CCTV Drain Camera Inspection in Wollongong

CS Plumbing & Drainage Services inspects drains and sewer pipes with a CCTV drain camera for homes, rental properties, strata buildings and businesses across Wollongong and the Illawarra. The camera travels along the inside of the pipe and shows it on a screen, so we can see what is causing a blockage, where roots are getting in and whether the pipe is cracked or broken, without digging. You watch the footage with us. Call 0416 101 022 to book a drain camera inspection. There is no call out fee.

What a Drain Camera Inspection Shows

A drain camera shows the inside of the pipe as it is today, so the repair is based on what is actually there. On a typical drain camera inspection we are looking for:

• Tree roots: roots growing into the pipe through joints or cracks, and how far along the pipe they reach.
• Cracks and open joints: gaps in the pipe wall where water leaks out and roots get in.
• Broken or collapsed sections: parts of the pipe that have caved in or lost their shape.
• Pipes that have shifted: sections that have dropped or moved out of line, where waste settles and builds up.
• Build up in the pipe: grease, wet wipes and silt narrowing the inside of the pipe.

Once the camera finds a problem, our pipe locator pinpoints its exact position and depth from above ground. That means that if the pipe does need digging up, we only dig where we need to.

When to Book a CCTV Drain Inspection

It depends on where the pipe has burst. Sydney Water supplies water to the Illawarra, and it says that A camera inspection is worth booking when a drain problem keeps coming back or when you need to know the condition of a pipe before you spend money on it. Book one if:

• Your drain keeps blocking: the same drain has blocked more than once in a year.
• Roots keep coming back: the drain has been jetted for roots before and the roots have returned.
• Several fixtures are slow: the toilet, shower and basins all drain slowly or gurgle at the same time.
• There is a smell you cannot trace: a sewer smell inside or in the yard that does not go away.
• The ground is wet or sinking: wet patches or subsidence along the line where your drainage pipes run.
• You are weighing up a repair: you want to know whether a pipe can be relined or needs replacing before you approve the work.

Our article on why a drain smells and how to fix it covers smell problems in more detail.

How a CCTV Drain Camera Inspection Works at Your Property

We feed the camera into the drain and watch the screen as it travels along the pipe, and you can watch it with us. When the camera reaches a blockage, a crack or a root, we stop and look at it closely, then use the locator to find that spot from above ground.

If a blockage is stopping the camera from getting through, we clear the drain first with a hydro jetter or an electric eel, then run the camera through the clear pipe to check its condition. Clearing a drain without looking at it afterwards leaves you guessing whether the pipe is damaged, which is why we camera the pipe after clearing.

When the inspection is finished, we explain what the footage shows and what we recommend, and you get a price for any repair before we start.

Drain Camera Inspections for Landlords, Strata and Commercial Properties

If you manage a rental property or a strata building, you usually need evidence before you approve a drain repair. Where the camera shows a bigger problem, we provide the footage and a report before any repair is approved, and we can send an itemised invoice for property managers.

For commercial and strata properties, we carry out CCTV drain inspections and flow assessments to find defects, capacity problems and installations that do not meet the current requirements before we recommend any work. Our commercial and strata drainage page covers the rest of our work for body corporates and businesses.

What Happens After the Drain Camera Finds a Problem

The footage decides the repair. These are the options we explain after a drain camera inspection:

• Clearing the drain: a blockage of grease, wipes, silt or roots in a pipe that is otherwise sound is cleared with the jetter or the eel. Our blocked drains page explains how we clear blocked drains.
• Pipe relining: a pipe that is cracked or has roots getting in but still holds its shape can often be relined, which puts a new pipe inside the old one without digging it up.
• Excavation and replacement: a pipe that has collapsed or moved out of line is dug up and that section replaced. Our drain excavation and repairs page covers that work.
• Stormwater repairs: if the camera shows the problem is in the stormwater line rather than the sewer, our stormwater drains page covers the stormwater work we do.

Sometimes the camera shows the pipe is in good condition and the blockage was the whole problem. That is worth knowing too, because it means no repair is needed.

Drain Camera Inspections and Your Sewer Service Diagram

Not every burst pipe gushes. A slow leak in a wall, under the floor or in the yard can run for weeks before anyone notices. Sydney Water’s meter test is a simple way to check (Sydney Water leak A sewer service diagram shows the private wastewater pipes on a property, and plumbers use it to clear blockages and work on the pipes (Sydney Water). You can order a copy through Sydney Water Tap in or a Property Link broker. The diagram is a drawing of the pipes, while the camera and locator show what condition they are in now and exactly where they run.

Sydney Water supplies wastewater services to the Illawarra, and property owners are responsible for the wastewater pipes on their property up to where they connect to the Sydney Water network (Sydney Water). If the camera shows the problem is in Sydney Water’s pipes rather than yours, we will tell you, and you can report it to Sydney Water on 13 20 90.

Drain work in NSW must be done by a licensed person. The NSW Government says you need a licence or certificate for any plumbing, draining or gasfitting work, and it defines draining to include the maintenance, repair, flushing and cleansing of any sanitary drain (Building Commission NSW). Our NSW contractor licence number is 39901C.

How to Book a Drain Camera Inspection in Wollongong

Call us on 0416 101 022 or send an enquiry through our contact page. Tell us what you have noticed and where, for example which drain keeps blocking, where the smell is or where the ground is wet, and let us know the address.

We arrange a time that suits you, carry out the drain camera inspection, show you the footage and give you a quote for any repair before work begins. There is no call out fee. Owner Sandro Contarin has been a licensed plumber since 1992, and we inspect drains across Wollongong, Dapto, Shellharbour, Albion Park, Kiama and the wider Illawarra. If a drain is overflowing now, our emergency plumbing service is available 24 hours a day.

$0 Call Out Fee | Contractor Licence 39901C | Available 24/7