How Do Plumbers Conduct Sewer Line Inspections?
admin • May 18, 2015

Inspecting a sewer line used to be a serious operation, involving heavy equipment, burly construction teams and your front yard transformed into a muddy pit. Considering our wet weather in Olympia, WA, the process becomes all the messier whenever the next rainstorm rolls in. But those days are long gone. Thanks to advancements in technology, plumbers can conduct sewer line inspections cleanly and efficiently, and determine the problem with your line without having to excavate it. How do they do it? Techniques vary, but the basics come down to one factor: video cameras.

Inspections with Miniature Cameras

Video cameras have shrunk to the point where we can include them on cell phones without increasing its size at all, and that development has been quietly revolutionary to the plumbing industry. A trained technician can simply insert a camera on the end of a snake – similar to the snakes used to clear clogs in your pipes – and run it down the line until it reaches the trouble spot. He or she can then examine it via a monitor on the surface and determine how exactly the problem can be fixed.

Benefits to You

The benefits to you usually translate into reduced cost. Because there’s no excavation necessary, a diagnosis can be made without costing a lot of money, and while the plumber may eventually need to dig up the line to correct it, you don’t need to shoulder those costs unless they’re absolutely necessary. It also helps in terms of time: allowing the plumber to make a diagnosis quickly and set up repairs before any inclement weather rolls in. Here in the Pacific Northwest, such speedy decisions can be worth their weight in gold.

If you’re having problems with your sewer line and need a quick inspection from a trained professional, then Brooks Plumbing is standing by to help. Give us a call today!

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