Jupiter Sewer Camera Inspections

During a camera inspection, customers can expect the following:

• The plumbing technician will insert the camera into your home’s main sewer line cleanout. The camera is small, waterproof, and acts as the tip on the end of a cable or rod that the plumber holds from the opposite end.
• The plumber uses the rod/cable to steer the camera through the pipes. The cable/rod is flexible and snake-like, which enables the camera set up to handle the tight spaces and curves it will encounter as it travels through a home’s plumbing.
• The technician examines and inspects the plumbing system in real-time on a monitor that receives live video footage from the camera as it is being fed through the pipes. This often allows the plumber to give homeowners answers about the status of their home’s plumbing and any plumbing issues in minutes.

How to Know When You Need a Camera Inspection

Should you have your plumbing inspected every year? Every three years? Every five years? How long should you go between plumbing camera inspections? 

It depends on several factors, such as:

• Age of your home/plumbing: Pipes made from outdated materials may lead to rust buildup, clogs, or root infiltration if left unchecked.
• How much the plumbing is used: If a household is large, wear and tear from overuse can lead to problems if the plumbing isn’t checked periodically.
• Environmental changes: Shifting soil/ground can lead to sagging pipes, which can cause major plumbing issues if they’re not discovered in time.
• Local weather conditions: Temperature extremes leading to burst pipes and flooding leading to mold/mildew problems are issues that homeowners should constantly be on the lookout for in areas that experience severe weather.

While the amount of time a plumbing system should go between camera inspections varies, the signs that a home’s plumbing system is in immediate need of a camera inspection remain relatively consistent:

• Water pressure problems: A broken or clogged pipe could be leading to a home’s water pressure being too low or too high. A camera inspection will often be able to find the broken pipe or clog causing the water pressure issues.
• Unusual changes to the yard: In some cases, if there is an unusually green/lush patch of grass in a yard, it may not be due to excellent lawn care, but because there is a pipe below that section of the yard that is leaking or broken. The best way to confirm that for sure may be with a plumbing camera inspection.
• All or several sinks/showers/tubs draining slowly: If just one sink, shower, or tub is draining slowly or backing up, it probably means that drain is clogged or has some other issue. However, if multiple sinks, showers, or tubs are draining slow, it may mean there is something wrong in the main drainpipe. A camera inspection can help find issues in the main sewer line, such as clogs and sagging pipes.
• Strong sewage odor: If you notice a sewage smell coming from more than one area of your home, such as the yard, your sinks, and/or your tub/shower, there may be an issue going on in your septic tank or sewer pipe. Figuring out what’s wrong before the problem gets worse will probably require a plumbing camera inspection.

Plumbing camera inspections are also a useful way for homeowners to find and recover valuables that accidentally fell down the drain or got flushed down the toilet, such as wedding bands or engagement rings.