1. Why should I buy a sewer camera?
For the answer to this question, just ask George Bauer of Bauer Plumbing.
“You won’t believe how many jobs I’ve sold with my camera,” George boasted. “People think you’re trying to pull a fast one when you tell them that their waste lines have collapsed and have to be replaced, but if you can show them the video they can see it right there in black and white.
“Well, color now,” George corrects himself. “I offer a free video inspection first. The camera pays for itself in the work it finds. It really pays for itself.”
2. What features and capabilities should I be looking for in a sewer inspection camera?
George had an old sewer camera system with a VCR and decided it was time to upgrade. “I want to keep it simple and durable,” he said. “Sometimes my guys don’t treat the tools the way I would so I want to make sure it can take it. And I’m not a technical wizard either. I don’t even have a smartphone!”
George has several options. He can get just a simple reel with a monitor on it, like the Gen-Eye POD. It has no recording capability, but it has a video out jack so he can add recording capability later. Most people purchase it with a self-leveling color camera as well. It costs a little more but it makes it easier for home owners to understand what they are seeing on the screen.
George explained that he really needs recording capability, so the next step up is a unit with an SD card reader like in the Gen-Eye SD. The SD card is the same card used in digital cameras. Just record the video or photos from the inspection camera, take the SD card out of the camera and put it in your computer to copy to a DVD or email to your customer. In the end, George decided to get a sewer camera system with a DVD burner because that’s the closest to the style of recording he was used to with his old VCR system – just push the record button.
3. What else do I need to know before I buy?
The plumbing camera only shows you the problem in the pipe. If you don’t know where the actual pipe is located, it won’t do you any good. Get yourself a good digital pipe locator. Old pipe locators had a long learning curve – they required you to follow numbers and a bar graph. New pipe locators, like the Gen-Eye Hot-Spot pipe locator, can make locating easy. Just turn it on and follow the arrows to your target. The depth of the pipe or camera will appear on the screen as well, so you’ll know if you need a shovel or a backhoe. It’s that simple!
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