A sewer line inspection provides the best way to determine if you have any problems with the pipe between your house and the main sewer line, which is maintained by your local village, town, or city. You are responsible for maintaining your home’s sewer line, and obviously it is to your advantage to do so, since any issues could diminish the effectiveness of waste disposal. There are several situations where it will be advantageous to you as a homeowner to conduct a sewer line inspection, and one or two situations where it really isn’t necessary.

How is it conducted?

A tiny camera is introduced into your sewer pipe line, and it can be passed through the entire length of pipe, up to the point where it intersects the main line, all the while returning live video to a technician monitoring its progress. Any cracks, holes, or other intrusions will be easy to detect during this process, and any necessary remediation can then be considered and planned. This video is usually recorded to provide a good reference for determining whether any kind of maintenance, repairs, or replacements will be needed.

When is an inspection necessary?

The most obvious situation where an inspection would be necessary is when you are experiencing problems with your sewer line, for instance some kind of backup which is leaving your bathroom a smelly mess. A video inspection will tell whether you just have an obstruction in the line, or whether you have a breach in the pipe line which calls for repair or replacement. Regardless of what’s causing the problem, the best way to find out what it is, will be to get a video inspection so you can actually see what’s happening.

You may be informed by the city that your sewer line has a problem, and that you have some period of time to carry out repairs. Since local authorities routinely inspect their own sewer lines for problems, they can also tell when other incoming lines are causing problems. The city will not generally inform you exactly where the problem might be in your line, so it will be up to you to have that done. You can hire a professional to excavate and repair the damaged part of your home sewer line to comply with the order.

When you are considering the purchase of a new home, this is another time you should conduct a video sewer line inspection. Once you commit to the purchase, any sewer line problems become your problems, and that will add some unknown amount of expense to the cost of your purchase. By having the inspection done prior to buying, you might save yourself a lot of headaches, and probably a fair amount of cash as well.

When is this inspection not necessary?

It is not actually required that you conduct a sewer line inspection before you sell your home, although you would be wise to do so. If a problem was detected before the sale is made, that would almost certainly kill the deal, or at least delay it considerably. You really don’t want any surprises when you’re trying to sell your home, so it would be worth your while to have the inspection done – but you are perfectly free to take your chances, and hope that all is well.