Calling on the skills of a plumber to find what's wrong with the plumbing in your home or commercial building may lead down the drain and to a sewer camera inspection. Some problems can't be solved by flushing alone. The price of said inspection is rarely cheap, which is something a lot of customers balk at and wonder if the sewer camera is even necessary.
Why the Plumber Is Promoting the Sewer Camera Inspection
It's not that the plumber is trying to get you to fork over more money. A sewer camera is an expensive piece of equipment that plumbers aren't going to risk for every job. It can become damaged in the line of work, and replacing it is pricey.
Instead, think of it another way. If the plumber says you need a sewer inspection, there's probably an issue he can't see or feel while trying to fix the plumbing. These issues are also something that an auger and continuous power flushing don't seem to be fixing. The use of the sewer camera will show the plumber exactly what the problem is and where in the sewer line it is located.
The Blockage
Just about anything can be a blockage in a sewer line. Plumbers have seen it all. Large wads of toilet paper, tree roots invading the sewer pipe, large rodents that were stuck and trapped in the pipe, feminine hygiene products that should not have been flushed down a toilet, and even masses of coagulated grease and cooking fats have been discovered in pipelines. Of course, the plumber would not know that unless a sewer camera had been sent in to investigate.
With each unique case, a plumber that sends a camera down a sewer drain is looking for what the blockage is and where the blockage is creating the problem. With some blockages, like tree or shrub roots, it becomes imperative that the property owner get a contractor to remove the offending greenery so that the roots can be removed, and the pipe can be replaced. If the section of pipe is under concrete, as is the case in many older homes, or located near the foundation of the home, it requires more than one contractor to fix it.
The Location of the Blockage
If the blockage is anywhere in the pipe from the sewer stack to the street, the plumber may be able to do something about it. Once the blockage hits the street sewer pipe, it becomes the city's problem. If that's the case, the plumber will write something up for you to give to the city so that they know that there's a problem with the city sewer system close to your home. (This could never be accomplished without the camera inspection.)
If the blockage is something that can be blasted with a power flush, such as a wad of toilet paper or cooking fats, the plumber can clear it. What the plumber can't clear is feminine hygiene products, which have to be pulled from the line with an extra-long sewer auger. Tree roots require a sewer pipe contractor to fix as the pipe has to be unearthed and replaced plus a removal of the offending tree or bush.
The Camera Can Also Help Prevent Future Plumbing Issues
After a sewer camera inspection, the plumber can complete a report for you detailing other complications he noticed. These issues could include a dip in the line, corroding pipe that could fail, and pipes that are no longer connected to each other. These issues might be something you will want to remedy soon so that you do not have a major plumbing failure or have to call the plumber out repeatedly. Preventing future problems is one of the major resulting benefits of having a sewer inspection via camera.
The Final Point and Argument for the Inspection
The final point and argument for a sewer camara inspection is for the purpose of repairs. Sending a camera through the pipe lets the plumber gauge where the damaged area of pipe lies. It's noted how far down the line and then the pipe can be dug up and replaced without having to dig up the entire sewer line and making a mess of your yard or your basement.
