CCTV Drain Survey Lanzarote: See Inside Your Pipes
A CCTV drain survey is the most accurate and least disruptive way to assess the condition of pipes and drains in a Lanzarote property. Instead of guessing what might be wrong and opening up floors or walls to investigate, we insert a high-definition push-rod camera directly into the pipework and see exactly what is happening inside.
Canary Detect runs six camera systems covering the full range of pipe sizes found in Lanzarote properties, from small bathroom pipes of 25mm diameter through to main drain runs of 300mm. Our cameras produce a full-colour video record of everything inside the pipe: scale and limescale deposits, corrosion and pitting, joint failures, root intrusion, cracks, and complete blockages.
Why Drain Surveys Matter in Lanzarote
Lanzarote's drainage infrastructure has specific characteristics that make professional CCTV surveys particularly valuable.
Scale and Limescale Buildup
The island's desalinated water supply has a high mineral content that deposits limescale inside pipes over time. In older properties, drainage pipes and hot water supply lines can have significant internal scale deposits that reduce flow, create blockage points, and ultimately cause pipe failures. A camera survey shows exactly where scale has built up and how severe the narrowing has become.
Older Pipe Infrastructure
Many properties on Lanzarote were built during the tourism construction boom of the 1970s and 1980s. Drainage pipes installed during this period are now reaching the end of their expected service life. Cracked or collapsed sections, failed joints, and extensive corrosion are common findings in older Lanzarote properties. Identifying these before they cause flooding or require emergency excavation saves significant cost and disruption.
Unknown Pipe Routes
In older properties, particularly rural fincas and village houses built before formal building regulations required accurate documentation, the routes of drainage pipes are often completely unknown. A CCTV survey with our surface locator shows where pipes run, confirms depths, and identifies where connections and junctions are, without any excavation.
Volcanic Rock Excavation Costs
Excavating through Lanzarote's volcanic basalt substrate is exceptionally expensive, typically five to ten times the cost of the same work in normal soil. Before committing to any excavation, a CCTV survey confirms exactly where and what the problem is, ensuring that digging only takes place where it is genuinely needed.
Combining Jetting with Camera Inspection
Canary Detect combines CCTV inspection with pipe jetting in a single visit. We camera inspect the pipe first to record its condition and identify the nature of any blockage, then jet-clean the pipe to clear the obstruction, and then camera inspect again to confirm the pipe is clear and to record the final condition.
This before-and-after record is particularly useful for proving the effectiveness of unblocking work on shared or rental property drainage systems.
Pre-Purchase Property Surveys
A CCTV drain survey is one of the most valuable elements of a pre-purchase survey for a Lanzarote property. Many buyers commission a structural survey and a water leak check but overlook the drainage system, only to discover significant problems after completion.
A pre-purchase drain survey identifies the current condition of all accessible drainage pipework, confirms that drainage connections are where they should be, identifies any structural issues that will require costly repair, and provides clear photographic and video evidence for price negotiations.
For properties with pools, we also inspect the pool drainage, backwash lines, and any combined drainage that carries pool water. Pool drainage failures are common in older Lanzarote properties and are not always visible without a camera inspection.
How the Survey Works
We access the drainage system through an existing inspection chamber or by removing a toilet to access the drain stack directly. The camera is introduced into the pipe and pushed along the run while the feed from the camera head is displayed on our monitor. We record the full survey as a continuous video file.
Our surface locator tracks the position of the camera head from the ground above, allowing us to mark the route of the pipe and the precise location of any faults found on a plan of the property. Depth is measured at key points.
Every survey produces a written report with the video recording, photographs of significant findings, a marked plan showing the pipe route and fault locations, and our assessment of urgency and recommended action.
