Learn the Benefits of a Video Recorded Pipe Inspection

A plumbing emergency in a commercial context can not only be a source of aggravation and mess, but it can also interfere with conducting business. When these problems happen, you need a way to quickly identify the problem with the least expense and the least disruption to ongoing activities. In the longer term, you also need a way to maintain your pipes and drains, preventing such issues from happening again. A recorded video inspection of pipes gives you these options and many more. Here is a brief introduction and explanation of video recorded pipe inspection benefits.

Why Video Recorded Pipe Inspections?

When something goes wrong with a pipe in your business, you need a way to quickly locate and identify the problem with the least amount of trouble. Older methods of finding problems tended to be costly and labor intensive. For example:

• Finding a leak in an underground pipe could require digging up a large section of the ground to expose the pipe and search for the leak.
• Clogs in sewer and drain pipes are usually often noticed only when unpleasant material backed up and overflowed into a bathroom or other facility.
• Long sections of pipe and drain systems may be ignored because of the difficulty of inspecting them, giving problems time and opportunity to develop.

Video recorded pipe inspection benefits translate into a way to easily conduct periodic preventive maintenance inspections and to quickly find leaks, clogs, broken pipes, loose connections, tree root infiltration and other problems that once might have required the complete excavation of a pipe or drain system to find.

The Nature of Video Recorded Pipe Inspection

During a video pipe inspection, a small mobile video camera is inserted into the pipes or drains at a point where accessing the pipe is easy. The camera is attached to a wheeled base and can be “driven” much like a radio-controlled car. There will also be a radio transmitter sending radio signals that can be picked up by above-ground equipment outdoors, showing exactly where the camera and the problem are in the system and where plumbers should dig to access the pipes.

The camera sends back video to a screen, where the driver uses visual feedback to send the car through the pipe system. As the camera moves forward, it can send back high-quality video images that plumbing experts can examine for signs of problems. Cracks, breaks in the pipes, and other damage can be easily seen and recognized. Tree roots or clogs may prevent the camera from traveling forward. The video images from the camera can be recorded easily for later analysis, for proof of inspection, or simply for record-keeping.

Video Recorded Pipe Inspection Benefits

Video recorded pipe inspection benefits are plentiful and will save you considerable amounts of time, effort, money and aggravation. The most important video recorded pipe inspection benefits include:

• Easy visual inspection of the deepest and most inaccessible parts of your pipe and drain systems.
• Thorough visualization of the inside of your pipe and drain systems, useful both for finding current problems and for future reference on the condition of the pipes.
• Less waste of time, money and effort in finding problems. When your plumbing expert locates the problem, efforts to correct it can be concentrated in that area. There is no need for exploratory digging or other expensive, time-consuming procedures.
• Important information about the location of smaller pipe problems is recorded, such as depth and location, to support any future work that is necessary.
• Pipes of different sizes and purposes can be easily inspected and documented using the same camera equipment and inspection techniques.
• Maintenance and repair costs can be reduced significantly.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about Plumbing, HVACR, Fire Protection and Alarm Systems in Mechanical, Commercial and Residential settings. For more information on video recorded pipe inspection benefits, and to view projects we’ve worked on, visit our website!