I Put a Camera Down Your Drain — Here's What I See

I put a camera down your drain — here's what I see

I had a call last week in Balgowlah — a homeowner whose drains had been running slow for months, worried they had blocked drains. She'd had three different plumbers in, and they'd given three different opinions. One said roots, one said a collapsed pipe, one said she was imagining it.

"Can you just tell me what's actually wrong?" she asked.

Fifteen minutes with our CCTV drain camera and we had the answer. Clear as day on the monitor: a cracked clay pipe with a root the size of my little finger poking straight through the break. We used the sonde locator to mark the exact spot on the surface, and I handed her a full pipe condition report with video footage. Three plumbers couldn't agree. The camera settled it in a quarter of an hour.

What a CCTV inspection tells you

• Exactly where the blockage is and what's causing it — roots, grease, a crack, or a collapse
• The condition of your pipe walls — are they sound or corroded thin?
• Whether your pipes are original clay (common in Balgowlah homes from the 60s) or newer PVC
• If there's a belly in the pipe where water pools — invisible from above ground
• The exact depth and location of any defect, mapped with the sonde

When I'd recommend getting one

• You've had recurring blockages in the same spot — there's a reason it keeps happening
• You're buying or selling a property — a $300 inspection can save you thousands
• You have mature trees within 3 metres of your sewer line
• Your home was built before 1990 and the pipes have never been looked at
• You're planning landscaping, renovations, or building over existing drains

In Dee Why, where homes tend to be newer with PVC pipes, we see different things — joint issues from ground movement, or blockages from sand getting into the system. In Balgowlah, it's almost always those original clay pipes from the 60s with root intrusion. Different suburbs, different problems, same solution: put a camera down and know for sure.

The bottom line

A CCTV inspection costs a few hundred dollars and takes about an hour. It pays for itself the first time it catches a problem before it becomes an emergency. You get the video, you get the report, and you get an honest recommendation on what to do next — whether that is pipe relining or another solution.

No guesswork, no second opinions needed. Just a camera, a screen, and the truth about what's happening underground.

Want to see what's inside your drains?

Book a CCTV drain inspection and I'll show you the full condition of your pipes. Video recording and written report included. Same-day service across the Northern Beaches.

Book CCTV inspection 1300 758 623

Frequently asked questions

Does a CCTV drain inspection damage my pipes?

No. The camera head is smaller than the pipe diameter — typically 20-50 mm — and mounted on a flexible push rod. It cannot damage sound pipes. In severely collapsed or blocked pipes, the plumber will stop the camera and clear the obstruction first before proceeding with the inspection.

How long does a CCTV drain inspection take?

A standard residential inspection takes 30-60 minutes for an average sewer line of 10-20 metres. The plumber feeds the camera through a cleanout access point or through a removed toilet. You watch the footage in real-time on a monitor.

Will I get a copy of the CCTV footage?

Yes. We provide a full video recording and a written report with marked locations of any defects. This is useful for insurance claims, pre-purchase disclosures, or planning repairs.

How much does a CCTV drain inspection cost on the Northern Beaches?

A standard CCTV drain inspection costs $200-350 depending on access and pipe length. This is a fraction of the cost of an emergency blockage repair and gives you a complete picture of your pipe health.