A sewer camera inspection is a professional diagnostic service that uses a high-resolution waterproof camera attached to a flexible cable to examine the inside of sewer and drain lines. The camera is carefully inserted into the pipe, transmitting real-time video footage to a monitor so technicians can accurately identify blockages, cracks, root intrusion, corrosion, misalignments, or collapsed sections.

This non-invasive method allows plumbing professionals to pinpoint the exact location and cause of a problem without unnecessary digging or guesswork. Sewer camera inspections save time, reduce repair costs, and ensure that the most effective solution is recommended.

1. Multiple Fixtures Are Draining Slowly

Water is draining slowly or not at all from fixtures and plumbing appliances throughout your home. Multiple sink, bathtub, and shower drains may be affected. There may be issues with flushing the toilet or it may even overflow, potentially bringing water and waste into your home. Water damage and contamination by bacteria and viruses can result. If running a washing machine causes a nearby sink or toilet to overflow, a sewer line problem may be the cause.

2. Gurgling Sounds in Different Drains

A toilet may gurgle when you turn the washing machine on, or a sink or shower drain gurgles when the toilet is flushed. Gurgling is often caused by a drain line blockage. Tree roots are often to blame. As they slowly grow into sewer lines via pipe joints and tiny holes, and catch pieces of waste such as toilet paper, a clog gradually forms, so sewer drain symptoms like gurgling may increase slowly over time.

3. Plunging Becomes a Common Chore

Almost everyone finds themselves plunging a toilet now and then. But if you more frequently need to plunge the toilet or a kitchen sink, and it’s running more slowly, there could be a clog deep in your drainage system. If so, the problem most likely won’t be limited to one plumbing fixture. A clog’s effect on water pressure can also lead to unexplainable changes in a toilet’s water level.

4. Water Backs Up the Sewer Line Cleanout

Sewer cleanouts allow technicians to access sewer pipe from convenient locations. Plumbers often use them to clear out clogs. But if water is flowing up or out of one, the line is blocked and unable to drain. The location of the backup can help a plumber estimate where the blockage is so they can clear it quickly.

5. Your Drains Are Starting to Smell

If foul odors are permeating from your toilet, sink, or shower drains, sewage is not draining as it should. Normally, all waste and the odors associated with it flow continuously through drainage and sewer lines. If not, then there is a clog, or worse, a broken or collapsed sewer pipe.

6. Your Yard Is a Mess

It hasn’t rained but a flood or muddy mess appears in your yard. This is a sign of a sewer line break underground. You may also notice plant growth is thicker and more lush than normal. Grasses and other vegetation may be feeding off nutrients stuck in or leaking out of your sewer line.