What is a sewer scope inspection?

A sewer scope inspection is where a camera, on the end of a stiff cable, is run down a drain pipe of the home all the way to the city sewer, or a septic tank. As the camera runs through the piping, the inspector is looking for defects.

Why is a sewer scope recommended?

We recommend a sewer scope because the cost of the test (usually between $150 and $200) is much lower than the cost of making a sewer repair. Sewer repairs usually start at around $3500 and go up to the 10’s of thousands of dollars. So the cost of a sewer scope is worth it.

What types of problems are found in a sewer line?

There are many different problems that can be found in a sewer scope. Things like roots in the line, areas where there’s standing water, crushed pipes, improper connections between sections of piping and more.

Does every defect need to be repaired?

No, every defect found in a sewer scope does not have to be repaired. For example, inspectors often find a ‘belly’ in a sewer line. This is where, instead of sloping down all the way to the city sewer there’s an uphill section. This causes an area of the drain line to hold water. If there is no, or little, debris in this section it suggests that solid waste is easily pushed through this section when a toilet flushes. So in this case there’s a slight defect, but no real reason to spend thousands of dollars to repair that defect.

Another situation is roots in the line. Roots are common in older clay pipes where the sections of the pipes are put together. The roots are fairly normal and can usually be cleaned out by running a root cleaning blade through the pipe. Now a pipe with roots in it will need regular maintenance, but it does not necessarily need to be replaced. 

When sewer scope inspectors find roots in a line they often call for cleaning the pipe followed by re-scoping the pipe. This is because sometimes the roots are so thick they can’t get their camera past them. Or sometimes the roots obscure their view and they want a better look at the piping itself.

Does Abacus Inspection Service offer sewer scopes?