For anyone with questions or concerns about their home’s plumbing, just the thought of trying to figure out what’s going on in there can be overwhelming! If you have an older home, or just purchased a home, you probably don’t have very much information about the piping. And if you’ve noticed anything worrisome, you’ll definitely want to get to the bottom of it!
We believe that the more information homeowners have about the various systems in their homes, the happier they’ll be! The more you know, the less often you’ll encounter unpleasant surprises. So how can you find out what’s going on inside your home’s plumbing? Video pipe inspection is an amazing modern approach. We’ll tell you all about it.
Old-Fashioned Methods
Once upon a time, plumbers had to actually get hands-on access to plumbing in order to take a look at it. This could involve doing a lot of time-consuming and destructive work, like tearing out walls! If you know that work needs to be done in a section of pipe, you’ll need to access it anyway. But if you’re not sure what’s going on, wouldn’t you rather take a look without wrecking your house?
Real-Time Video
Surely you’ve seen movies, about spies or criminals, with scenes about characters needing to see into a space they can’t enter, like the bad guys’ hideout, or a room where hostages are being held. The way the problem is handled is usually with a high-tech little fiber-optic cable connecting a tiny camera at one end to a video screen where our heroes can watch what’s happening in real time.
That’s exactly what video pipe inspection is. In this case, our hero is a plumber, and the crime is happening inside your pipes. With a fiber-optic scope to reach through your plumbing, your plumber can get all kinds of information for you.
Just the Facts
What information can be determined with video pipe inspection? First, the plumber can see any places where pipes are deteriorated or damaged. They can spot clogs and blockages. They can also determine, by the length of the scope, exactly where that problem is located, so it can be repaired with precision instead of with large areas of torn-out walls!
It’s also important to know about the materials your home plumbing is made of. Modern plumbing pipes are made of specific types of plastic, PEX or PVC, or of copper. But it wasn’t that long ago that less-safe materials were in use! Kitek pipes, used as recently as 2007, should be replaced because they’re at high risk of failure. But lead, cast-iron, and even clay piping could still be part of an older home’s system!
Making a Plan
Repiping a whole home, or even a section of a home, such as the kitchen, is a significant undertaking. If you think there’s some chance that will be needed in the future, it’s best to take one small step—learning all you can through video pipe inspection—and then make a plan, armed with all the knowledge you can gather. This is a non-invasive, quick, and affordable way to be proactive about caring for your home.
If you have questions about pipe inspection in Glenview, IL, we’d love to chat with you!
For expert plumbing service, contact Reliance Plumbing Sewer & Drainage, Inc. Our knowledgeable plumbers serve the North Shore and Northwest Chicago suburbs. Rely on Reliance!