I spent $500 on a fancy pipe inspection camera and barely use it

Everyone says you need one for commercial jobs, but honestly, most of our work is in new builds where the plans are clear. It sat in the truck for a year after a single job at a hotel in Phoenix. What specific situations do you guys actually find them useful for?

3 comments

3 Comments

holly_williams12d ago

The soldier doing a backflip on a grease clog is hilarious though. Actually, the main thing I'd gently push back on is that the camera is really more for diagnosing mysteries than just looking smart. If it's sitting in your truck for a year, you're probably doing mostly clean new construction where everything is open and easy to see. But those old rehabs, the slab leaks, the mystery clogs in finished basements, that's where the camera earns its keep. I'd say keep it around for that one weird job that shows up every couple years, it'll pay for itself in saved time and fewer callbacks.

noahbaker2mo ago

Got a call for a clogged floor drain in a finished basement last week. That camera saved me hours of guessing where the blockage was. Sometimes the weird old jobs make the tool worth it.

laurabennett2mo ago

Ever feel like you bought a fancy tool just to look smart? My camera mostly just judges me from the toolbox. I pulled it out to find a lost wedding ring in a p-trap once. Another time, a homeowner swore their kitchen sink line was clear. The camera showed a kid's toy soldier doing a backflip on a grease clog. It's a hero for about ten minutes a year.