Are your sinks or drains blocked up? Do your toilet and sinks emit a foul stench that seemingly does not seem to go away? You might need a CCTV inspection for your drainage system. In this article, we explore the benefits of drain inspections for your drains and how they can pinpoint the cause of your clogged plumbing system.

CCTV drain inspections and surveys are a means through which professional plumbers can inspect the health and state of a drainage system. This non-intrusive inspection method is invaluable for drainage system repairs, maintenance, extensions, and upgrades.

Using the latest technology in drainage inspections, experienced technicians can identify blockages, rusting, damages and other issues in the drainage lines.

This method of drain inspection is the standard inspection method in today’s plumbing industry. It allows plumbers and leak technicians to glimpse inside the property owner’s drainage system in a fast, cheap, and convenient manner.

To understand the intricacies of CCTV drainage inspection, we will look at:

How drainage inspections and surveys are done
Why you might need a CCTV drainage inspection and survey
What insight can a CCTV drain inspection reveal

How Drain Inspections Are Done

As the name suggests, the CCTV camera survey involves using a camera and monitor to inspect and survey the drainage system. As such, every CCTV drainage survey and inspection begins with having the right tools. When you contract professional plumbers, they should come with all the tools required for the job.

These will include waterproof cameras that can function even when submerged in black and grey water that flows in the drainage system. They will also need crawlers, which are remote-operated and controlled mobility vehicles that increase the mobility and access of the camera to all parts of the drainage system.

Other tools the technician might come with may include access rods, crawlers, monitors, and sonar units. While sonar systems do not give a live video feed, they are useful in getting an insight into the state of the pipe where getting a live video feed is impossible to get.

With these tools in hand, the technician will develop an action plan for efficient drainage surveying. The plan will enable them to inspect and survey the entire drainage system in a fast and efficient manner, while also being thorough.

Then using the best tool available, they will probe the whole drainage system, getting a live feed of the state and health of the plumbing system. At the end of the process, the technician will write up a report on their findings and provide recommendations to the property owner.

What Insights Can A CCTV Drainage Inspection Reveal

A CCTV survey will obviously reveal the extent, location, and state of all the drains. This is critical when planning for building projects such as house extensions and renovations. However, the information generated from the survey is also helpful for people looking to purchase a property.

The survey will reveal the extent state and health of the drainage system and whether repairs and replacements are needed.

As for CCTV camera inspection for maintenance and repair purposes, the examination will reveal instances of blockages, tree root ingress, pipe damage, leaks, collapsed drains, animal intrusion, wear, tear, corrosion, and drainage displacement.

Why You Might Need A CCTV Drainage Inspection And Survey

Generally speaking, property owners should seek CCTV camera inspection whenever they need to get insights into the state of their drainage system.

However, these services are frequently sought after by individuals who are facing surface flooding, drainage issues, subsidence, or property owners building new houses or extensions.

Conclusion

CCTV camera inspections are a cost-effective and non-intrusive means of determining the exact state of a drainage pipe.

In the hand of professional drainage inspectors, the survey and inspection will help you understand what is the main drain problem in your home and what is the cause. From here, the technician will be able to provide a full detailed report for your plumber to repair.

If you have any questions or want to learn how Austest Pipeline Solutions can help your blocked drains, get in touch or send an online enquiry today. For over three decades, we have been providing specialised services across Melbourne including CCTV drain inspections, leak detection, smoke testing, and much more. Get in touch with us today to prevent further damage to your property.

Do you have a toilet or bathroom that smells like sewer? This can be terribly embarrassing, especially when you have visitors. Let’s take a look below at what the causes of this might be.

Common Causes of Sewer Smells Inside Toilets

No matter how much the toilet is cleaned or what type of cleaning products and chemicals are used, there is still a foul odour coming from the toilet. In fact, it smells just like a sewer.

Unfortunately, no amount of cleaning is going to get rid of that nasty smell. There are however a number of different issues that could be the source of the smell. We cover these below:

Sewer gas returning from a vent pipe
A dry p-trap
Clogged or blocked drains
Sewerage seeping into the toilet
Damaged or broken wax seal

Some of these issues have simpler solutions than others. However, it is always recommended to call a plumber to diagnose a clogged sewer line and resolve a problem if you have a toilet that smells like a sewer.

1. Dry P-Trap

The p-trap is the curvy pipe behind the toilet that drains the water and effluent out of the toilet bowl. A toilet that is not used often or a p-trap that is leaking can dry out resulting in a bad smell. Simply flushing the toilet regularly can help resolve the problem in a toilet that is seldom used. However, if there is a leak or damage to the p-trap, call a plumber to replace or repair it.

2. Damaged Wax Seal

The wax seal is found on the drainage pipe and is there to prevent water and effluent from leaking out.

The seal is however quite fragile and likely to deteriorate or become damaged after a period of time. If this is the issue, it is best to contact a plumber to replace the wax.

3. Blockages

There are many different places where a blockage can occur in a toilet resulting in the smell of sewerage. A toilet that is draining slowly is a clear sign that there is a blockage.

However, even toilets that seem to be draining properly may have a small blockage that is resulting in a foul smell.

If you cannot resolve the blockage or the sewer smell remains, hire a plumber to find the blockage and expertly unclog the toilet.

4. Blocked Vent

Most people are unaware that a toilet has a vent stack that is there to filter out bad odours and sewer gas. This is because the vent stack is normally located inside the wall behind the toilet. A vent stack that is blocked will result in the sewer gas building up in the pipe and then flowing back into the toilet bowl. This is one of the most common reasons for a toilet or bathroom that smells like a sewer.

It can be tricky to unblock a vent stack and it is not recommended to do this without professional assistance from a plumber.

5. Sewerage Seepage

A toilet that is not functioning properly can allow sewerage to seep back into the drains of the toilet or even the toilet bowl. This sewerage contains bacteria that is responsible for creating that bad odour smell.

Even if you don’t notice the sewerage, bad bacteria may be present. Flushing the entire system with bleach should eliminate the problem. Pour concentrated bleach into the overflow pipe and the flushing valve and then flush the toilet to release it into the system. If this does not resolve the problem, call a plumber.

It can be difficult to determine which of the above-mentioned issues may be causing the toilet to smell like a sewer and it may take some trial and error to accurately identify and solve the problem.

Expert plumbers have the experience and the know-how to diagnose plumbing problems quickly and effectively as well as find the best solution for each problem.

Organise a Sewer Inspection

When you have a sewer emergency, work with a team you can rely on. If you’re experiencing a bad smell in your toilet or bathroom, Austest Pipeline Solutions are here to help. We have all the plumbing and sewer inspection equipment to help you whenever you need us.

For all sewer drain inspections with stubborn sewage smell, get in touch with Austest Popeline solutions today.