Why Video Pipe Inspection Is an Essential Tool of Good Plumbers
We list video pipe inspection as one of our services, but we understand this isn’t a service people often call us for specifically. People call because they think they’ve got leaks somewhere in their house, or their sewer lines have backed up, or they’ve got slow drains. These are plumbing issues where video pipe inspections are often a critical part of finding solutions.
So why do we list video pipe inspection if it isn’t something people actual think about when they call us? Because video pipe inspection is one of the best tools we have available to make plumbing repairs a success—and you won’t find it with every plumber in Santa Fe, NM.
Video Pipe Inspection Basics
The name video pipe inspection seems self-explanatory … until you put a little more thought into it. Using a video camera to look at pipes. But how? Through the use of miniature digital cameras, fiber optic cables, LED lights, and HD video monitors.
If you’re familiar with a drain snake, you’re already most of the way to understanding a video pipe camera. The small digital camera is mounted on the end of a long drain snake-like cable. The cable contains fiber optics that runs the images from the camera back up to the plumber, where the cable connects to the HD video monitor. The cable end also has an LED light. This allows the camera to provide a clear image of the interior of pipes for the plumber to see on the screen.
Video pipe inspection equipment comes in different lengths for different types of jobs. The longest video inspection equipment can reach the entire length of a home’s sewer line by inserting it into a cleanout. Skilled plumbers can inspect the interior of almost any pipe in a home using these cameras.
The Benefits of Video Pipe Inspection
Using the high-tech tool, plumbers can cut out a large amount of guesswork and wasted time when they’re working on a plumbing repair. For example, a blocked sewer line—obviously a big problem for a home. But what caused the blockage? Is it an emulsified clog (this is what happens when people toss moist towelettes down the toilets), the infiltration of tree roots, or a broken line? Since the sewer line is buried in the ground, it’s not easy to access it to find out. But a video pipe inspection camera cuts directly to the solution. The plumbers can see inside the sewer line to find out what’s wrong and how best to fix it.
This tool helps immensely with another common plumbing trouble: hidden leaks. Plumbers don’t have to make estimates about where a leak is occurring. They can use the video camera to pinpoint them exactly. They not only know where the leak is, they know what work is necessary to fix it.
Plumbers record the images from the cameras so they can show them to clients. This helps clients understand the necessary repairs, as well as knowing how to avoid future trouble. When the job is complete, the plumbers can inspect the pipes again and show the clients that they’ve solved the problem.
Why wait for service when you can get it Express? Santa Fe Express Plumbing & Drain serves Santa Fe, Espanola, Los Alamos, and Pecos.