When sewer camera inspection can't wait
Some situations call for a look before anyone spends money. A drain that has been cleared and clogged again within weeks needs one. So does a home purchase in an older neighbourhood, a planned basement renovation that will cover the floor, or a backup that brought sewage into the house. Waiting in those cases just risks a second mess, or a new floor laid over a broken pipe.
Our step-by-step visit
- We open the cleanout or another access point and feed the camera head into the line.
- The camera records as it travels, with a distance counter on screen.
- We stop at each joint, bend and defect to look closely.
- A locator above ground picks up the camera head so we can mark where problems sit and how deep.
- We walk you through the footage and talk about what, if anything, needs doing.
If the line is blocked, it usually needs a cleaning first so the camera can travel the full length.
Ask for the video. A recording is useful for insurers, home buyers and any contractor who quotes the repair later.
Common causes in Durham homes
Cameras in this area often find roots entering clay joints, cast iron that has scaled heavily or cracked along the bottom, and sags where the soil under the pipe has settled. In some older homes in neighbourhoods like Eastdale or around the downtown, we see sections where the original pipe was patched with a different material decades ago. Offsets where two pipe sections no longer line up catch paper and debris on every flush.
Newer plastic lines are usually in good shape, but construction debris or a joint pushed apart during landscaping work turns up now and then.
Keeping it from coming back
The camera tells you what to fix. Small root entries can be managed with periodic cleaning; a collapsed or badly sagged section needs repair. Knowing the depth and position means any excavation is targeted rather than guesswork. If the inspection shows a sound line, you have a clear record of the pipe for your renovation. For basements that also take groundwater, pair this with sump pump installation. Ageing water service pipes may need water line replacement, and our note on chemical drain cleaners describes why harsh products harm older lines.