Sewer inspections can prevent serious and costly repairs and are particularly important prior to the purchase of a home so that the buyer isn’t stuck with a costly and unforeseen repair. Of course, inspections are also extremely useful to existing homeowners that choose to be proactive with their home maintenance rather than face expensive and unnecessary repairs down the road. Below is a primer on the causes of sewer issues and inspections.

Sewer Line Blockage Causes
If your sewage is backed up, you definitely will want to determine the cause. In some cases, it is easy to physically get to the problem. In others, it may be necessary to hire a professional who uses a sewer camera that can go down into the lines and take a video to determine the issue. While some sewer lines may go for years without problems, a number of things may cause blockage, some of which are easy to fix. The main culprits include the following, all of which can be revealed in an inspection.

• Tree roots. These are typically easy to spot in video inspection and can be removed from pipes for a relatively low cost. 
• Ground settling or shifting. Sewer drains rely on gravity, requiring the lines to slope downhill from your home’s plumbing system to the municipal sewer system, septic tank, or mound. Over time the lines may go out of slope due to ground settling. An inspection will reveal this issue.
• Poor installation. Any construction can be done using poor techniques. In the case of sewer systems, the lines may have been poorly connected or have improper angles such that materials get trapped.
• Inferior materials. Sewer lines in many older homes were made of clay or concrete tiles, or substandard pipe that is subject to cracking. 

Sewer Repairs can be Costly
The cost of sewer repair can vary greatly. If all you need is to snake out a blockage, this should run in the low hundreds of dollars. Oppositely, on the other hand, if you end up needing to dig out the yard and replace pipes, this could run into thousands of dollars. A proactive sewer inspection could be one of the best investments you ever make in a home. The peace of mind alone you get from a sewer video inspection is well worth the relatively low expense. 

Find a Reputable Sewer Inspector and Repair Company
Any time your sewer requires repair, you’ll want to seek an experienced and competent service provider. In the case of sewers and sewer line inspection, seek a company that has experienced technicians and the required specialized video equipment to survey your lines.

Call the professionals at Wood’s Rooter Service. We are a full-service, family-owned business serving Rhode Island and Massachusetts for over 45 years. We are proud to provide sewage pipe inspection and cleaning, drainage problem solutions, drain pipe video inspections, and more. For more information visit our website or give us a call at 401-432-6405. Please also ‘like’ us on Facebook!
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Sources:
https://dickraymasterplumber.com/sewer-repair-services/why-a-sewer-inspection-is-critical-before-buying-a-house/ 
https://www.superterry.com/what-is-a-sewer-inspection/ 
http://www.rycoplumbing.com/blog-media/2013/11/25/everything-you-need-to-know-about-sewer-line-inspection