A CCTV Drain Survey can reveal many things about your underground drains. In most cases, a small camera is pushed through your drains from a simple access point. What engineers find, and what it means for you and your property, is outlined below.
Root Ingress
Roots from trees and shrubs grow down into drainpipes through the tiniest cracks and joints in the pipes. Over time these roots can fill the pipes with debris and cause cracks in the pipes that can eventually lead to a total break.
Displaced or Misaligned Joints
Misaligned or displaced drainpipe joints: Over time, underground drains are subjected to ground movement which can cause the joints between individual lengths of pipework to become dislodged or to develop a step. As the displaced joint is circumvented by flowing water, the ground around the affected area is washed away potentially creating a hole under patios, drives and building foundations.
Pipe Deformation and Collapse
In the majority of cases older plastic or clay pipes can become distorted whilst underground. This can result in pipes having an oval cross section as they have been subjected to excessive pressure. In some cases the pipe may be cracked or even partially collapsed. Most blockages caused by distorted pipes cannot be cleared by jetting and would require the pipe to be repaired by means of patch lining or excavation.
Grease and Scale Build-Up
Fats from kitchen waste can cool and solidify in drains causing a pale, rough, buildup on the pipe walls. Heavy scale buildup in a drain can reduce the bore of a 100mm pipe to that of a small channel, so prior to carrying out any other work in the drain, descaling is often required.
Illegal Connections and Misrouted Pipes
A CCTV drain survey can reveal whether pipes have been incorrectly connected to a sewer, such as surface water drainage being connected to foul sewer. It is worth understanding the standards for drainage and sewer responsibility to know who is responsible for any repair.
For CCTV Drain Survey Coventry, see https://www.wilkinson-env.co.uk/drainage-services-cctv-surveys-midlands/cctv-drain-surveys/coventry/.
Each of the problems listed above are described in detail in the report with a corresponding location and time reference on the footage so you can clearly see the problem and required remedial work.