Sewer Camera Inspections: What Phoenix Homeowners Should Expect

When you call a plumbing company to have a sewer camera inspection done, what should you expect?

The first thing you need to know is that you really don’t have to do anything ahead of time to prepare for the inspection. You don’t need to turn off the water or anything, just make room for the plumber to access your sewer line if there’s anything in the way that would block them from doing so.

When they arrive on scene, tell the plumber what kind of problems you’ve been experiencing that leads you to suspect that you may have a plumbing issue. Be sure to let them know about any past plumbing repair work that has been done in case that’s relevant to what they find in your pipes.

The plumber will then insert a waterproof self-leveling camera on a flexible cable into your sewer line via an access point (like a cleanout) to assess the health of your sewer pipes. If there is no access available, they may need to turn off your water and remove your toilet to gain access, but they will later reinstall it with a new wax seal to prevent additional issues.

If they can get a good look at your sewer line, that’s a good sign. However, if the line is heavily blocked, they may need to use hydro jetting or rodding to clear a path for the camera to travel through. This will likely not be included in a standard camera inspection fee but rather will be billed separately.

Once the camera is in the plumber will watch a live video feed on a monitor to look for any issues. Many systems will provide not only a visual of what the camera is seeing but also location data so the plumber can gauge distance and depth to make repair work easier to locate.

They will be on the lookout for cracks, separations, root intrusions, offset or misaligned joints, line sags, buildup of grease and scale that reduces pipe diameter, blockages from sediment or foreign objects, and worn pipe material. Problem areas will be marked in your yard with either paint or flags and then they will discuss their findings with you to make a plan for fixing the issues that were identified. If they are a top plumbing company in the area, they will explain their findings to you in language that you can understand and work hard to earn your trust.

The inspection itself should take about 30-90 minutes (depending on how the line is accessed and what they find when they do) and cost $150-750 depending on the location, ease of access, and line length. Some plumbing companies will provide a written report while others will share the video for you to see.

When you need a sewer line camera inspection in Phoenix or the surrounding area, give us a call at 1 (800) 674-9130. We do commercial and residential sewer work that you can trust! Find out why more Phoenix homeowners and business owners choose us for their sewer and plumbing needs!