# Best Access Point



## Patriot88 (Jun 12, 2018)

When you get to a home for a video inspection but there is no clean out, what becomes your next choice for point of entry? Do you go right for the vent stack? Do you ever dig up the holding tank and go backwards up the line? Remove the toilet? I mean, I can see pros and cons to any one of those. So I'm just curious what y'all think. Thanks


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## dhal22 (Jul 30, 2010)

Whatever it takes. Charge accordingly and get 'er done.


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## Patriot88 (Jun 12, 2018)

Indeed, but what is the next best thing to a clean out when one isn't available?


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## NCPlumber99 (Dec 22, 2018)

I would probably pull a toilet or install a clean out for them if possible. Either way they would have to pay more for the extra work.


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## Venomthirst (Jun 20, 2018)

Whatever you got that's 3" or bigger... heck I've even put it down a heat register before...

Ridgid camera will go through 4" floor drains too try to guide em through with my hand though...

Pull toilet, stack c.o.. if you can't find nothing tell them if they want video they need c.o... hard to properly clean out inspect without a cleanout...

Here in north America our sewer systems are ass backward... in euro every house has a manhole outside to work from... here the only access you have is toilet concreted under four layers of flooring

Most of the houses here are multiple story you cant.pay.me enough to struggle to push a camera through from up there..

If your big and have a crawler you can launch camera up lateral from street and do it that way


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

Patriot88 said:


> When you get to a home for a video inspection but there is no clean out, what becomes your next choice for point of entry? Do you go right for the vent stack? Do you ever dig up the holding tank and go backwards up the line? Remove the toilet? I mean, I can see pros and cons to any one of those. So I'm just curious what y'all think. Thanks





Are you really a plumber? This seems like the kind of vague question posited to get answers which would be useful for market research.


As has been said already, it depends on what is available and where you want the camera to go. Personally, I don't do roofs, or at least I try not to. Pulling a toilet sucks but sometimes you have to do it. If you have access to the actual piping, like straight lengths, I would probably just cut out a section and use no hub connectors when I am done. But most of the other guys here don't seem to have basements in the housing where they live.








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## Patriot88 (Jun 12, 2018)

I'm not a plumber by trade, but have a sewer inspection business. I'm starting to find out that sometimes, there is no easy way to get into the pipe.


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

Patriot88 said:


> I'm not a plumber by trade, but have a sewer inspection business. I'm starting to find out that sometimes, there is no easy way to get into the pipe.



buy her a few drinks first, if that doesnt work slip her a mickey and your good to go....if you have any common sense and truly in business you can figure it out...


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## dhal22 (Jul 30, 2010)

Patriot88 said:


> I'm not a plumber by trade, but have a sewer inspection business. I'm starting to find out that sometimes, there is no easy way to get into the pipe.


Well there's the problem. Pull a toilet, add a clean out, pump a septic tank, down the roof vent, there's a myriad of options for plumbers. I suppose showing up with a camera only those options are not options.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

Patriot88 said:


> I'm not a plumber by trade, but *have a sewer inspection business*. I'm starting to find out that sometimes, there is no easy way to get into the pipe.


You have a sewer inspection business and you don't know the basics??? I also hope you don't need a plumbing license to pull a toilet or you'd be getting a nice 15 000$ fine in about 3 seconds, and oh that's for each house you visited.


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

Patriot88 said:


> I'm not a plumber by trade, but have a sewer inspection business. I'm starting to find out that sometimes, there is no easy way to get into the pipe.


 here is your original intro, weak at best...







*Intro* 
Hi, live and work in Northern Michigan. I have just started a small drain inspection business, so I'm pretty new to all this. But glad to be here, hoping to find good advice from great people.


so my question is how do you start a business and not know what you are doing? do you know what your even looking at? and what do you do with the inspection? fix it or sell it off to a sub? its starting to sound like you shouldnt be doing what your doing from your own questions, so if you can provide more info about you and what work you actually do...


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

Tango said:


> You have a sewer inspection business and you don't know the basics??? I also hope you don't need a plumbing license to pull a toilet or you'd be getting a nice 15 000$ fine in about 3 seconds, and oh that's for each house you visited.





Dude, you guys really need to add another layer of screening before these yahoos can post on the forum. This guy by his own admission isn't a plumber, just some hack with a camera. If that isn't grounds for banning then I don't know what is.



Maybe every time you see someone new post an intro send them a pm with some relevant questions to discern their real status within the trade.









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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

skoronesa said:


> Dude, you guys really need to add another layer of screening before these yahoos can post on the forum. This guy by his own admission isn't a plumber, just some hack with a camera. If that isn't grounds for banning then I don't know what is.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Good idea, I'll open a thread. This one shall be closed this guy doesn't seem to be qualified.


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