Why Being Able to See the a Drain Can Change the Decision You Make
Drain jetting is a powerful way of cleaning out a pipe because it cleans away the buildup from inside. When grease, sludge, roots, paper and so forth are reducing the flow of water inside the drain, water sprayed in at high pressure can be a very effective way to clear the blockage and clean the pipes out fully.
The important question, though, is whether the pipe is a good candidate for this kind of hydro jetting. A pipe that is coated with grease is different from a line that is broken, while a sewer line where roots are encroaching into it is a different thing again from a sewer where a belly or groove is holding water.
The trouble is that the symptoms of these different problems can all look similar from inside the house. That is why a camera inspection of the sewer before deciding which method to use to relieve the problem can be a valuable option for homeowners in Woodstock who are having problems with recurring clogs or a backup that did not respond well to ordinary snaking. The camera helps identify the underlying problem, rather that trying to diagnose it by looking at the symptoms at surface level.
What Can be Looked for with a Camera
A sewer camera inspection shows the technician the inside of the drain or sewer line. They can then look to see what material is stuck to the pipe wall, or if there is standing water indicating a belly or root intrusion. Equally, if the problem is a broken pipe or a collapsed area, inspection with a camera will reveal this.
Grease and sludge often show up as a coating that narrows the inside of the pipe. This is especially common in kitchen lines because grease will inevitably build up over time even when the homeowner is very careful about making sure dirt doesn't go down the sink, yet small amounts of grease will eventually cool and cling to the inside of the pipe over time.
Roots can show up as strands or thicker growths entering through a joint or a crack in a pipe. Even if they are cleared away around the pipe, the opening that allowed them into the drainage system to begin with may still need monitoring or repair.
A belly is different again: a pipe belly is a low section of the unit that holds standing water and solids instead of draining cleanly. If the camera inspection reveals water sitting in a U-shaped section, then there is a belly. Repeated cleaning may provide temporary relief when this is present without actually correcting the underlying slope issue.
Why Woodstock Conditions Make Camera Work Useful
Woodstock homes are not all alike. An older house will inevitably have older pipes, while some homes have drainage systems that are more difficult to access. A wooded property near Towne Lake can have additional root pressure that a more open property may not have.
Some properties have easier access to the cleanout, while others might require more planning. Similarly, landscaping, retaining walls, slopes, finished basements and HOA expectations can all be factors in terms of how a drain or sewer problem should be approached.
A camera inspection does not solve these access issues by itself, but it does give the plumber a better idea of what's going on before choosing the next step. If the pipes need cleaning, the technician can plan this with more confidence once he has seen inside, while if the line needs repair, the homeowner can avoid wasting money by having a broken pipe cleaned when it actually needs to be repaired.
What Root Intrusion Means
Roots in a sewer line usually mean that moisture is escaping from an opening in the drains. Nearby roots are then moving towards that moisture.
Hydro jetting can help clear roots like this away in many situations, especially when roots are part of a clog that is catching paper and waste. The camera can help show where the roots are entering and how much material is inside the line.
However, a point of caution is that clearing roots away does not automatically fix the wider issue. If roots entered through a crack or separation, the homeowner may need to organize for a section of pipe to be repaired. A camera inspection helps delineate what needs to be immediately cleaned and what requires a long-term fix.
What Pipe Belly Symptoms Indicate
A pipe belly often behaves like a recurring clog because water and solids are not leaving a section that is sitting lower than the rest of the pipe. The pipe might then drain more slowly or even become fully clogged after heavy use, as the water has to try and fight through the standing water and debris in the belly of the pipes.
Jetting may flush out the debris from a bellied section, but it does not change the actual slope of the pipe. Therefore, if a camera inspection shows a significant belly, the plumber may need to carry out more wide-ranging repairs.
How Camera Findings Affect the Jetting Plan
If the camera shows a soft buildup of grease or other residue along the walls of the pipe, then drain jetting may be a strong choice to solve the problem. Alternatively the technician can choose the access point and cleaning approach with an eye to what is visible.
If the camera shows root intrusion, jetting may still be useful, but the homeowner should understand whether the root entry point remains, in which case the actual gap or crack that allowed the roots in to begin with needs to be taken care of.
If the camera shows a collapsed area or a major separation, or some other structural defect, jetting may not be the the best approach. For instance, cleaning a broken line can create false confidence if the real issue is damage or the installation condition.
Why Camera Inspection Can Prevent Over-Treating the Problem
Homeowners often hear about hydro jetting only after a clog becomes a repeated problem. It is natural to want the strongest available cleaning method in these cases, but stronger is not always better if the pipe is damaged or the restriction is not actually a buildup of dirt or grease in the pipe. In these cases hydro jetting can constitute over-treating of the problem.
A sewer camera inspection helps prevent over-treating a problem that needs repair and under-treating a problem that needs more than an auger simply being run through the pipe, while it also helps the homeowner better understand whether the issue is one of maintenance or if it is a structural conundrum.
This will impact on the budget for this work; a homeowner can make a better decision when they know whether the drains need cleaning or if a repair plan has to be developed. Guesswork, which is what is occurring in some cases without a camera inspection, usually costs more in the long run.
What Happens After the Inspection
After the camera inspection, the plumber should be able to explain the likely cause of the clog, or if there is a structural issue, before recommending the next steps such as snaking, hydro jetting, excavation, repair-work or a combination of both diagnosis and cleaning.
If hydro jetting is recommended, the goal is to clean the inside of the pipe so that water and waste can move through the drains in a smoother manner. When the line is then cleaned out, a camera inspection can be carried out as a follow up to see if there is a structural problem that is now visible after the cleaning.
If repair work is needed the camera should make this clear. A homeowner should not be left with questions about what's wrong. The point of the camera inspection is to make the decision easier for the homeowner.
When to Ask About a Sewer Camera in Woodstock
Ask about camera inspection when a clog returns after being cleared, if multiple fixtures are affected inside the house, or when root intrusion is suspected. Also, consider asking your plumber or engineer about this when buying a home, preparing a rental or dealing with a sewer system that has an unknown repair history.
Plumb N Plumber provides sewer camera inspection, drain cleaning, hydro jetting, trenchless services, excavation, and related plumbing help for Woodstock and the greater Cherokee County area. If you are considering getting your drains jetted and want the wider system evaluated first, then schedule a visit or call us today on (678) 725-0042.
