Sometimes it is hard to determine exactly what is causing a blockage in a sewer line. We have the technology and knowledge to assist in these situations. When necessary, we utilize a Gen-Eye camera system to inspect drain lines and discover what is causing the problem so that we can solve it in the most efficient manner.
Companies that do not have this state of the art equipment may be unable to locate the problem or diagnose the wrong problem, and you, the customer, end up paying for it in time & expense. Our experienced plumbers can quickly find the blockage and make recommendations to ensure your drains run efficiently.
Call Van Franey Plumbing service 24/7 at (239) 851-0207 for video camera diagnostics & to unblock your drains
What a sewer camera inspection shows
The camera is a waterproof head on the end of a stiff push cable, fed into the drain line through a cleanout or a pulled toilet. It sends live video to a monitor above ground, and it records. Watching the screen, we can see the things a cable or a plunger only lets you guess at.
- What the blockage actually is: grease, wipes, roots, a collapsed section, or an object that fell in.
- The pipe material, and where it changes from cast iron to PVC at an old repair.
- Bellies, the low spots where the pipe has settled and water stands.
- Offset or separated joints where roots and soil get in.
- Rust scale, channeling along the bottom of cast iron, and cracks in the wall.
- Standing water and sludge that mean the line is not draining at grade.
Pre-purchase scopes on older homes with cast iron
If you are buying a home in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, or Naples built before the mid 1970s, the drain lines under the slab are almost certainly cast iron, and cast iron in our soil and humidity has reached the end of its expected life. A general home inspection does not look inside the pipe. A sewer scope does, and it is the one plumbing item most likely to change what you offer or what the seller agrees to fix.
On a pre-purchase scope we run the camera from the cleanout to the street and, where we can, back through the branch lines to the kitchen and baths. You get the recording and a plain description of what we saw. A line with light scale and sound joints is a line you can plan around. A line with channeling, holes, or a belly full of sludge is a repair conversation to have before closing, not after. We also scope for sellers who want to know what a buyer's inspector will find.
Locating the problem above ground
Seeing the break is half the job. The camera head carries a transmitter, and a locator above ground picks up its signal and tells us where the head is and how deep. That turns "there is a crack somewhere in the line" into a paint mark on the lawn or the floor with a depth beside it. A repair crew digs one hole in the right place instead of following the pipe.
Locating also matters for lines that run under a driveway, a pool deck, or a neighbor's property, and for condo buildings where the shared line passes under several units. Knowing exactly where the problem sits tells everyone whose responsibility it is before any concrete is cut.
Reports and video for buyers, sellers, and insurers
Every inspection can be saved as a video file with the footage counter showing distance from the cleanout, and we give you a written summary of the findings: pipe material, condition, the location and depth of any defect, and what we recommend. Buyers use it to negotiate. Sellers use it to show a line is sound. Insurance carriers and adjusters ask for it when a drain failure turns into a claim, and a 4-point inspection sometimes triggers the request. Condo associations use the same footage to document a shared line before a riser or stack project.
Lining, spot repair, or replacement
The camera decides the repair. A single offset joint or a cracked section a few feet long is a spot repair: open the floor or yard at the marked location, replace that piece, close it up. A long run of cast iron that is rusted but still round can often be lined, which cures a new pipe inside the old one without trenching through the house. A line that has collapsed, that is channeled through along the bottom, or that has a deep belly needs replacement, because a liner follows the shape of whatever it is put into.
We show you the footage, point out what we are looking at, and tell you which of the three we would choose and why. If the honest answer is that a line will go a few more years with a cleaning, we say that. A plumber answers 24/7, so if a drain is backing up now, call and we can camera the line as part of clearing it.
Learn more before you call
- Buying an older home with cast iron drain lines? Get the sewer line scoped first
- Sewer camera inspection: what the video shows and how to read it
- Ficus roots and your sewer line: the Southwest Florida clog nobody warns you about
- Plumbing repairs that change a home sale price
Common questions about camera inspections
Do I need a sewer scope before buying a house?
On any home built before the mid 1970s, yes. The drain lines are likely cast iron and near the end of their life, and a home inspector does not look inside them. On newer PVC homes it is optional unless the seller mentions drain trouble.
How does the camera get into the line?
Through the exterior cleanout when there is one, or through a pulled toilet or roof vent when there is not. If your home has no cleanout, adding one is worth doing, and it makes every future inspection simpler.
Will I get a copy of the video?
Yes. We save the recording and give you a written summary with the pipe material, condition, and the location of any defect. It is yours to hand to a buyer, seller, adjuster, or association.
Can the camera find where the pipe is broken under my floor?
Yes. A locator picks up the camera head's signal from above and marks the spot and depth, so a repair opens one place instead of following the pipe across the house.