Have you ever seen a movie that you thought was garbage? That’s what we watch every day!
The sewer scope is a camera at the end of a cable. It’s fed down your main sewer line so that we can see exactly what’s going on in your sewer system. From it we can tell many things:
The tree root situation: Interestingly enough, seeing tree roots in a sewer line is pretty normal. The tree roots will come in (usually at the joints of the pipes) while they’re looking for water and nutrients. While a few tree roots are normal, it’s when the roots start spooling and knotting that problems occur, not only blocking the removal of sewage themselves but also catching some of it and clogging the main line.
Depending on the amount of roots we see, and if they’re prone to collecting other blocking material, the plan of attack might be to Roto-root those roots right out of there. Don’t worry, the tree remains unharmed because it’s getting most of its water and nutrients from the rest of its vast root system.
Breaks: While the tiny cracks at joints that let roots in might not be cause for alarm, a break in the sewer line certainly is. At first you may have a foul sewer smell in your basement, and then your lawn, since that means the sewage isn’t reaching the city line. The best way to tell if you need an entire sewer line replacement is with the sewer scope, which can easily tell if your problems is a broken line.
If the line isn’t broken, then we’ll of course look for other situation that could be causing your problem. Either way, the sewer scope can help us know exactly what your problem is. When you need help, give Garvin’s a call!