Your drains work every day to clear water and waste products from your home. Most of the time they work without incident, which is why many homeowners don’t give them a second thought. However, issues can happen which can be frustrating and expensive. Don’t forget that the drains are your responsibility until they are off your property.
What Is Drainage CCTV
It’s actually as simple as it sounds. Drainage CCTV simply refers to a CCTV camera, or several, being inserted into your drains. The camera provides a live feed so that you can see what condition the inside of your pipes are in.
It is possible to record the feed, this allows you to identify a potential issue and monitor it to see if it develops. You can book a drainage CCTV survey with a reputable firm. They will inspect the inside of your pipes, map their route, and let you know of any issues or potential future problems.
However, you don’t need to pay a professional firm. You can inspect the inside of your drainage yourself, all you need is to find a good sewer camera for sale and lower it inside your drains. Don’t be tempted to make a camera up yourself. The purpose-designed ones do well in this environment, a homemade version may not give clear images or may separate from the wire, leaving you with a camera going down the drain.
Things A CCTV Drainage Survey Can Identify
The aim of a CCTV drainage survey is to identify the condition of your pipes. This will allow you to spot an issue early and rectify it. Not only is this generally cheaper and you can budget for it, but repairing and maintaining regularly should help you to avoid unexpected surprises in your sewer pipes.
Clogs
The most common issue in a drainage pipe is clogs. This can be because too much toilet paper has been used, because waste products have built up, or even because of a build-up of waste. Alongside this, a clog can be caused by foreign objects going down the drain. This includes if you have an open outside drain, leaves and debris from the garden.
All clogs cause a slowing of drainage in your appliances before they allow the water to back up and enter your home.
Breakages
Another major issue in drainage pipes which a CCTV inspection will spot is breaks. These can range from small cracks or holes, and even complete breakage of the pipes.
The most common reasons for this are age and trees. Old pipes will perish, even those that are made of plastic. But, the bigger threat is generally tree roots. The sewer pipe represents nutrients and water, it makes it a good idea for the roots to push through the pipe wall. Of course, this will mean digging around the area to replace the broken pipe, trim the roots, and add a shield for the future.
On a final note, if you’re considering purchasing a house then this is a great time to get a professional drainage CCTV done. IT will help you to understand the condition of your existing pipes.