Under your feet are miles of pipes, creating your community’s essential water and sewage infrastructure. They are out of sight and out of mind, making it easy to forget to pay attention to them. All homeowners must focus on them more by getting sewer scope inspections as recommended. What do these contain, and do you need one for your property?
What Is a Sewer Scope Inspection’s Purpose?
A sewer scope inspector will take a camera into your sewer trap to review the health of your land’s lines. The auditor watches the camera’s activity in real time. You need to get one as soon as possible, especially if you’ve never had one or if you’re about to buy a new house. The findings could save you thousands of dollars in structural repairs and hours of stress.
As professionals navigate their cameras around the system, they’re looking for these common red flags:
- Overgrown tree roots: Pierces, blocks or weighs down pipes, leading to damage
- Clogs: Obstructs flow with debris or pollutants, causing backups
- Structural integrity concerns: Compromises pipe conditions with leaks, corrosion, cracks or material changes
Experts want to catch problems early so the repairs are faster and cheaper for landowners. It also makes preventive maintenance more straightforward. After the first inspection, you can keep detailed records of how your sewer lines are performing and the trends they show.
For example, there could be rust forming on welded seams or a type of trash regularly appears. Having this information will protect you and help inspectors down the road.
Attentiveness also makes your land more environmentally conscious. Healthy pipes are less likely to cause spills or pollutant spread from cross-contamination.
How Do You Fix Sewer Scope Problems?
You can rest easy if the inspector finds a problem because everything is fixable. These are the most proactive and effective solutions to solving failures and preventing them from happening again.
Changing Slopes
Pipes known to drain slowly or get blockages may need repositioning. Experts can discover the angle and direction at which sewage naturally flows, orienting infrastructure and grading the ground to accommodate smoother movement.
Uprooting or Pruning Trees
Despite how beautiful the old tree in the yard might be, it could indirectly cause a main to burst or a basement to flood. Species like sycamores and oaks are common causes behind home inspection failures for this reason.
If inspectors notice roots are encroaching on sewer lines, they can cut them down and remove them before they become unruly. If they are not a problem yet but could be, professionals may suggest installing root barriers or pruning the roots to delay spread.
Patching Openings
If there are rust holes or cracks from age, workers can mend them if they are not too severe. If plumbers identify an opening that exceeds regulatory recommendations, more invasive measures might be necessary.
Pipe Replacements
Tons of water and sewage infrastructure are near the end of its life. In some regions, pipes and pumps are over 70 years old. Some inspections may instigate a partial retrofit as a temporary measure.
However, sometimes, it might lead to contractors digging up entire yards to lift and replace pipes made of materials that are more durable and sustainable for the community’s sewage behaviors. While these costs vary based on where you live, homeowners insurance often helps cover portions of these claims.
Obstruction Removal
Trash, rocks, grease buildup and sludge could make the most tended lines inefficient. Fortunately, these can be trenchless repairs, meaning you don’t have to see them pull out the whole pipe. Professionals can send remote machinery to unclog systems and remove hard materials that would travel further.
A Game-Changing Process
If more households scheduled regular sewer scope inspections, critical infrastructure could have fewer disruptions. The best way for you to solidify your home’s foundations and your confidence for the future is by starting this process now.
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Rose Morrison |
