Signs you need this
- Tub water climbs whenever someone flushes upstairs
- Gurgling from the sink after the washer drains
- Floor drain weeping or smelling of sewer gas
- Slow drains on more than one fixture
Kit on the van, and the method
- Drum auger with ¼–⅜ in. cable for 1½–2 in. branches
- Sectional machine and cutting heads for 3–4 in. mains
- Self-levelling camera and locator
- Trap wrenches, cleanout keys, drop sheets
Before we leave: Run several fixtures at once and watch the lowest drain for any rise.
What the camera is
A sewer camera is a waterproof head on a stiff push cable, wound on a reel with a counter. The head has its own lights and a self-levelling image, and it carries a small transmitter called a sonde. As it travels down the pipe we watch a live picture and the footage counter tells us how far out it is.
When it is worth doing
- Mains we have cabled twice or more within two years.
- Roots on the cable after a clearing.
- Ahead of an offer on an older home, more so with big boulevard trees.
- Before finishing a basement, to confirm the under-slab drain is sound.
- After a backup, to see whether the cause was in your pipe or in the street.
What we look for
| Finding | What it looks like | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| Root intrusion | Hairy growth at joints | Open joints in clay or older pipe |
| Belly | Standing water across the pipe | Sagged section that collects debris |
| Offset joint | A visible ledge | Ground movement or poor bedding |
| Cracks or breaks | Lines or missing pieces | Pipe failing structurally |
| Grease build-up | Thick coating on the walls | Candidate for jetting |
Locating from the surface
Once the camera finds a problem, we stop the head there and walk the yard with a receiver tuned to the sonde. The receiver gives a position and an approximate depth, which we mark with paint or a flag. That mark is what makes a targeted dig possible instead of trenching the whole front lawn.
What you receive
We talk you through the footage while it plays, and you can keep a copy. If the pipe is in good shape, that is worth knowing too. If not, the recording supports the options laid out on our sewer line repair page, or a hydro jetting clean where the issue is build-up rather than damage. Buyers should also read plumbing checks when buying a home.