Inspection terms, in plain English.

A

ABS

A black plastic pipe used in some drain and sewer lines.

B

Backwater valve

A one-way valve in the sewer line that closes if sewage tries to flow backward into the house.

Belly

A low spot in a sewer pipe where water and solids collect, usually caused by soil settling.

Bore

The inside space of a pipe, or the act of drilling a hole for a pipe or cable.

C

Camera crawler

A small tracked vehicle that carries a camera through a pipe and pulls its own cable.

Cast iron

A durable but corrosion-prone pipe material used in many mid-century homes.

CCTV inspection

Closed-circuit television inspection: a recorded camera trip through a pipe.

Clay tile pipe

A traditional sewer pipe of fired clay, made in short sections with joints.

Cleanout

A capped pipe that gives access to the sewer line for inspection and cleaning.

Collapse

A pipe that has crushed or caved in, partly or fully blocking flow.

Corrosion

Gradual wearing away of a pipe’s wall by chemical reaction, such as rust in cast iron.

Crack

A fracture in a pipe wall, running along or around the pipe.

Cross bore

A utility line drilled through a sewer pipe, a hidden hazard found by camera.

D

Depth reading

An estimate of how far below the surface a pipe lies, taken with a locator.

Distance counter

The footage readout on a camera system that ties each finding to a location in the pipe.

Drain field

The area of soil where septic tank effluent is dispersed.

F

Floor drain

A drain set in a floor, typically with a trap, in basements, garages and utility rooms.

G

Grease trap

A device that catches fats and oils before they reach the sewer.

H

Hydro-jetting

Cleaning a pipe with high-pressure water from a nozzle on a hose.

I

Infiltration

Groundwater or stormwater entering a sewer pipe through cracks or joints.

J

Joint

The point where two pipe sections connect.

L

Lateral

The private sewer pipe running from a building to the public sewer main.

Locator

A handheld receiver that picks up a transmitter’s signal to trace a buried pipe.

M

Main

The larger sewer pipe, usually in the street, that serves many buildings.

Manhole

An access shaft to a sewer main or large line.

O

Offset joint

Two pipe sections that no longer line up, leaving a lip or gap.

Orangeburg

A mid-century sewer pipe made of wood fiber and pitch that deforms and flakes with age.

Ovalization

A pipe deforming from round into an oval shape under load.

P

Pan-tilt-zoom camera

A camera head that can swivel, tilt and zoom to examine details.

Push camera

A camera on a flexible rod that is pushed through smaller pipes.

PVC

A smooth, light plastic pipe used in modern drain and sewer lines.

R

Root intrusion

Tree roots growing into a pipe through a joint or crack.

S

Scale

Rough rust or mineral buildup on the inside of a pipe.

Sediment

Sand, silt or debris that settles at the bottom of a pipe.

Septic tank

An underground tank that treats household waste where there is no public sewer.

Sewer scope

A common name for a sewer camera inspection, especially before buying a house.

Slope

The downhill angle of a pipe, needed for gravity flow.

Sonde

A small transmitter that travels in a pipe so it can be traced from above ground.

T

Tap

The connection of a lateral to the sewer main.

Trap

A curved section of drain that holds water to block sewer gas.

Trenchless repair

Repairing a pipe without digging a long trench, such as by lining.

V

Vent

A pipe that lets air into the drain system so water can flow freely.

Video report

The recording and written summary delivered after an inspection.

W

Wye

A Y-shaped fitting that joins one pipe to another at an angle.

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