The purpose of sewer inspection is to determine the condition of sewer lines and to establish if the entire system if is functioning as its supposed to. Not so many first-time homeowners ask for sewer inspection and this is a mistake that often leads to the future high cost of inspection and repairs. Typically, home buyers will hire a home inspector, but the sewer lines are almost an afterthought if it ever crosses a home buyer’s mind at all.
Sewer line inspections have become a standard common practice of the pre-purchase inspection period. Experts advise that the most appropriate time to do a sewer inspection on a prospective home is during the negotiation stage, and not after buying a home.
Normally, it’s wise to obtain a sewer inspection if the house you are planning to buy is more than 20 years. It’s safe to incur such cost than dealing with high-cost of sewer repair later.
Why should the sewer line be inspected?
In most cases, sewer line lies right below different house structures and plantations like trees. Tree roots can extend into the sewer lines and slithers into small openings in the sewer that expand the sewer line.
The roots end up trapping trash and other wastes causing backups and massive blockages. This is when you’ll experience foul smell coming out of your drainage, sinks, and other sewer line inlets. Over the past few decades, houses were constructed without proper city sewers and often relied on cesspools, but later public septic systems were installed, leaving some of the cesspools connected still connected to the sewer system.
More reason why you should invest in sewer inspection to check and remove any unwanted lines. However, finding a good plumbing company that will pump septic tanks once every five to seven years will save you a lot of plumbing associated problems, but this also depends on how many people are in that house and the amount of water they use.
How to inspect a sewer line?
Sewer inspection is as easy a calling a plumbing company and arrange the inspection date and other logistic terms. With the help of your real estate agent, you’ll get several companies recommendations.
Usually, the plumbing company will insert a string like a video camera into the clean-out, and the visual recording is relayed on a monitor. From this, the plumber contractor is able to establish whether the sewer is clogged or not, and what is the condition down there! Depending on the size of the sewer line, cost tends to vary. However, any amount is money well spent. The results from sewer inspections should tell if you need plumbing repair services and to what extent.