A sewer scope inspection involves a home inspector taking a specialized camera and running it through the sewer to look at the sewer line. The sewer line connects the house and foundation to the city sewer line or HOA tap. The images that the camera pulls up, show on a monitor. This will show the inspector what the line looks like, as well as if there are any cracks, broken lines, or obstructions.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

When we walk into the yard of a home, we have no idea what is happening underground. A sewer scope inspection is a great way to see if there are any issues and make you aware before it causes damage that is costly to repair. A damaged sewer line is one of the most costly repairs on a property. Cost of repairs can range from $1,000 to $20,000 depending on the circumstances of the problem area including but not limited to, length of pipe needing repair and accessibility, meaning how difficult it is to get to the problem area(s). The sewer line is something that is in use every day in most properties and it is important to keep it functioning properly.

You see lush patches or extra green grass. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean someone painted your grass for you, but could perhaps be a sewer leak contributing to it.  Sewer water that leaks out fertilizes the grass and causes this to happen.  It makes it an easy sign to look for when you are walking around the yard of the home you are thinking about purchasing.

Large trees in the yard. Depending on where you are looking for a property, you could be blessed with large trees in the yard.  However, these can be a curse instead of a blessing and more of a reason to have a sewer scope inspection done. Unfortunately, these tall trees have roots that can grow into the sewer line or wrap around it and break it.  A sewer scope can pick this up to see if it is indeed going on.

The property is more than 25 years old. It is nice when you can find a property that is this old, as they have character and look charm.  However, be careful about pipes that were made of clay in homes built before and in 1984.  The clay pipes are easily crushed and need to be examined to make sure they are not cracked or broken.  If the property does not have the clay pipes, maybe it has copper?  Look at the home inspection report to see what type of material your pipes are made of.

There is water backing up in the property drainage systems. When this happens, it could be a clog in the drain or it could be an issue with the sewer line. You might think that the city should be responsible for the sewer line, but they aren’t – except for the main sewer line.  This starts past your property boundaries.  Unfortunately, the homeowner is responsible for the lower and upper lateral lines, which are the other parts of the sewer line on the owner’s property.  Call a professional to do a proper diagnosis.

There is shifting or movement of the ground. This is also another sign that there is a problem with the sewer. Unfortunately, moving soil or ground can cause the sewer line to break or offset.

WHAT IS THE INSPECTOR LOOKING FOR?

1. Material Type, (PVC, ABS, Clay, Cast Iron or Orangeburg)
2. Damaged or Crushed Pipe
3. Root Growth Penetration
4. Misaligned Joints
5. Bellied Sections

At the end of the day, a sewer scope gives you, “Peace of Mind” knowing you won't have any unexpected costly repairs in the near future of your sewer line. To be quite frank, you're about to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars on a property, it would be dumb not to spend a few hundred dollars that could potentially save you several thousands of dollars in the future.

During the Sewer Line Inspection, there was significant standing water and sediment, this is an indication of what is known as a Belly in the piping. Sewer line bellies are sags or low spots in sewer lines. A normal sewer lateral (seen below) has a slope that uses gravity to help regulate the flow. A bellied sewer line interferes with the normal flow of waste water through the pipe, leading to backups and other problems because the water and sediment collects in the belly. What Causes Sewer Bellies is poor planning and bad installations are often the root cause of sewer line bellies, as proper bedding compaction, good materials and correct slope are the most important factors needed to prevent the problem. However, natural occurrences like major tree roots, earthquakes, sun or heat, rain, and even cold weather fluctuations can lead to the shifts in the soil that eventually cause bellies.

The Inspection Camera was unable to pass this point without risk of being stuck. As the trees in your yard send out roots to gather nutrients, these roots may encounter your sewer line. While sewer pipes may seem hardy and impenetrable, they are susceptible to persistent roots, particularly if your sewer line is older or made from less durable materials than modern sewer pipes. Clay tile and Orangeburg sewer pipes are the most susceptible pipe materials to tree root damage, but even concrete and PVC pipes can sustain damage under certain circumstances. Once the tree roots break into your sewer line, they cause two problems to ensue. First, the damaged portion of pipe allows sewage to leak out into your yard, causing issues such as standing water, spongy grass, and an unpleasant smell. Second, the tree roots can continue to grow up into the pipe as they absorb water, causing a partial or complete blockage of your sewer line that affects drainage inside your home and may even lead to a sewage backup. Thus, sewer line repair to address tree root invasion typically involves two steps: removing the roots via chemical or mechanical means, then repairing or replacing the section of damaged sewer pipe.

The most common problem caused by offset joints is the bottlenecks they can create. This means that anything flowing through your pipes will get caught up on the lip of the offset, and eventually cause a bigger clog. With the presence of lips in your sewer pipes, there is also potential to catch a snake blade. This can cause it to get stuck, which creates further complications with trying to clear the line. Another common sewer repair issue is the root factor. With gaps and offset joints in your sewer line, that leaves openings for roots to get through. Especially if the roots are the cause for your offset, that means that they were pushing your pipes apart to make room to grow. Roots will chase the fertilizer (sewage) into your pipes and use them as nutrients to grow. If you continue to let them grow they will, and eventually will reach a point where they cannot be cut out by traditional methods. Something else to keep in mind: as long as there is a gap or hole in your pipe, there is sewage exiting the pipe. This sewage is not only leaking into the ground, but it is also taking soil along with it. As the water in the pipe picks up dirt, it washes it away, which can create sinkholes.

Cracks and fractures in your sewer lines affect the structural integrity of your pipelines. They also allow the infiltration of clean groundwater into your wastewater system. Cracks and fractures inside sewer pipes may have a variety of different causes, including, Poor original installation, Poor soil bedding, Root penetration, and/or deterioration due to the age of the pipe. Once a crack in a pipe becomes large enough to expose soil to the system, it is considered a hole and requires immediate open trench or trenchless sewer repair depending on your situation. There are three levels of fracture that may occur in a sewer line:

Throughout your home, you have drain lines carrying wastewater away from sinks, toilets, tubs and more, all of these lines lead to the main sewer line. This huge pipe sends all the waste from your home right to your sewer or septic system. When it gets clogged, drains all over your home are unable to work, and you could even end up with water backing up out of your fixtures, leaky pipes and other problems. If you find yourself with a main sewer line clog, there's not really any do-it-yourself way of fixing it. These drain lines are often buried deep under the ground far away from your home. You typically need special equipment and professional know-how to handle them.