Why a Sewer Camera Inspection Is Always Worth It

A professional sewer camera inspection is the best tool for finding the cause of underground pipe damage. 

It requires no digging or excavation, and identifies the location and severity of your sewer line issue. Then, you see visual proof in real time of the precise sewer problem causing the trouble.

Mother’s licensed plumbers perform hundreds of sewer camera inspections in the DFW Metroplex every year. They save most homeowners from wasting money on exploratory digging and performing expensive repairs that aren't needed.

Our Master Plumbers explain why a sewer camera inspection’s worth it for your DFW plumbing issue. We’ll show you how the tech works, what we find most often, and how scheduling a camera inspection reveals whether you need sewer repairs or sewer cleaning.

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What Is a Sewer Camera Inspection?

A sewer camera inspection (also called a sewer scope inspection) is a real-time view inside your residential sewer system that shows us three things:

1. The location and extent of your sewer line issues
2. The exact root cause of the problem
3. The best repair or cleaning solution for your sewer issues.

A plumber inserts a high-definition camera into your main sewer line from a convenient access point- ideally, your exterior two-way sewer cleanout. 

The camera is lowered into the affected pipe on a flexible cable, which is attached to a monitor and control equipment. As the camera travels through the sewer pipe, the plumber sees what’s going on underground in real time. Then, the footage is shown to you and explained in detail.

The Modern Tech Behind Sewer Cameras

A sewer camera is a high-tech camera designed to snake through your plumbing system. Its waterproof design allows it to deliver high-resolution imagery without blurring, losing image quality or sustaining damage.

Here are the four components of quality sewer camera equipment we use at Mother:

The Camera Head

A self-leveling lens is mounted inside IP68 rated waterproof housing made from stainless steel or aluminum. High-intensity LED lights are built into the framework to provide clear images from the pitch-black pipe interior.

The lens cover is made from synthetic sapphire crystal- it’s scratch-resistant and nearly impossible to shatter.

The camera head is mounted on skids or guide wheels covered by protective sleeves. They keep the camera out of the sludge and organic waste in your sewer line.

The Locating Beacon

A small transmitter called a sonde is built into the camera head. It sends a radio frequency signal as the camera moves, allowing the plumber to track its precise location underground.

The Cable

The camera is fed through your home’s sewer pipes on a long push rod cable. Its aircraft-grade fiberglass core is durable but flexible enough to navigate complex turns and joints. 

The fiberglass cable is wrapped in a polypropylene or polyurethane jacket, which resists kinking and can’t be snapped by sharp tree root intrusions or jagged interior pipe walls.

The cable is reeled in and out on a large metal drum, where the plumber easily feeds the cable out or winds it back up.

The Control Station

The above-ground control center is where your licensed sewer technician views the camera feed and analyzes the incoming data.

A durable sun-shading monitor shows a live HD feed from the sewer camera inside your pipe network. Photos and videos are recorded, captured and stored on an SD card or USB drive.

Digital measurements are shown on the monitor. These allow your plumber to track how many feet of cable are deployed into the sewer line.

Sewer Camera Inspection Worth It for DFW Homes

Sewer scoping equipment is ideal for residential sewer systems, and not just for its ability to navigate complex 90° turns and Y-junctions. The camera is hermetically sealed to be water and chemical resistant, and each component is designed to withstand sewer conditions.

These attributes are even more valuable for your DFW Metroplex sewer line inspection. Local plumbers deal with specific challenges during sewer inspection service that properties in other areas don't present:

• Black gumbo clay soil. The Metroplex sits on soil with high clay content that shifts, swells and shrinks. Utilizing a sewer scope approach instead of digging to find the issue saves immense amounts of labor- and avoids further disruption of your damaged line.
• Aging sewer pipe materials. From Ryan Place in Fort Worth to University Park in Dallas to Oak-Hickory in Denton, old sewer pipes are everywhere. Inspecting cast iron, clay tile and Orangeburg pipes without touching or excavating them is crucial.
• City sewer tie-ins. Seeing a septic tank is a rare sight down here. A camera plumbing inspection lets us know if your broken pipe or sewer backup started on your property or is on the city side- which they're responsible for.

The 3 Sewer Problems We Find the Most

Every DFW home is different, but the issues our video camera uncovers tend to repeat themselves. Here are the three plumbing problems Mother's licensed sewer specialists encounter during sewer scope inspections:

1. Tree root intrusions. Live oaks, Cedar elms and pecan trees have some of the most aggressive root systems in America- and they're all in our backyards. They're the leading cause of sewage backup and hydro jetting service in local sewer lines.
2. Corroded cast iron. Pre-1980 sewer lines are dominated by cast iron pipe materials. The acids in wastewater corrode their internal pipe walls- over decades, they're weakened and become no match for shifting clay soil and growing grease clogs.
3. Organic blockages. A combination of fats, oil, grease and organic materials becomes too heavy for your drain pipe, and the clog pushes down into the main sewer line. This transforms a drain cleaning problem into a sewer line cleaning issue that sends wastewater back into your home drains.

Sewer Repair or Sewer Cleaning? Get the Clear Answer

The most important question that a sewer scope inspection answers is what type of service your specific problem requires. 

“Based on what we find, you’ll need sewer line repair, sewer line replacement, or sewer cleaning,” says our Responsible Master Plumber Steven Smith (RMP-43457). “The camera shows us everything we need to know to suggest the right solution.”

Steven explains that plumbers who dive in without a sewer inspection end up costing their customers unnecessary amounts of money.

“They dig your yard up, can’t quite find the problem, and then suggest the wrong repair,” he says. “You end up with a $5,000 sewer repair bill that could have been a hydro jetting appointment.”

What to Look For in Your Sewer Camera Footage

Steven encourages homeowners to review the footage from their sewer line camera inspection with their plumber. You’ll take charge of next steps and make the right service decision.

Ask them to explain the images taken, and ask these four questions:

• Is the pipe broken? If there’s a sewer backup caused by a blockage, there’s no need for sewer line repairs. Schedule sewer cleaning instead.
• How much damage is there? A few feet of damaged sewer pipe caused by tree roots is fixed by simple spot repairs- no need for a full replacement.
• Is the rest of the pipe in good condition? You may be a candidate for trenchless sewer repairs, which save 10-25% vs. excavation repairs in the DFW area.
• Is the pipe properly pitched? If there’s a backflow issue, there may be a gap in the soil under your pipe or a sewer belly that’s caused improper slope. 

Schedule a Sewer Camera Inspection in the DFW Metroplex

Every quality sewer line inspection in the DFW Metroplex must include video camera service. It’s a durable, high-tech tool that provides value to any home inspection:

• Early detection for homeowners with aging pipes and frequent backups
• Visual proof of sewer line integrity for real estate transactions and home sales
• Clear answers for your sewer problem, its root cause and best repair option

At Mother, we’re proud of our sewer camera inspection service’s 5-star rating from customers on Google, Yelp and Thumbtack. It’s the backbone of our sewer diagnostic service, and a vital built-in step towards making the best long-term decision for your home’s plumbing.

Need a home sewer inspection in DFW? Call Mother 24/7 to schedule a licensed plumber and our video camera equipment.

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