Have you ever suspected a leak in your plumbing? Maybe you noticed a strange smell on your property or other telltale signs. You probably called a plumber to help identify and fix the issue. Plumbers bring many tools when inspecting sewer lines, including sewer cameras.
A sewer camera is an important tool in a plumber’s arsenal. It helps them look inside sewer pipes to determine the issue. This means plumbers don’t need to dig up huge portions of your property to identify the problem.
Whether you’re living in Indiana or anywhere else in the world, sewer cameras are critical tools for sewer plumbing jobs. However, they have limitations, as well.
How Do Sewer Camera Inspections Work?
Understanding sewer pipe inspection cameras starts with knowing about the basic plumbing on your property. Usually, you’ll find sewer lines under your home or business beneath the foundation. Often several inches of concrete rest over top of the pipes along with a couple of feet of dirt.
As you can see, your sewer lines are located deep beneath your foundation and are difficult to access. When something goes wrong, like a blockage or a leak, it’s hard to see what the issue is without unearthing much of the property. That’s where sewer camera inspection comes in.
Plumbers can perform a sewer line camera inspection to see what’s going on with your system without massive excavations. These cameras rest on top of a flexible cable and are inserted directly into sewer pipes. The plumber can watch above to see where the issues are.
What Sewer Cameras Can Do
Plumbers use sewer cameras for many reasons, but they have some limitations. Here are a few things sewer cameras can do:
Locate Sewer Lines
Some sewer cameras come with a location device. This means they can be dropped into the area with the sewer lines and then located when they’re near a pipe to determine where the lines are located.
Locate Stoppage or Drainage Issues
Over time, blockages can occur that stop your home’s flow of water. Sediment and other materials can build up inside your pipe and keep it from draining properly. A professional can perform a sewer camera inspection to locate the blockage, remove it, and restore water flow.
Check Connections
The pipes in your sewer system connect with different types of fittings and tees. These connections can also experience issues that can lead to problems in your sewer line. With a sewer camera inspection, plumbers can check out your connections to determine any issues.
As you can see, sewer cameras are a big part of large plumbing projects, as they let plumbers see what’s going on below. However, they do have limitations.
What Sewer Cameras Can’t Do
Just like anything else, there are limitations to what a sewer camera can detect. First, a sewer camera doesn’t make repairs. It’s only used to gain a visual of your sewer pipes and connections.
The biggest limitation of sewer cameras is that they can not locate leaks. This might sound strange, but it is a critical point. On their own, sewer cameras cannot determine where the leak is in your plumbing.
However, sewer cameras are an important part of leak detection. Plumbers use them in the leak location process along with other tools to determine where the leak is so that your plumber can fix it.
There are several reasons a sewer camera alone can’t detect a leak. First, remember that the camera goes inside the pipes themselves. While a plumber can see what’s going on inside to a certain degree, they can’t see if and where water is leaking outside the pipe.
Also, remember that the inside of your sewer line is as messy as you would expect. Moving wastewater all over the place makes pipes dirty, and the insides often have a lot of build-ups.
A camera can show many imperfections, but it’s up to your plumber to interpret them and use other tools to make final determinations. The camera may pick up something that looks like a leak, but it could end up just being buildup or an imperfection.
A professional plumber will use several tools to determine whether there are leaks in your system and where they are. Sewer cameras are a vital part of this process, so they are a necessary tool even though they can’t detect exact leaks.
Rely on Indiana Leak Detection for All Your Plumbing Needs
Indiana Leak Detection proudly offers residential and commercial plumbing services in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the surrounding areas. If you need sewer camera inspection services or other plumbing services, reach out to our trusted team today.