Results & Reports From A CCTV Drain Survey
Following on from our previous post covering what is involved in a drain survey, this blog looks into the type of documentation and reporting you will receive after the survey has been carried out. This allows you to become familiar with how the results will be reported so you know the exact condition of your drains, and are also able to evidence any problems when making an insurance claim or lodging a complaint with a building company if required.
Reporting
One of the main benefits of a CCTV survey is the detail that findings can be reported with as you can see exactly what has been found during the inspection. This gives you total confidence in what, if any, remedial works are required for your system. The main methods are as follows:
DVD footage
Following a CCTV survey, you can receive a DVD with accurate footage of the condition of your drains, as well as a comprehensive report. The DVD footage means that you can see for yourself what we’ve found – combining this with the report we provide and the photographs of your pipework gives an overarching, detailed view of your system. In turn, this can help you file a more specific and accurate insurance claim, should you need to.
CAD drawings
CAD drawings are designed to provide a detailed look at how your pipes are laid out and connected. These drawings also show the types of pipes involved in your drainage, as well as their diameter – such information can be very important in determining what works are required. Furthermore, knowing the layout of drains helps to establish where the responsibility lies regarding drainage works – this means you know whether or not a damaged pipe is on your property, your neighbours’ or whether it falls under the remit of the local council.
Where is a Drain Survey Useful?
Arranging a CCTV drainage survey is useful for a number of reasons. For one, it can give you complete peace of mind regarding the state of your drainage system – your pipework will either get the all clear, or issues will be identified and then rectified by qualified professionals.
Insurance purposes
Having drains that are in full working order is not only beneficial for the safety and hygiene of your property and those within it – it also helps with insurance claims and the purchasing of insurance cover.
A drain survey and its findings will identify specific problems with your drains which can be evidenced through the report documentation – from this, you will be able to place a claim accordingly. It’s worth noting that most buildings insurance providers cover accidental damage, but the interpretation of what is deemed ‘accidental’ can vary depending on the insurance provider.
New Property/Extension
If you’ve just moved into a new home, or you’ve had an extension built on your property that requires drainage systems, the findings from a CCTV drain survey will show whether the system has been installed correctly. If not, the DVD footage or CAD drawings will provide clear proof to those who carried out the installation that the work is not sufficient.
Responsibility for Drains
The boundaries of a property, and who is responsible for which drains (the public/private drain system dictates where the burden of responsibility lies) can be solved with a CCTV drain survey. As explained above, the CAD drawings following these surveys allow us to get a full map of your drains, which means we know where your property boundaries are, which clears up any confusion regarding which drains belong to you and which belong to the council or your neighbours.
What Does a CCTV Survey Entail?
Step 1: Arranging a quote
Get in contact with a reputable drainage company to arrange your survey and tell them a bit more about the issues you’ve experienced or are experiencing with your drains. Using this information, the company can arrange a quote for you.
Step 2: Survey is carried out
Using a robot or rod-mounted CCTV camera, we can inspect every area of your drains that would otherwise be unreachable. The camera uses a pan and tilt function for maximum coverage, allowing the team to see the entirety of the system. Faults in pipework can often be situated in the joints of the pipes, so it’s important to use an inspection method that can survey these areas in detail. The drain might have to be cleaned using a jet wash beforehand for ease of inspection.
Step 3: Reports
As mentioned, the findings can be reported in DVD footage or CAD drawings to clearly show the condition of the drains and highlight any issues so that the correct remedial action can be carried out.
Arranging for a drainage survey to be carried out brings with it a number of benefits to a property owner, from health and safety, to financial. Contact Express Drainage Surveys today for your CCTV inspection – we’re the leading provider of CCTV surveys in Greater London.