Every homeowner’s stomach sinks when s/he realizes there is a sewer problem. It’s when the dish water and bath water drain slowly or when the toilet is flushed and overruns onto the bathroom floor. It’s when there is no water pressure to speak of when showering. When chemical over-the-counter products fail to speed up water drainage, it’s time to call in the professionals. The reason for the sinking stomach is the cost. On the other hand, better that than sewer problems inside the house where effluvia cause illnesses. What should a homeowner do? Check out sewer video inspection – homeowner basics to know.
How Sewer Video Inspections Work
A Vactone truck will park over or near the pipe’s access point. This could be a manhole in the street or a capped access in your yard. On the truck is a cable from which the operator will lower the camera into the hole. If the pipe is very small, a device called a fish maneuvers the camera through the pipe. A rope is used to pull the camera back out of the hole. The camera will go to the end of the line, or it can go from the manhole in the street to the pipes leading out of the house.
The operator will be monitoring the video from the back of the truck, where you may stand to see what he’s seeing. As the camera moves along the pipe, the operator will be analyzing what he’s seeing and reporting to you what should or shouldn’t be done. The picture will be jerky because the camera will be pushed along the line. When you see the blockage, the operator will mark the spot on the property with spray paint preparatory to digging in. This is accomplished by a frequency read-out from the camera to a device the operator carries above ground.
Possible Causes of Blockage
There are times when people unthinkingly flush paper towels, baby wipes, makeup removal pads or burned paper removing addresses due to identity theft. We don’t always think consciously about what we’re flushing, especially when our minds are consumed with other problems. Therefore we get a backup requiring professional removal. We also don’t think a thing about washing the frying pan with grease in it, putting our butter-soaked pancake plate in the sink or washing the bowl with the oily popcorn. This, the hair from the shower drain and a dozen other things form a scum on pipes that it takes blasting to remove. Homeowners also need to consider pipes could be collapsed or damaged from ground movement. The ground shifts, freezes and moves with intense weather changes like storms.
Some homes were built before copper and PVC pipes were commonly used. Old pipes were made of porous materials like clay or cast iron which can rust over time. Older pipes were also installed in sections making weak spots at the joins. When holes appear in these old pipes, tree roots and leaves, dirt and other waste gets into pipes. Blockage of this type can be blasted out, as well as the coating on the pipes from grease and scum.
It won’t be a cute video of the kids playing or the pets romping in the yard, but it is one movie every homeowner should see. Contact us for more information.