Why You NEED a Sewer Scope Inspection

You really do need a sewer scope inspection performed on any home or commercial property that you are considering purchasing in Wyoming. It’s also a good idea to have a sewer scope inspection performed periodically on a property that you already own.

What Is a Sewer Scope Inspection?

A sewer scope inspection or sewer camera inspection involves sending a waterproof camera that is attached to a long cable through the main sewer line between a home or commercial building and the municipal sewer connection or septic system. Images from the camera, which has bright LEDs around the camera lens, are sent to a color video monitor for the inspector to review.

Sewer scope inspections are visual-only inspections where a trained and experienced inspector looks at the inside of the lateral sewer line, but does not perform any repairs. Problems that are identified during a sewer camera inspection may be performed by a qualified plumbing contractor.

A sewer scope inspection is also known as a sewer camera inspection or a sewer line inspection.

Why A Sewer Scope Inspection?

The sewer line between your home or business and the municipal sewer connection or septic tank is an otherwise unseen part of your home plumbing system. Despite usually being sight unseen and out of mind, the lateral sewer line is a critical part of the building’s plumbing system. A failure in this sewer line will result in catastrophic consequences.

Problems that are developing in the lateral sewer line may not be obvious without a visual inspection of the sewer line. Depending on the nature of the problem and how heavily the plumbing system in the building is used, expensive problems may not be obvious right away. Being aware of a developing problem allows you to plan accordingly and to schedule repairs before the sewer line fails completely. A sewer line inspection also allows you to detect problems before they become even bigger problems.

What Type of Problems Does a Sewer Scope Inspection Identify?

A sewer scope inspection may identify a number of potential problems. These include:

• Root Intrusion - Tree roots near a sewer line may penetrate the pipe which eventually leads to a clogged sewer line and damage to the pipes as the roots grow.
• Bellies - A belly is a low point or dip in the sewer line. Bellies may cause solid waste materials to collect and eventually clog the sewer line. Sewer line bellies are usually due to ground settlement or shifting and are most frequently seen at joints in the sewer line.
• Channeling - Sewer line channeling is similar to a belly, but typically occurs within a section of pipe rather than at a joint. Channeling occurs when the flow of water through a pipe over a period of time causes the pipe to wear away similar to the way that running water may cut a wash or ravine in the ground. Channeling may result in solid waste accumulation, a weakening of the pipe that allows root intrusion, and will eventually wear through and begin to leak.
• Separated, Crushed, or Cracked Pipe - Sewer pipes may be damaged for a number of reasons, including age of the pipes, root intrusion, shifting or settling soil, and driving heavy vehicles over the pipes. Sewer lines that have been separated at joints or that are cracked or crushed will leak sewage and need to be repaired or replaced.
• Clogs or Obstructions - Sewer lines may become clogged or obstructed due to improper installation or damage that has occurred since the line was installed. Clogged or obstructed sewer lines will cause the plumbing to drain slowly and may eventually lead to sewage backing up inside the home or business.

Sewer Pipe Material

Sewer scope inspections also help to identify the type of pipe that was used for the lateral sewer line. This is important with older properties as the sewer line may be degrading over time.

Sewer line materials include:

• PVC
• SDR
• ABS
• Concrete
• Clay
• Cast Iron
• Orangeburg

Save Hassle and Money

Avoid the inconvenience and expense of a catastrophic sewer line failure or blockage by having a sewer scope inspection performed before you purchase a home or commercial property. Identifying problems early allows you to plan and make arrangements for appropriate repairs before the sewer line completely clogs or breaks.

Sewer line repairs are very expensive with many repair or replacement projects being thousands of dollars. Know before you buy so that the sewer line can be repaired or you can be compensated or, if you already own the property, so that you can budget and plan for repairs or replacement.

Let's Connect

Thank you for considering Frontier Inspections, LLC as your Wyoming home and commercial property inspector! Please reach out to us if you have any questions.

We are available by email at frontierinspectionsllc@gmail.com or by text message at 307-670-3706.

Please note that I am profoundly hard of hearing so do not talk on the phone. You may, however, leave a voicemail message by phone which will be transcribed and I will reply by text message or email as soon as possible.