Sewer Camera Inspection in Oxford, NC

How the visit works

Calling the number on this page connects you with an independent local plumber who serves Oxford. On the phone, describe which drains are acting up, whether it has happened before and whether you know of a cleanout. At the house, the plumber usually clears the line first if water is standing in it, then pushes a waterproof camera on a flexible cable from the cleanout toward the street. A live screen shows the inside of the pipe, a footage counter tracks distance, and a locator picks up a signal from the camera head so problem spots can be marked on the ground. You can usually watch and ask for the recording.

Cost depends on

• Entry. A reachable cleanout keeps things simple. Many older Oxford houses lack one, so a toilet may need to come up or the camera may go in through a vent.
• Blockage. Roots or standing sewage have to be cleared before the lens shows anything useful.
• The run. Long, deep or winding lines take more time.
• Follow-up. Locating defects and saving the video add a little time but help when a repair comes next.

Oxford's sewer and older houses

The City of Oxford's Water and Sewer Department maintains the public sewer lines and manholes and runs a wastewater treatment plant. The City also operates a fats, oils and grease program with its own application and posts annual sanitary sewer overflow reports, a reminder that grease poured down home drains ends up coating pipes, both yours and the City's.

Oxford, the Granville County seat since its 1816 incorporation, has an older housing stock than most Triangle towns. The median home was built in 1976, about 56% predate 1980 and nearly 17% predate 1940. Around the Oxford Historic District, many building sewers are likely original clay or cast iron. The camera identifies the material and shows whether a defect is isolated or part of a line near the end of its life.

Before the plumber gets there

• Hold off on laundry and long showers if drains are backing up
• Look for a capped pipe near the foundation and clear a path to it
• Note which fixtures backed up first
• Gather any paperwork from past cleaning or repairs
• For a repair permit, Granville County Inspections (919-603-1326, 122 Williamsboro St.) handles Oxford, with City zoning at 919-603-1117