What is a Sewer Scope and Do You Need One?
In this video Mike Vakos shows us what a sewer scope inspection is and why you might want one. When you're buying a home and deciding what to add on to your home inspection, what you add on is definitely a personal choice. Just like a radon test, mold testing and other inspection services, how a customer weighs the costs and benefits is unique to their situation.
With every home inspection we test the toilets and the sinks and make sure water is running and flowing in the right direction. However, we can not see what's going on in the home's sewer pipes. By using a video sewer scope we can inspect the quality of the sewer lines going from toilet or sewer stack out to the sewer. The same process can be used to inspect the storm drains. But what's the benefit?
Benefit of Sewer Scope Inspection:
A video sewer line inspection can provide critical information about the condition and functionality of the main sewer line, which can help you avoid costly repairs down the road. Not only that, but it can also help identify potential safety hazards in your new home such as storm drain or sewage backups - both which can lead to expensive repairs and water damage inside the house. Our sewer line camera inspection can give a new home buyer the peace of mind knowing that the storm water and waste water is flowing freely to the sewer.
Sewer Scope Inspections Highly Recommended When:
If you're buying a new construction home with no foul smells of sewer back up and no trees or bushes in the yard, chances are pretty solid your sewer lines are good. However, sewer lines erode over time and can be damaged by roots. In such cases we would highly recommend a sewer scope when:
1. A home has older, large trees in the same areas of sewer lines (roots are a big problem for sewer lines)
2. The pipe carrying your sewer and wastewater away from the house and into the sewage system can last from 50-100 years depending on the material. If you're buying a home older than 100 years old, you want a sewer scope.
3. If the home was built between 1860 and 1970 it could have Orangeburg pipe, which only has a life expectancy of 30-50 years and a sewer scope inspection would be a good idea.
4. If there are any foul sewer smells we would absolutely recommend a sewer scope - regardless of how old the house is or the existence of trees in the area. There are many other things that can cause clogged sewer lines.
