Every house in Gilbert looks about the same from the street, but the sewer lines under them do not. Here are four sewer scopes I did around Gilbert, from a perfect line to one with tree roots. Each one shows why a camera is worth adding to your inspection.
1. Roots in the line where a tree used to be
This home had dual ABS cleanouts in front. Under the house, the line had the usual soap scum and gunk at the joints, which hydrojet maintenance takes care of. Then, about 17 feet out toward the street, the camera hit tree roots growing right into the pipe. The tree had been removed, but the roots were still in the line. A hydrojet may not clear that. A plumber may need to cut the roots or dig up that section, and there was more pipe past the roots I could not see. The buyer’s agent said it best: not everyone buying this house would have scoped it.
2. A water softener drain in the cleanout
This roughly 30-year-old home had two ABS cleanouts, and someone had run the water softener drain from the garage straight into one of them. That blocks a plumber from using the cleanout, and it is a cross-connection. If the sewer ever backed up into the cleanouts, that drain line could pull sewage back toward the water softener. A softener needs to drain into a proper drain with an air gap. The rest of the line was typical for its age, with buildup on the walls and a small belly holding water right before the city connection. The belly was not collecting debris, so hydrojet maintenance was my recommendation.
3. No cleanouts in sight
There were no visible cleanouts in the front yard, and it was too hot to safely get on the roof to use a vent stack. So I ran the camera through the primary bathroom drain. About 68 feet out, I used a locator to find the buried cleanouts in the front yard and marked them for the owner. The line continued nearly 100 feet to the city connection. The pipes were clean with good flow. The only problem was access, and now the owner knows where to dig.
4. A clean line to the city
And sometimes it is just good news. This line had cleanouts at the front and back and a cap tied into a check valve. The ABS pipe was smooth and clean all the way to the city connection about 25 feet out. A clean sewer scope is great news for a buyer.
What to take away
- ABS pipe, which most Gilbert homes have, does not corrode, but it does build up gunk at the joints. Hydrojet maintenance every few years keeps it flowing.
- Trees near the sewer line are the biggest risk, even after the tree is gone.
- Know where your cleanouts are, and keep them raised and uncovered.
- Never tie a water softener or other drain into a cleanout.
Sewer camera inspections in Gilbert, AZ
Add a sewer camera inspection to any home inspection in Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa or Queen Creek. Read more: are sewer camera inspections worth it?, a downtown Gilbert remodel sewer scan and a water softener drain run into a roof vent.
Buying a home? Book your inspection online or call 623-399-0079.
Property Inspections Plus is a Gilbert, AZ home inspection company led by Certified Master Inspector Dan Pierce. We inspect homes across the East Valley, the Phoenix metro and the rest of Arizona. See all of our service areas.
