Your main sewer line is the tail-end section of your home’s plumbing, says BHB Real Estate Management team. It serves the invaluable role of collecting wastewater from the various plumbing fixtures and appliances in your home and transporting the used water to the municipal sewer system in the streets.
Even though the sewer line is the most overlooked part of your plumbing – because you rarely have reason to interact with it – it underpins the function of the rest of the plumbing. A well-maintained sewer line helps to ensure the optimal function of your entire plumbing system.
To maintain your sewer system cost-effectively, it is important to know what is going on inside the line. Without up-to-date information on the physical condition and existing problems in the system, your sewer line maintenance will always fall short of its target.
How do you obtain this information? Sewer line inspections provide valuable insights into the real-time problems in a sewer line. Sewer line inspections identify the issues in the sewer system, while sewer line maintenance is the actual process of solving those problems.
This makes sewer line inspection the most critical step for ensuring the success of your sewer line maintenance efforts.
What is a sewer main line inspection?
A sewer line inspection is conducted by a professional who uses a small, specialized, high-resolution waterproof camera that is attached to the end of a flexible cable. The rod is inserted into the sewer line via a cleanout or other access point and maneuvered through the line.
Because of the flexibility of the cable, it can follow the bends in the sewer line. Meanwhile, as the camera wends its way through the line, it videos the inside of the system and sends a live feed to an above-ground screen that is monitored by the operator.
The camera can detect the following sewer line problems:
- Cracks, hairline fractures, and leaks
- Signs of corrosion and impending sewer line collapse
- Pipe misalignment, offset joints, and weak connections
- All issues affecting the integrity of the line
- The presence of tree roots inside the sewer line
- Blockages and the type of materials blocking the line
- Deterioration of the line due to chemicals
Benefits of main sewer line inspections
A main sewer line camera inspection detects the potential issues in your sewer line at its early stages. This gives you the ability to preemptively address those issues before they become an expensive disaster. Here is a snapshot of the benefits of doing a main sewer line inspection:
- Accurate diagnosis
Because the inspection allows professional plumbers to do a visual inspection of the sewer line, they can diagnose the problems in the line accurately. This method eliminates 100% of the guesswork.
- Non-intrusive
Older sewer line inspection methods involve the process of digging up the line to inspect it physically. Sewer camera inspection does not entail excavation. You can avoid damage to your landscaping and surrounding structures.
- Minimally disruptive
A sewer camera inspection will not adversely impact your lifestyle the same way that other inspection methods will. The inspection can be initiated and completed in one day with almost zero disruption to your daily routine.
- Avoid untimely replacement
Armed with the info from the main sewer line inspection, you can target specific parts of your sewer line for repair. This is unlike in the past when you had to replace the entire sewer line because you didn’t know where the problem areas were located.
- Save money
The above benefits will save you money in more than one way. You save money by cutting the actual cost of sewer line repair. You also save money by eliminating the cost of fixing your landscaping, which would have been damaged by excavation.
- Useful when buying a home
A main sewer line inspection removes some of the uncertainties buyers have when buying a home. If the inspection is initiated by the seller, it helps build buyer confidence. It may even improve the seller’s negotiating power.
- Valuable for proactive maintenance
A main sewer line inspection is the perfect tool for preventive sewer line maintenance. It allows you to stay steps ahead of developing issues in the sewer line instead of belatedly responding to problems after they have happened.
Does your home need a main sewer line inspection?
When should you consider doing a main sewer line inspection?
- If you are experiencing recurring slow drains, clogs, and blockages in your home
- If you constantly smell sewage odors inside and around the house
- If you see signs of ground settlement near the sewer line
- If your plumbing is old or you have never done a sewer line inspection
- If you are about to sell your home or you are buying a new home
Finally, the quality of the plumber you hire for the sewer line inspection is essential. In many ways, it is the most critical factor in the success of the operation. That is because the plumber must have enough expertise to interpret the inspection result and recommend the best solutions.