When an inspection camera goes around a pipe bend and flips over, the upside-down image on the monitor can be annoying. With the latest generation Gen-Eye GL camera system from General Pipe Cleaners, technicians will never have to explain to customers why the water is suddenly on top of the monitor screen.
“The color camera is self-leveling,” notes Marty Silverman, vice president of marketing at General Pipe Cleaners. “The camera head ‘floats’ inside its stainless steel casing, so gravity always keeps it level.”
Also available in black-and-white without the self-leveling feature, the camera is 1.3 inches in diameter and is designed to inspect 3- to 10-inch pipes. If the pushrod is cut or abraded, a gel inside it spreads out and hardens, effectively self-sealing the damaged area to protect it from moisture. A flexible Kevlar™ braid around the pushrod and a fiberglass core keep it from kinking and provide additional strength for pulling and pushing the camera.
The system includes a DVD recorder that provides better recording clarity than VHS technology, as well as jitter-free freeze-frame images. The command module has a 9-inch color monitor in a padded case with a telescoping handle and wheels.
A built-in distance counter tells technicians how much pushrod is in the line. A date and time stamp allows them to document each job. In addition, a titler with a full keyboard provides up to eight pages of text to describe observations and display a company name and phone number. That provides valuable advertising if homeowners show the DVD to neighbors, as they often do.
“It’s a way of showing the customer what you did during the day while they were gone, as well as a way to show before-and-after comparisons,” Silverman says. The DVD recorder includes a microphone so technicians can record a voice-over narrative.
The camera head includes a transmitter that, when used with an optional handheld digital locator, helps technicians pinpoint problems. The locator is effective at depths up to 10 feet for cast iron pipes and to 20 feet for clay and plastic pipes.
The camera runs on either AC or DC power, and the standard system includes 3-to-6-inch trap skids that keep it in the center of the pipe and above the water line. A larger, expandable 6- to 12-inch skid is available. Standard reels hold 200, 300 or 400 feet of Gel-Rod pushrod. Mini-reels with 100 or 200 feet of mini-pushrod, designed for 2- to 4-inch lines, are available with either a color or black-and-white camera, but not with the self-leveling feature. For information: 800/245-6200; www.drainbrain.com.
