Is your drain not, well, draining? It could be from any number of things. Many people rely on using chemical drain cleaners to fix their problem. You shouldn’t use these, as they will damage your pipes. However, if you already have and you still have a blocked drain, it might be time to check things out with a camera inspection, courtesy of POM Plumbing.
What is A Camera Inspection?
When your drain is blocked, a camera inspection is a great way to check out what the problem is with our own eyes. Normally, without a camera, figuring out what’s wrong with a drain is a matter of randomly trying things until something works. Drain cleaner, snaking, or taking apart pipes are some ways we experiment in fixing a drain.
However, what a dysfunctional drain always comes down to is that something is in the way of the pipeway. Therefore, the easiest way to find out the problem is to follow the drain itself until we get stopped by what’s stopping everything else. To do this, we attach a small camera to the end of a line and feed it into the drain pipe. We can then watch the live camera feed from a monitor, seeing with our own eyes what it is that’s causing the problem.
The Verdict
Once we’ve followed the drain down with the camera, we’ll be able to find what the problem is. If it’s a blockage, we can then move on to snaking. If we’ve already tried snaking and it wasn’t effective, we can also try removing the affected pipe and removing the blockage more forcefully.
However, camera inspections, especially those following a failed attempt at snaking, can often reveal more than just a blockage. The problem may lie in the pipe having broken.
It is not at all uncommon for underground pipes to break and collapse. This happens or many reasons. The pipe may have become weaker with years of intense shifts in temperature. It may have been broken forcefully by tree or plant roots. Or, it may have just aged and eroded, going unreplaced for long enough that it can no longer support the earth pressing down on it. No matter the case, a broken pipe must be replaced or repaired.
Fixing Broken Pipes
If you have broken pipes that need fixing, POM Plumbing is more than happy to be of service. Broken pipes in the walls can be accessed by removing a relatively small portion of drywall. The broken pipe can then be removed and replaced with a new one. If the break is minor, it an also be repaired. Pipe repairs are typically done by putting a tight, rubber sleeve around the broken portion of the pipe. Drywall is then replaced and made to look like the rest of the wall like we were never there.
Broken pipes underground will require a bit of digging. Our expert team will replace a broken, outdoor pipe in no time at all. Once the broken pipe is fixed, you should no longer have any trouble with a blocked drain.
If you’re in need of plumbing expertise for a blocked drain, a camera inspection, or pipe repairs, POM Plumbing is Toronto’s #1 choice for plumbing service. Give us a call and we’ll be happy to schedule an inspection for you.
