SeeSnake Inspection Cameras Help Bring Lateral Problems into Focus

Canadian contractor provides visual proof of problems to doubting customers and ensures jobs are done properly.
SeeSnake Inspection Cameras Help Bring Lateral Problems into Focus

Steve Stefanidis does a post-lining inspection with a RIDGID SeeSnake camera and CS10 color monitor.

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It’s only natural for homeowners to question whether or not their sewer lateral truly needs an expensive repair or a thorough cleaning, especially if they’ve been burned before by unscrupulous contractors. But Steve Stefanidis, co-owner of The Liner Guys in London, Ontario, has a tool that removes all doubt in customers’ minds: a SeeSnake pipeline-inspection camera made by RIDGID.

The company owns four SeeSnakes, which represent a substantial financial investment for the company, founded in 2012. But as Stefanidis points out, running a business properly requires investment in technology. Or as he puts it, “You’ve got to put into it what you want to get out of it.”

The SeeSnakes serve two valuable purposes. On one hand, they provide visual proof of problems for doubting customers. In addition, by inspecting lines after cleaning a lateral or installing a liner, technicians can be sure the job was done correctly.

“Those cameras are the core of our business,” Stefanidis says. “We use them pretty much every day and we don’t understand why more companies don’t invest in them. We’re actually shocked about that … they’re going in blind and they can’t see what they’re doing.

“We’ve made calls on customers who still have problems after their line was ‘cleared’ by another company,” he continues. “But just because the water is flowing again doesn’t mean you’ve completely cleared the line. We go in and find there are still tree roots catching debris. When we eel (clean) a line, we inspect it to ensure the blockage is clear. That way we don’t get called back. Callbacks are the worst — that’s where you lose money.”

Stefanidis says the SeeSnakes are easy to use and very reliable. Moreover, thanks to the SeeSnake’s high-definition camera, problems are visible, and customers also like the convenience of getting a copy of their inspection on a zip drive or DVD.

“We love to have customers look over our shoulder and watch the inspection,” Stefanidis says. “It truly shocks people when they can actually see problems such as a massive labyrinth of root growth or a missing section of pipe. They’re not relying on just our opinion — they’re seeing it firsthand.”

Read more about The Liner Guys in this full profile from the May 2016 issue of Cleaner magazine.



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