Video camera inspections of sewer pipes are useful because they provide such valuable information about the condition of one of the most important pipes in your home. You might never need to have a camera inspection, but there are times when the information you get from the video could save you a lot of money and frustration. Here are three situations where a video camera inspection could be helpful.

1. When You Need To Pinpoint Pipe Damage

Pipe cameras also have the ability to pinpoint damaged areas under the ground. They do this by sending a signal to the surface so you can flag the precise area above a leaky pipe.

If you know your sewer pipe is leaking and you're not sure where the pipe is or where the leak is located, you can use the pipe camera to verify pipe trouble, map out the location of the pipe, and pinpoint the damaged area. This is important information if you want to make repairs but you don't want to dig up your yard just to look for the leak.

2. When You Buy An Older House

The older a sewer pipe is, the higher the risk of damage. If you plan to buy an old house, it's important to know the condition of the pipes. You want to know what the pipes are made of and how old they are. Since the sewer pipe is buried under the ground, it's difficult to assess its condition. If you buy an old house that has a cracked sewer pipe, you could be looking at expensive repairs in the future.

When you have a video camera inspection of the pipe, you'll have a good understanding of if the pipe is in good condition and could potentially last for many more years or if the pipe has areas of damage and is at risk of failing. You might not want to buy a house that will need expensive sewer work done after you buy it, but you'll at least want to know the potential exists for plumbing problems in the future.

3. When You Wonder Why The Pipe Keeps Clogging

If you have ongoing problems with a clogged toilet, you may get frustrated about having to snake out the pipe so often. The problem might be what your family flushes down the toilet, but the problem could be inside the pipe under the ground. A pipe camera can reveal tree roots in the pipe that keep growing back after you snake the sewer. The camera can also show if the pipe has a collapsed area that keeps catching paper and other debris. Once you know what's going on inside the pipe, you can have permanent repairs done so you don't have to keep battling toilet clogs.

To learn more, contact a resource that offers video camera inspections.