A sewer camera inspection sends a small camera through your drain line while a monitor shows the pipe wall live. It answers the questions a cable cannot: what is blocking the line, where the damage is and how bad it looks. Book it for repeat clogs, a home purchase or a suspected break.
This is a planned service, but our 24/7 line also takes urgent calls. If sewage is already backing up, call (860) 397-8103 now and the plumber can run the camera once the line is open.
What a sewer camera inspection is
The plumber feeds a camera head on a push cable into the line through a cleanout, or through a pulled toilet if there is no cleanout. The head carries lights, and the picture is shown on a monitor as it travels. The cable has distance markings, so each finding has a position along the pipe.
Many cameras also carry a transmitter. A locator held at the surface picks up its signal and shows where the camera sits and how deep. That turns a finding on video into a spot on the ground.
When a camera is worth calling for
Repeat clogs
A line that blocks every few months has a reason. The camera shows whether it is roots, grease, a sag or a break.
Buying a house
Sewer lines are out of sight. A video of the main line before closing shows its condition before you own it.
Suspected leak or break
Sewer odor in the yard, a soft patch of lawn or a cable that stops at one spot are reasons to look inside.
Planning a repair
Before any digging or lining, the camera sets the length and type of the work so the price is based on facts.
What the camera can find
| Finding | What it looks like | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| Root intrusion | Fine white fibers or thick masses at a joint | Entry point at a crack or loose joint, needs cutting and often a repair |
| Cracks and fractures | Lines or gaps in the pipe wall, sometimes with soil showing | Pipe damage that will tend to get worse |
| Offset or pulled-apart joint | Pipe sections that no longer line up | Joint failure, often leaking and catching debris |
| Belly or sag | Standing water in a low stretch of pipe | Settled ground, solids collect and clog the line |
| Scale and grease | Crusty or greasy coating narrowing the pipe | Buildup that cleaning, or hydro jetting, can remove |
| Collapse | Pipe crushed or missing, camera cannot pass | Replacement or a repair of that section |
Pre-purchase inspections
A home inspection rarely covers the buried sewer line. A camera inspection before you close shows if the line is sound or if you would inherit root intrusion or a collapsed section. Ask for a copy of the video.
In Rocky Hill, much of the housing stock was built in the 1960s through the 1980s, based on town census counts. Pipe that old is where roots and cracked joints show up, so a pre-purchase look at an older house is a sensible use of a camera.
How the inspection runs
Talk through the symptoms
Tell the plumber what is slow, what smells and when it started.
Find access
The plumber finds the cleanout or pulls a fixture to reach the line.
Run the camera
The camera travels the line to the connection, with the monitor recording the findings.
Locate the problem
The locator marks the depth and position of anything that needs work.
Explain the findings
You see the footage and hear what needs doing, from nothing at all to a repair.
Reading the findings
Not every flaw needs action. A slight offset in an old joint on a line that drains well may only need monitoring. A cracked section with root growth deserves a plan. A collapse needs repair soon. Ask the plumber to rank each finding as watch, plan or fix now.
If the camera shows damage, our sewer line repair page explains spot repair, lining and replacement. If it shows buildup or roots on a sound pipe, sewer line cleaning or hydro jetting is the next step.
Camera limits and Rocky Hill connections
A camera cannot show a blockage it cannot pass, and it cannot see through standing water in a belly. The plumber may need to clear the line first. A camera shows your side of the line as far as the camera reaches.
The Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) provides sewer service in Rocky Hill. If the footage shows trouble near the connection to the public main, ask MDC what falls on its side. Work in the street needs the town's Street Excavation Permit and a Call Before You Dig number.
What a camera inspection costs
The plumber gives a clear price before work starts. These factors affect it.
What moves the price
- Access: a cleanout is quick, while pulling a toilet takes more time.
- Length of the line and how many turns it has.
- Whether the line must be cleared first so the camera can pass.
- Locating: marking depth and position at the surface adds time.
- A copy of the video for a sale, a claim or a second opinion.
For a clear price, call (860) 397-8103 and describe the line.
Questions homeowners ask
Do you take urgent sewer calls at night or on weekends in Rocky Hill?
Yes. The dispatch line answers 24/7, including nights, weekends and holidays. If sewage is backing up, say so and we book the first plumber who can reach you. After-hours visits are priced differently, and you get the price before work starts.
Does a camera inspection fix the problem?
No. It finds the cause and the location. Clearing or repairing the line is a separate step, though the plumber can often move on to it, with your approval and a clear price, once the footage shows what is needed.
Can I get a copy of the video?
Ask when you book. A recording is useful for a home sale, a second opinion or an insurance question. Tell the dispatcher you want it so the plumber sets up to record.
Should I get a camera inspection before buying a house?
It is a good idea, especially for an older home or one with mature trees near the sewer route. A routine home inspection does not cover the buried line, and repairs can be large.
How does the plumber know where the problem is?
The cable has distance markings and many cameras carry a transmitter. A locator at the surface picks up the signal, showing the position and depth of the camera, so the spot can be marked before any digging.
Do you serve Wethersfield, Newington and Cromwell?
Yes. We serve those towns from our Rocky Hill dispatch address, and the dispatcher confirms availability for your street when you call. See the Cromwell page for how we cover the south side.
Call the 24/7 line, describe the problem, and we confirm what it will cost before any work starts.