5 Reasons to Book a CCTV Drain Survey

Normally drainage problems in the home can be resolved by a quick call to your local drain clearance specialists. But not always. Domestic drains are part of a complex system carrying waste from your home or workplace to treatment works, or runoff facilities. Sometimes the smelly sink or slow-draining shower are symptoms of a problem deep in your drainage system, underground. Which is when you need a CCTV drain survey.

What is a CCTV Drain Survey?

A CCTV drain survey uses a remote-controlled, closed-circuit camera to carry out an inspection of your drainage system. The camera is wheel-mounted and waterproof, which allows it to traverse the pipework, relaying real-time 360° images back to the surface. The data is analysed by drainage engineers, and damage or blockages are located precisely.

A drain inspection identifies problems lurking in your drains, such as cracked or collapsed pipes, tree-root ingress, or stubborn blockages. Ideally these can be caught early and easily fixed, before they turn into a large and costly problem to deal with.

5 Reasons to Book a CCTV Drain Survey

In some situations, drain clearance experts will advise homeowners that a CCTV survey is necessary. There are, however, also occasions where proactively booking a survey is either a legal obligation, or a prudent way to maintain your property.

1. Signs of Structural Damage

If you are noticing any of the following symptoms, they could be the early warning signs of a serious drainage problem:

• New cracks appearing in walls.
• Mould or wet spots at the bottom of walls.
• Floors starting to feel uneven.
• Doors beginning to stick, or not close properly.
• Flaking paintwork.

Rather than waiting for the situation to deteriorate further, it’s worth getting a CCTV drain survey done to see if it’s drainage issues that are causing the structural problems.

2. Maintenance of an Older Property

If your property was built more than 50 years ago, it’s likely that the drains will need regular maintenance. Hopefully the original pipes will have been replaced but even so, there may well be sections of drainpipe that need repairs or replacement.

Drain surveys are part of the maintenance required for older properties, so it’s worth scheduling them in at regular intervals. Then, if problems are discovered, they can be dealt with at an early stage.

3. Household Blockages

If your toilet is blocked, or your kitchen sink is persistently slow to drain, it’s likely that there is a blockage. Professional drain clearance engineers will normally be able to clear the blockage locally. If this is not the case, they’ll recommend a CCTV drain survey.

Often the problem will be caused by a build up of kitchen fats, or wet wipes flushed through the system. It could also be the case that tree roots have found a vulnerability in the pipes and started to grow in their moist interior.

4. Planning an Extension?

A drain inspection isn’t just about what’s clogging up your drains, or causing them to leak; it also charts where your drains run across your property. If you’re planning an extension, you will need this information before you can go ahead with the building work.

If you discover that your drains run under the area where you were planning to build, then you have a problem, as your water company requires access. You’ll either need to change your plans or come to a build-over agreement with the water company.

5. Buying a New House

There is currently no legal requirement to carry out a CCTV drain survey prior to buying a property. Homebuyers are strongly advised, however, to book one in before committing to a purchase. A drain survey provides peace of mind that the drainage system serving your new home has been properly maintained and is in good working order.

If you discover that there are problems with the drains, you can either ask for remediation prior to any agreement, or request a reduction in the asking price in order to make the necessary repairs.

Catching Problems Early Means Quick and Simple Solutions

For most drainage problems, drain jetting is a fast and effective remedy. Drain jetting uses strong, flexible hoses to propel powerful jets of water through the pipes. The pressure is such that it strips grease off the inside of pipes, removes wedged blockages, and blasts through any accumulation of waste matter. Specialist jetting equipment can be used to cut away any tree-root ingress in the pipes.

Amanda Price - Digital Content Executive and Researcher for Imagefix | After joining the Imagefix team, she brought to the business an expertise in social media, copywriting and blogging.