Last weekend I noticed the drains in my house were acting up again...slow draining, weird gurgling sounds, you know the drill. I figured something was up in the main sewer line. Instead of immediately calling a plumber (trying to save some cash here), I rented one of those sewer cameras from the local hardware store. It was actually pretty easy to use, even for someone like me who's not exactly handy.
First, I found the cleanout access point outside my house—it's usually a white PVC cap sticking out near the foundation. Unscrewed that, fed the camera cable down slowly, and watched the monitor as I went. Took a bit of patience, but eventually spotted a nasty tree root blockage about 20 feet down. Marked the spot on my lawn, pulled out the camera, and now I know exactly where to dig to fix it.
I'm feeling pretty good about this DIY approach, but I'm wondering if anyone else has done something similar? Maybe there's an easier way or some tricks I missed?
"Marked the spot on my lawn, pulled out the camera, and now I know exactly where to dig to fix it."
Nice job pinpointing the issue yourself—tree roots are sneaky little devils. Just a heads-up though, digging and cutting roots isn't always a permanent fix. Might wanna look into root barriers or copper sulfate treatments down the line...
Good point about root barriers—I've seen those save homeowners a ton of headaches down the line. Still, copper sulfate can be a bit tricky. It's effective, sure, but you gotta be cautious about the environmental impact and local regulations. I had a customer once who went heavy-handed with it, and let's just say his lawn didn't thank him later...
Have you thought about checking the pipe material itself? Older clay or cast iron pipes are notorious for root intrusion. If that's what you've got, patching one spot might just push the problem further down the line. Might be worth considering an upgrade to PVC or trenchless relining if it keeps happening. Have you had issues with roots before, or is this a first-time thing?
"Older clay or cast iron pipes are notorious for root intrusion."
Yeah, learned that the hard way myself... If you're comfortable getting your hands dirty, renting a sewer camera from the hardware store can save you some guesswork. Pretty easy to use, and oddly satisfying seeing what's down there.
Renting a sewer camera is a solid move—good job on pinpointing the blockage yourself. Just curious though, are you planning to dig up and repair that section yourself or hire someone for the actual fix?
