A standard home inspection provides valuable insights into the current condition of a home – but it can’t always tell the whole story. If you’re planning on buying a home, especially one built over 20 years ago, you should consider investing in a sewer scope inspection. A sewer scope inspection will reveal any issues in a home’s sewage system – problems that could cost you thousands if left untreated. From warning signs to maintenance tips, this article will break down everything you need to know about a sewer inspection. Let’s get started.
What Is A Sewer Scope Inspection?
A sewer scope inspection gives you an inside look into a home’s sewer lines. A professional home or sewer inspector will perform the inspection. They start by inserting a plumbing camera attached to a long, flexible cable into the home’s drainpipe. The scoping camera streams video to a monitor allowing the inspector to look for any blockages, broken pipes, or other serious problems with the sewage system.
Why Is A Sewer Inspection Important?
As with any other home inspection, a sewer scope inspection allows you to get a better idea of a house’s overall condition. Without a sewer inspection, you may be buying a home with a faulty sewer system. This can lead to costly and even dangerous problems for the house and the people living inside. A broken or damaged sewer system can cause a home to have:
Structural Risk
• Flooding in the home or backyard
• Shifting or cracking in the home’s foundation
• Mold growth
Health Risk
• Rodents, flies, roaches, or parasites can enter damaged pipes and invade the home
• Mold spores
• Harmful gasses like carbon dioxide, methane, chlorine, nitrous oxide, hydrogen sulfide, and sulfur dioxide can seep into the house
• Water from a broken sewage pipe can contain bacteria like E-coli, typhoid fever, salmonella, and cholera, and viruses like hepatitis A
Expensive Repairs
The cost of an inspection is negligible compared to the cost to repair a broken sewer line. Simply repairing a broken sewer pipe can cost up to $300 per foot, and the average cost of replacing sewer drains can range from $2,500 to $30,000 or more. If the damage is severe enough to cause flooding, foundation issues, or mold growth, then you could be paying thousands of dollars in repairs.
Don’t pass on a sewer inspection just because the home’s plumbing is currently working fine. Everything above ground may be perfect, but you may have a disaster waiting under your home. A sewer scope is the easiest, least expensive way to determine how your sewer lines will perform once you move in. Don’t let a sewer backup be your first warning that something is wrong.
Lack Of Access To Plumbing
Functional plumbing is essential to a household. If a sewage line backs up or breaks, it’ll likely affect the home’s entire plumbing system. This means that showers and sinks won’t drain, and toilets won’t be functional. When you first move into a home, the last thing you want is to move out for a few days because your house’s plumbing is no longer functional.
Russell Joe from Quality Sewer & Drain wants to remind homebuyers that, “if you’re buying a home and don’t have your sewer line inspected beforehand to see its condition, you can be putting yourself at risk for a sewage backup or emergency repairs that could have been spotted ahead of time. As a homeowner, you should know the condition of your sewer.”
It’s better to be prepared and know ahead of time so you won’t be caught paying for the problems that may arise.
What To Expect During A Sewer Camera Inspection
A sewer inspection should take no more than an hour from start to finish. The sewer camera inspection itself should only take about 5-10 minutes. The sewer inspector will first flush running water through the lines to clear any small debris and lubricate the pipes to keep the plumbing camera from catching on anything. The inspector will then locate your home’s sewer access point, insert the camera, and begin the inspection. Once the process is complete, the inspector will follow up with their findings and talk about the next steps if necessary.
Sewer Inspection Services
At Pine Breeze Inspections, our goal is to solve your drain issues by diagnosing, resolving, and repairing them in a timely manner. Most importantly, we want to ensure these issues don’t happen again. Contact us today for more information on how to schedule your sewer scope inspection!