plan, you can catch potential issues well before they present an actual problem.
Verification of Proper Servicing
Anytime that you have a repair or maintenance done on your pipes, you can request that your plumbing technician perform a video pipe inspection at the job’s completion to verify that the work was done properly. A video pipe inspection helps make sure that the work was done correctly the first time so that a repeat visit is not necessary.
How Often Should You Get a Video Pipe Inspection?
You should opt for a video pipe inspection anytime you are having issues with your plumbing that require a technician to come out. Further, routine maintenance should be part of your home care twice a year. When a plumbing technician makes their biannual routine maintenance visit, be sure to have them include a video pipe inspection.
Your San Clemente Video Pipe Inspection Team
If you are in San Clemente, CA, or a surrounding area and are having issues with your pipes, our team at Bill Metzger Plumbing would be happy to perform an inspection for you. We take special pride in providing homeowners with high-quality and reliable inspections. Our technicians use minimally invasive video inspection technology that allows for no digging. This helps protect both your home and your sewer line. This kind of care has made us a favorite go-to in Orange County for a wide array of plumbing needs, and we bring this level of service to every job that we perform.
Our highly trained technicians can also handle other services you may need from installing gas lines to maintaining septic tanks. If you have any issues that involve lines or drains, it is worth giving us a call to see if it is something that we can help with. If you are ready to get to the root of your pipe issues by having a video pipe inspection, get in contact with Bill Metzger Plumbing today.
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