Are you wondering if your Chicago property or business needs a plumbing pipe camera inspection? The truth is that all commercial and residential buildings could benefit from a plumbing system camera inspection. Inspections allow you to see inside your pipes and diagnose current and future problems.
What is a Plumbing Camera?
A plumbing camera is a very small digital camera with a light that fits on the end of a flexible pole. The camera is threaded through the pipe using an existing entrance, like a cleanout port or a drain. As the camera is threaded through the pipe, it lights the area and records what it sees. This allows a Chicago plumber to non-destructively inspect plumbing pipes and diagnose problems.
1. Skip the Diagnosis Trench
Traditional pipe repair diagnosis involves digging down into the suspected troublesome pipe and visually inspecting it. If the pipe is outside, it means digging a trench. If the pipe is inside, it means digging through floors and/or walls. This creates a mess that has to be cleaned up later, and plumbers don’t typically do drywall or flooring, which means additional contractors may have to be hired to repair the holes left behind. Getting a camera inspection for current problems, like clogs and slow water leaks, allows the issue to be diagnosed without digging a trench or tearing through walls and floors. It means less mess and less expense.
2. Save Time and Money
Camera inspections can save time and money when it comes to diagnosing and repairing your plumbing pipes. This is because fewer plumbers and plumbers’ helpers need to be on-site to diagnose the problem, and since the camera records as it moves through the pipe, the plumbers only have to watch the footage on the screen and review it to find the problem. Once they locate the issue, it can be quickly repaired because the plumbers know the exact problem and precisely where that problem is located.
3. See Inside the Pipes
A camera inspection allows the plumbers to see inside the pipes. Looking at the exterior of a plumbing pipe after digging a hole or cutting through drywall only allows the plumbers to see visible cracks and holes in the section of the pipe that has been exposed. Viewing the inside of the pipe with a camera allows the plumber to see partial and full clogs and small cracks and pinhole leaks along the full length of the pipe.
4. May Help With Homeowners Insurance Claims
Homeowner’s insurance may pay for broken or burst pipes that are not the result of age or lack of maintenance. A camera inspection can help provide evidence to the insurance company. For example, you have a pipe that suddenly breaks, but the pipes are relatively new. If a camera inspection shows the pipes to be in good condition, except for the broken area, your homeowner’s insurance may pay for the damage, cleanup, and repair.
5. Diagnose Future Plumbing Problems
A camera inspection can help diagnose future plumbing problems. For example, let’s say that you get a camera inspection because your plumbing pipes are more than halfway through their expected useful life. You are trying to be proactive with your plumbing maintenance. The camera inspection doesn’t show any immediate problems, but there is some corrosion that could lead to cracks and leaks within the next two to three years. Since you know about the potential problems, you can save money and get the pipes repaired before they break.
6. Make Sure the Pipes Are Good Before You Buy a Residential or Commercial Building
If you are considering buying a new home, apartment building, condo, or commercial building, consider getting a camera inspection. An inspection of the plumbing pipes can tell you their age and condition. If the pipes are bad, you can adjust your bid on the property or not buy the property due to the bad plumbing. If the pipes are good, you know that they will last for years before they need repaired, replaced, or lined with an epoxy pipeliner.
How You Can Tell if You Need a Camera Inspection
To spite knowing the benefits of a camera inspection, you may still not know when you need one. The good news is that there’s no wrong time to get a camera inspection, but if you’re buying a property or have noticed problems with your plumbing system, you may want to consider an inspection sooner rather than later.
- You’re considering buying a property.
- You’re performing renovations on your bathrooms or kitchens or adding bathrooms or kitchens to your building.
- You’ve noticed multiple slow drains, which could indicate a sewer line clog.
- Your water bills are suddenly much higher than you expected, and there’s been no increase in fees by your water company or increase in usage by you.
- Residents of your high-rise apartment or condo building are complaining of low water pressure.
- You’ve had to make multiple repairs to your plumbing pipes within the last year.
Camera Inspections with Nu Flow in Chicago
Here at Nu Flow, we offer building pipe assessments, which include a camera inspection with a complete detailed report.
To contact us about camera inspections and pipelining services, give us a call today at 815-790-9000.