Drain Inspection

CCTV drain camera inspection allows us to quickly and effectively diagnosis your drain or sewer problems.

Toronto Sewer & Drain Camera Inspection Technology

With the invention of drain and sewer camera inspection technology Toronto drain experts can now take the messy work out of diagnosing a hard to see sewer and drain problems.

In old times plumbing would have to be accessed directly to assess the problems; this meant tearing out walls, floors, ceilings, digging up property – you name it. Not only was this a messy business, but it was also extremely costly and not very efficient.

Many hours could be spent and much debris created before a problem would be known, once the drain problem was located the cost of fixing the problem was added to the cost of discovery.

With the invention of drain and sewer cameras, we can now access these pipes directly. Saving time and money.

Inspection with a CCTV drain camera allows us to pinpoint the exact nature of the problem afflicting your plumbing via a full high-definition video feed. Many drain cameras also include an audio feed which can help in specific situations.

The Drain or Sewer Camera Inspection Process

The camera inspection process is a fairly simple one. First, we must locate an entry point to access your sewer or drain pipe, this is usually fairly simple as these access points are commonplace. Next, we set up our camera inspection equipment nearby. The actual camera itself is attached to the end of a cable that is inserted into the drain or sewer pipe, the camera sends a continuous live video feed to a monitor that the plumber operating the inspection equipment uses to locate any problems within the pipes.

During the inspection the camera also provides extra information such as the length of cable that’s been deployed – this allows us to quickly assess exactly how far into the pipe a problem may be present. This will help if we need to employ the right drain service; drain cleaning, or sewer/drain repair for example.

Once the camera inspection process is complete we will know exactly what state your drain or sewer pipe is in.

Common Sewer and Drain Inspection Problems

Here are some of Toronto’s most common problems we find via drain camera inspection, it is certainly not uncommon for drain or sewer pipes to have a combination of these problems:

Fractured, or Cracked Pipes

One common problem that shows up in a CCTV inspection is cracked pipes, this can be caused by a variety of reasons commonly pressure from the environment causing the ground to compact. For instance, vehicles or roadways can be a source of cracked or fractured pipes.

Collapsed Sewer or Drain Pipes

When a drain or sewer pipe has been installed incorrectly or is very old and using dated materials it is common for the pipe to collapse entirely. This is a fairly serious issue that should be dealt with immediately.

Root Infestation

Trees are very effective at finding water in the ground, you may wonder how roots can infiltrate man-made drain pipe but they can and they do. The truth is that root infestation can be a serious issue, drain pipes can become completely infested with roots to the point there is simply no room for water to drain. This is usually caused by a crack in the drain pipe. Blockage from root infestation also increases the chances of other debris accumulating in the pipe. It is very easy to diagnose this problem with a drain camera inspection.

Bellied or Settled Pipes

One problem that can occur is from pipes that settle in the ground, this creates what is sometimes referred to as a “belly”. The pipe will accumulate water in this area since gravity does not have a chance to let it drain. This problem is usually due to the ground not being tamped correctly during the installation of the pipe; also the pipe may have been installed on a very rainy day causing ground erosion. This can lead to deposits of debris in addition to becoming a source of water for roots, insects, or even animals.

Is a Plumbing Camera Drain Inspection Right For You?

Unfortunately, many homeowners believe that nothing serious can happen to their home’s drain and sewer system. Even when there’s a clog in a sink or toilets simply are too slow while draining wastewater, numerous homeowners head out to buy some Drain-O. Problem solved, right? Well, approximately one of every five homeowners bumps into a major problem. It is quite possible to avoid if the homeowner has a drain camera inspection done before a simple drain cleaner is used.

A drain being cleaned out by a Toronto plumbing contractor

No matter how long you have lived in your home, whether it’s a few months or many years, it is good to remember that problems in the sewer or drain line are built over time. Most of the new homeowners ask for a home inspection when they buy their house but they never think to have sewer and main drain system checked and they pay dearly for their oversight sometime in the future. CCTV camera inspection can offer various benefits not only to the existing and future homeowners but also to construction companies and real estate agencies.

A drain camera inspection allows you to uncover any serious issues, such as cracks in the pipe, clogs that are not dissolved by chemicals, or roots inside the drain pipe.

Even if you own a brand new house and there are no current problems with your plumbing, that does not mean that something was not missed during construction or that one of the crew members did not damage a piece of pipe and not report it, or even natural gas line does not run straight through a sewer line.

A regular sewer or drain camera inspection is an important part of an on-going plumbing maintenance schedule for any property. Contact us at 416-252-5557 to discuss how modern CCTV plumbing inspection technology can help keep your plumbing in top performance.

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