If you've never had to deal with a significant drain blockage, you may not realise how sophisticated the industry has become. You may imagine that a plumber would only have rudimentary tools to work with and would often have to approach such a blockage from a trial and error point of view, but this is not the case as technology has come to the rescue. So, if you have a stubbornly blocked drain at home and cannot understand what's going wrong, how can high-tech save the day?
Understanding the Challenge
While some minor drain blockages may be easy to clear, especially if the problem is relatively near the surface, others may present a considerable challenge. The pipe in question may run underneath your back garden on the way to the public sewer, and the issue may lie somewhere underneath your carefully tended garden. In the days before technology, a plumber might have to dig several pilot holes to first locate the pipe and then the problem area. To say the least, it would be disruptive, and it would also need more time leading to additional costs.
Technology in Action
Today, the plumber arrives with a special CCTV camera system. They will open up the drain at the surface level and will then feed a thin cable attached to a high-resolution camera. This probe is actually a series of cameras that can inspect the entire circumference of the pipe. As it moves slowly down the line, it can look for any cracks, misalignment, tree root infiltration, separation and other issues. The plumber will look at a computer screen as this work unfolds and will make notes as they go along. When they eventually come to the source of the blockage, they'll gather the information and, crucially, know precisely where it is. In some situations, they may even send a remotely controlled tool down the pipe to clear the blockage in situ.
If this is not the case, and given that they know exactly where the blockage is, they can then make a single excavation and get access to the job site right away. This will clearly save a lot of time and inconvenience to say nothing of the damage to your pristine lawn.
Your Next Move
So, if you have a blocked drain and may fear the worst, get in touch with your friendly neighbourhood plumber. They'll bring the technology and will make light work of the issue.
