What do Leicester CCTV Drain Surveys check for? Misaligned drain joints.
Blockages in your drains can be caused by a variety of things. Misaligned pipe joints are one common problem and these can cause periodic slow flow or blockages in your drains. Fortunately, a CCTV drain survey can help identify any problems underground.
How a Misaligned Joint Looks on Camera
The misaligned joint appears as a step on the drain footage. This step is a visible lip or even a ridge within the pipe. There may even be a slight gap between the pipe and the joint on one side of the step, as the pipe has pulled apart from the joint.
Why Leicester’s Drains Move Out of True
The reasons that a drain surveyor in Leicester would identify a misaligned joint can vary from street to street. Victorian clay drains were jointed using shrinkable materials that over time have cracked allowing movement into the joint. Modern pipes made from PVCU, ductile iron and other materials can also suffer from ground movement, nearby tree roots and settlement of a building over time.
How Surveyors Grade the Damage
Surveys will also grade a misaligned joint depending on how much the pipe has moved and therefore how much it may cause a blockage. Typically a surveyor would class a slight lip in a pipe as no problem at all as it will just catch the odd bit of debris, but a major displacement could restrict half of the pipe’s bore or more.
Why It Matters Before It Blocks
While a misaligned joint is not currently blocking, such a step in the pipe can collect and cause problems with items such as wet wipes, grease and silt to build up gradually. However, before long this can cause a full blockage.
Who Deals With the Repair
On older streets, it is important to know whether a drain is shared between properties and who is responsible for maintaining the shared drain. The liability for a misaligned joint will generally lie with the property in whose boundary the joint sits.
What Gets Recommended Next
A minor offset may require the re-sealing of the joint, or the installation of a patch liner. A badly displaced joint would require localised excavation to allow the section of pipe in question to be removed and re-aligned properly. A useful reference for CCTV Drain Survey Leicester is www.wilkinson-env.co.uk/drainage-services-cctv-surveys-midlands/cctv-drain-surveys/leicester/.
Either way, early detection of misaligned joints means a small repair is needed at a lower cost to that of a complete drain failure.