Few things strike fear in the hearts of homeowners faster than a problem with a home’s main drain. Boston sewer repairs can sneak up on a homeowner and wreak absolute havoc! Keeping your home’s sewer line clear is the best way to ensure that you don’t come home one evening to “Sewer Surprise!”
Your home’s sewer connection consists of some relatively large diameter pipe, most often made of clay, iron or plastic. Clay is commonly found in older homes, while plastic is used in newer construction and in replacement work.
Some homes built between 1945 and 1972 may have a sewer connection made of bituminous fiber, which is wood fiber and pitch that has been impregnated with asphalt. This product, called Orangeburg pipe, is no longer used in construction and is unsuitable for sanitary sewer connections. Orangeburg has a life expectancy of between 30-50 years, and deteriorates rapidly once material failure begins to occur.
Diagnosing a sewer line failure can be tricky without conducting a video inspection. The alternative to a video inspection is often excavation, so video examination is both cost-effective and highly accurate.
During a video inspection of a home’s sewer line, a special camera is introduced into the pipe. The camera shows the inside of the pipe and can detect cracks, joints and separations, tree root intrusions, partial or complete pipe collapses and defects in the sewer line that can cause debris to accumulate and restrict the flow of water to the city sewer line. Camera equipment traces exactly where breaks and defects have occurred, so the technology can precisely locate where excavation and repair work are needed. Further, most video camera inspection units have a locating beacon that helps an operator working outdoors to find the exact position of the camera while it is in the pipe.
Video inspection of a home’s sewer line can also be valuable for potential homeowners who are looking for a new home. By conducting a video inspection of a prospective purchase, would-be buyers can avoid any unpleasant surprises that might otherwise require thousands of dollars to repair. Alternately, the video inspection can provide a basis for negotiating a more favorable purchase price for a property.
Boston Standard Plumbing & Heating offers video inspection of sewer lines to determine the condition of the line and to detect faults, breaks and obstructions, as well as their locations. This kind of inspection can provide exceptional value to current homeowners, as well as prospective homeowners who are considering putting in an offer on a new home or investment property. Please give us a call at (617) 288-2911 to set up an appointment for this service.
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