A sewer camera inspection is one of the cheapest ways to avoid one of the most expensive surprises in a house. On this Gilbert home the news was mostly good, and that is worth knowing too.
Finding both cleanouts
Most Gilbert homes have a double cleanout near the front of the house: one pipe heads out to the street and the other heads back under the house. The first one here ran straight out about 25 feet to the green city connection. The second one was buried. It was only about 18 inches away, but 4 inches lower, under rock and landscape fabric. I dug it out and went under the house.
What the camera showed
- Clean ABS pipe with no cracks, root intrusion or blockages.
- Some calcium and soap scum on the pipe walls. A hydrojet cleaning, basically pressure washing the inside of the pipe, will take care of that.
- A sharp 90-degree bend under the slab that the camera head could not get around. When a camera does not want to go, you do not force it.
- Good water flow, which is what matters most.
Raise your cleanouts
My main recommendation was to raise the buried cleanout about 6 inches so it does not get lost again. When a line backs up, a plumber needs to find that cap fast. If it is under rock and fabric, you are paying for the time it takes to dig.
So is it worth it?
Yes. You cannot see a sewer line from the yard, and a standard home inspection does not include one. Most scans look like this one: some buildup, nothing serious. But when there is a belly, roots or a broken pipe, the repair can run into the thousands, and you want to know before you close. See one example in how a $200 sewer scan can save $10,000.
Sewer camera inspections in Gilbert
We scope sewer lines all over Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa and the rest of the Valley. Add a sewer camera inspection to any home inspection, and see more sewer scan posts.
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.
