How A Plumbing Contractor Uses A Sewer Camera To Find Out Why Your Sewer Drain Keeps Clogging

If you're having trouble with your toilet clogging repeatedly, there might be a problem with your home's sewer line. If you've had a plumber out to clear the clog with a drain auger but the clog came back in several weeks or months, you may need to look at what you're flushing down the drains.

Whether you have a septic system or use the city's sewer, it's best to use toilet paper that dissolves quickly and avoid flushing other types of paper and trash. You might also want to call a plumbing contractor to look in the sewer line with a camera too. Here's why your drain might be clogging repeatedly and how a camera can help your plumber uncover the reason. 

Why A Sewer Line Clogs Repeatedly 

If you know you're not sending things down the toilet that could create clogs, and you're sure no one else in your family is flushing paper towels or anything else that can clog up the plumbing line, then it's time to think of other possibilities. A common reason sewers clog off is that they fill with tree roots. If you have the roots removed with an auger, they can grow back, and that's why you have to deal with clogging repeatedly.

How A Sewer Camera Works

When you have problems with a pipe that's under the ground, you have no idea what's going on since you can't see it. That's where a sewer camera comes in. The plumbing contractor sends a camera into the sewer pipe so they can watch a video of what the camera sees. The camera has a light that illuminates the inside of the pipe and the camera sends back color video to a monitor the plumber watches as they thread the camera through the pipe.

What A Camera Inspection Could Discover

Depending on the type of sewer drain you have, the camera might see the joints where pipes attach to each other. If a joint has a gap in it, there might be roots coming through to clog up the line. The camera can see roots and let the plumber see how badly they have clogged the pipe. The camera might also see cracks and areas where the pipe might be collapsed that could be contributing to the problem.

The video might also show a lot of buildup on the sides of the pipe from grease, scale, hair, and corrosion. More than just toilet waste goes into the sewer line. Lint from a washing machine drain, soap scum from a shower, and grease from a kitchen drain also end up in the main sewer line and contribute to clogging.

Once the plumber understands why your sewer drain is clogging, they can recommend the type of repairs that work over the long term. This might include using a hydro jet to wash the inside of the drain, using treatments to kill tree roots, or pulling a liner through the sewer to block roots and repair cracks.

Contact a plumber to learn more.