CCTV Drain Inspection & Hydro-Jetting

There's a better way to handle a blocked drain that keeps coming back than just running a snake through it and crossing your fingers. We use a CCTV camera to actually see what's happening inside the pipe — tree roots, a collapsed bit, grease build-up, sometimes even a kid's toy that got flushed — then blast it out properly with high-pressure hydro-jetting. Our licensed plumbers here in Canning Vale have been using this two-step approach across Perth's south-east for years, and honestly, it's the only method that gets to the root cause instead of just clearing symptoms.

Why cameras beat guesswork

For ages, the standard approach to a clogged drain was jamming a cable down there and hoping you punched through. Sometimes it worked for a bit, but you never really knew what caused the blockage or if it'd be back next month. That's where a drain camera comes in. We thread this waterproof CCTV unit through the pipe and watch a live video feed of the inside, so instead of guessing from above ground we can see the actual condition and figure out what's really going on.

What that means for you: no unnecessary excavation, no educated guesses, and a fix that's tailored to whatever the real issue is. When it's roots, we pinpoint exactly where they're sneaking in. If the pipe's cracked or caved in, we can assess how bad before we even quote a repair. Plus you get honest proof — you're watching the same screen we are, which lets you make a decision based on real information rather than just taking our word.

What CCTV inspection reveals

• Tree root intrusion through joints and cracks
• Cracked, collapsed or misaligned pipe sections
• Grease and fat build-up, common in kitchen lines
• Foreign objects and debris
• Pipe sagging or 'bellies' that trap waste
• The general condition of ageing clay or PVC pipework

The tree root problem in older suburbs

A big chunk of the drainage dramas we run into around Gosnells, Thornlie and the older parts of Canning Vale really come back to the same culprit: tree roots getting into clay sewer pipes. These older properties were plumbed using earthenware clay pipes that were installed in sections, and after decades of ground movement and settling those joints start cracking or pulling apart. Roots sense the moisture and nutrients inside and work their way through the tiniest opening, then just keep growing until there's this massive root ball that catches everything you flush. We've written about tree roots in drains if you want the full story on why it happens and what kind of lasting fix makes sense.

The camera shows you it's roots, not just tells you — and we can see exactly where they're entering so we target the repair instead of just treating the whole line and hoping for the best.

Hydro-jetting: the proper clear

Once we've figured out what's down there, hydro-jetting does the actual work. It's a specialised nozzle on the end of a hose that blasts water at incredibly high pressure, basically scouring the inside of the pipe clean. A cable just pokes a hole through whatever's blocking things — jetting actually strips the build-up off the pipe walls entirely. It rips through roots, washes away years of grease accumulation, and flushes all the debris out so you've got close to full pipe diameter again.

• Cuts through tree roots and clears the root mass, not just a channel through it
• Strips grease and fat off the pipe walls completely
• Flushes sediment and debris right out of the line
• Restores full flow rather than a temporary trickle
• No harsh chemicals — it's just high-pressure water

Because jetting actually cleans the whole pipe wall instead of just boring a hole through the blockage, your drains stay clear way longer than they would after a quick cable job. That's the real difference for anyone dealing with blockages that keep coming back — you're getting an actual fix versus another temporary patch.

Pipe locating

Sometimes what you really need to know is where the pipe actually runs — maybe before a reno, before you start landscaping, or ahead of some repair work. Our camera gear has built-in locating tech that traces the pipe's exact position and depth from above ground. So if we need to dig up a section, we dig in the right place first time instead of excavating half your backyard. Also helps you avoid accidentally hitting drains during building or garden work, which is one of those expensive mistakes nobody wants to make.

Great before you buy a home

If you're looking at buying an established place somewhere in the south-east, getting a CCTV drain inspection done before you sign is honestly one of the smartest things you can do. Drains are hidden, they're expensive to fix when things go wrong, and a standard building inspection usually doesn't cover them — yet a collapsed sewer or a pipe choked with tree roots can easily run into the thousands to repair. Running a camera down before settlement shows you the real condition of the pipework so there's no nasty surprises once you've moved in. Particularly in the older suburbs with clay sewers, it's just good due diligence, and if the drains do turn out to need work it gives you some genuine negotiating power.

From diagnosis to lasting fix

CCTV and jetting work together with everything else we do. When the camera picks up a cracked or collapsed section of pipe, that becomes a repair job — and knowing precisely where and how severe it is means we can give you an accurate quote with no hidden costs. If your blocked drains keep coming back no matter how many times they get cleared, this is how you finally break that cycle. And when it's an after-hours overflow situation, it connects straight into our emergency plumbing response.

For homeowners who are just over dealing with the same blockage every few months, combining a jetting service with a camera inspection is genuinely worth doing — you actually find out what's happening down there and clear it properly instead of paying for the same quick fix again and again.

All work is carried out by licensed, insured plumbers with upfront pricing, so you know the cost before we start and there are no surprises when the job's done.

Sick of blocked drains? Request a quote or call our licensed Canning Vale plumbers for a CCTV inspection and proper hydro-jet clean.

Frequently asked questions