Help! The pipe in the bathroom is blocked again! The drain cleaner didn’t work and you can’t work out what’s causing it. What now? You have two options to free the pipe again: You can use a pipe cleaning company. This is expensive. And who knows when the specialist will have time. The second possibility: do it yourself! Using an endoscope camera and high-pressure jet.
Endoscope camera — the eye in the pipe
In comparison to conventional pipe cameras, endoscope cameras with a cable length of 0.8 to 5 metres are relatively short.
But they are well suited for domestic pipe cleaning. With their small camera heads they are particularly well-suited to narrow and winding places.
Depending on the model, endoscope cameras have two to eight built-in LED lights which give good visibility of even the darkest corners of the pipe. Using a dimmer, usually located on the handle of the camera, allows the brightness of the lights to be regulated depending on the situation and the need.
Depending on the model, you can follow the recorded footage on a built-in screen and also on your notebook or smartphone.
In order to avoid damage, only waterproof endoscope cameras should be used for pipe cleaning. If this is the case, the cable and camera head are pushed into the clogged pipe — and the search for the cause of the blockage can begin.
Mostly responsible are hair clumps or lime deposits. Once the offender has been located, it is time to use the high-pressure jet.
High-pressure jet: Rinsed free with high pressure
High-pressure jets or rotor jets have small spot nozzles.
The nozzles are usually on a brass head and spray the water with high pressure in a circular motion.
Common pipe blockages are usually easy to rinse away. And this is how it works:
- The water supply comes from a hose (mostly from silicone or PVC), which is connected to the water tap using a chrome-plated thread.
- The hose is pushed as deep into the clogged pipe as previously determined with the endoscope camera.
- The water tap is then turned on full blast and the blockage washed away. For stubborn dirt, move the hose back and forth like a vacuum cleaner until the pipe is free again.
Important: If you have previously poured pipe cleaner or vinegar into the pipe, you should wear protective goggles as a precaution.
It protects against corrosive splashes in the eyes.
Image: reichelt
