How Long Does a CCTV Drain Survey Take?

A CCTV Drain Survey is a thorough inspection of your complete drainage system. A drainage expert will send a small, high-tech CCTV camera down through your pipework. Using the live footage and their expertise, you’ll have a completed map of your drains in no time.

How much time will my CCTV drain survey take?

A thorough drain inspection won’t take much time but it does depend on the size of your property and your drainage system. A small home is likely to have less pipework connecting your system to the public sewers, therefore our team will be able to map and inspect it much quicker. That being said, you never know what lies beneath the surface! Your drains would have been installed back when your house was built. Since then, you may have undergone property renovations leading to new systems being built. All in all, it’s best to put aside a couple of hours for your inspection. While it will probably be quicker than this, it’s good to have the spare time aside just in case! In terms of waiting for your appointment, your local drainage expert will be able to give you a better idea of waiting times. We can only speak for ourselves, but our team will always try to get your CCTV drain survey booked at a convenient time that suits you. Get in touch with Jon at Maintain Drains to get your Poole, Bournemouth or Dorset CCTV drain inspection booked.

Is a CCTV drain inspection worth it?

There are many reasons you should look into your drainage system. Firstly, you probably don’t think about what’s going on beneath your property much. You might notice overflowing outside drains or a slow draining kitchen sink… But do you know what’s causing it? A CCTV drain inspection can get to the root of the problem quickly and efficiently. Without the camera survey, your drainage expert would have had to excavate or dig up your property to get to the root of the problem. Trust us when we say that a CCTV drain survey is a much easier way to solve your drainage issues! Finding problems within your pipework isn’t the only benefit. Your home buyers survey might suggest you get one in your property report, or you might need to find out where your line of responsibility ends to see whether the council should be paying for the repair work. There are loads of reasons you should consider this service! What are all the benefits of a CCTV drain survey?

The benefits of having a CCTV drainage inspection

There are 4 situations that we would always recommend a CCTV drain survey:

Buying a new house
Continuous issues such as slow draining sinks or bad smells
Following any repair work
Map your drainage system

If you find yourself in any of these situations, here’s why a drain inspection can benefit you.

CCTV Drain Inspection For Home Buyers

The benefits of having a CCTV drain survey when you’re buying a new house include getting to the bottom of any underlying issues, finding damage before it results in costly work and it can even save you some money when it comes to buying a new house! Don’t believe us? Read this blog to find out exactly how a CCTV drain inspection is a must when it comes to buying a home. As you can see, the report provided by your drainage company acts as a powerful negotiation tool when it comes to buying a home. Drain repairs can be expensive, especially if they go undetected for so long. Avoid unexpected bills later down the road by reaching an agreement with the current homeowners about who will cover these costs.

Getting to the Root of the Issue with a CCTV Drain Survey

Other than a home buyers drain survey, the most popular reason for inspecting your drains is to find out what is causing an issue. Many of us deal with slow draining sinks, overflowing outside drains or bad smells coming from the bath. Sometimes we brush this off as a simple blockage – too much hair down the shower drain or grease in the sink. If this is the case, you can use a simple bicarbonate of soda solution to flush your drains clean and you shouldn’t have to worry about it anymore. On the other hand, if the problem persists then you probably have a bigger issue than you anticipated. A CCTV drain survey will identify cracked pipework, tree root ingress or rats living in your drains. All of these are common problems that we deal with regularly. On the surface, you would have no idea that you have an issue like this but our high-tech cameras will get to the root of the problem fast. Following a thorough inspection, our team would always recommend the best solution. We aim to cause as minimal inconvenience as possible so we would always look for a solution that didn’t involve drain excavation. Without excavation, it’s impossible to see what’s going on down there without one of our cameras… so often we’ll bring the kit out again!

CCTV Drain Inspection to Check Underground Repair Work

The other reason that we might use our camera technology to inspect your drains is to ensure that any pitch fibre repairs or other services we’ve carried out have gone to plan. In this video, Jon shows you how Maintain Drains were able to repair a collapsed sewer drain without having to dig or excavate the surrounding area.

As you can see, without the CCTV drain inspection it would have been more difficult to see if the pitch fibre patch had bonded to the pipework as it was supposed to. Jon was able to put the camera down into the collapsed sewer drain to ensure that the job had been a success and the collapsed pipe was fixed. More importantly, he was able to check that the neighbour’s pipe hadn’t been blocked or obstructed during the pitch fibre repair! Now, the homeowners and their neighbours can rest assured that their drainage system is operating as it should. At Maintain Drains, we undergo a CCTV Drain Survey as a standard whenever we carry out work like this. If you don’t live in Dorset or have gone out to another local drainage company, ask them if they can include this in the cost of the repair work! If the job hasn’t gone to plan and something is out of place you could find yourself back to square one in no time. A quick inspection is the best way to check the work and get peace of mind.

CCTV Drain Survey to Map Your System

But what if you’re not having repair work done on your drains? A CCTV drain survey is still a great way to identify problems, find out where your line of responsibility is and map the drainage system beneath your new property. The drainage laws in the UK changed in 2011. Many of the customers we visit across Poole and Dorset don’t know whether they are responsible for the cost of the repair work or whether the council should be paying up. Our team, or your local professional drainage company, can use our CCTV surveillance technology to get a thorough understanding of what is going on beneath the surface. Following your survey, we’ll provide you with an up-to-date map of your complete drainage system. A map of your drains is essential if you are undergoing any building work or adding an extension that requires excavation. Bursting a pipe is something you want to avoid! Not only will the repair work be expensive, but you’ll find yourself without water until the problem is fixed.

Book a CCTV Drain Survey with Maintain Drains

The purpose of an in-depth drain inspection like this is to get a thorough understanding of what is going on down there. Your drainage system is buried deep underground and it’s unlikely you’ve ever seen your pipework in person. However, sending CCTV cameras down your drains is the quickest and most effective way to identify these issues before they become much bigger problems. Maintain Drains offer complete CCTV drain service in Bournemouth, Poole and the surrounding areas.

FAQs

Q: How long does a CCTV drain survey usually take?

A: The duration of a CCTV drain survey depends on your property’s size and drainage system complexity. While it may not take long, it’s best to allocate a couple of hours for the inspection.

Q: Why should you consider a CCTV drain inspection?

A: A CCTV drain inspection quickly identifies underlying drainage issues, prevents costly future repairs, and can be beneficial for property buyers and homeowners.

Q: What situations warrant a CCTV drain survey?

A: Four situations that recommend a CCTV drain survey include buying a new house, addressing continuous issues, inspecting post-repair work, and mapping your drainage system.

Q: How can a CCTV drain survey benefit home buyers?

A: A survey helps uncover underlying problems, prevents future expenses, and offers insight into the condition of the property’s drainage system.

Q: Why might you need a CCTV drain survey for ongoing drainage issues?

A: Persistent problems like slow draining sinks or foul smells could indicate deeper issues like cracked pipes, root ingress, or rodent presence, which a survey can identify.

Q: How is a CCTV drain survey useful for checking repair work?

A: It ensures that repair work, such as pitch fibre repairs, has been successful and that neighboring pipes are unobstructed, providing peace of mind for homeowners.

Q: What’s the significance of a CCTV drain survey for mapping?

A: A survey helps determine your line of responsibility, identify problems, and create an up-to-date map of your drainage system, crucial for building work and extensions.

Q: How have drainage laws changed, and how does a CCTV drain survey help?

A: UK drainage laws changed in 2011, and a survey helps clarify responsibility for repair costs. Mapping your drainage system becomes essential to avoid accidental pipe damage during construction work.