Sewer camera failures in the field are rarely dramatic. A card that will not record, an O-ring with grit under it, a skid left at the last job, a cleanout cap that cracked on removal, a charger forgotten on the bench. Each ends the inspection or sends the operator back to the shop, and each is prevented by a small box of spares that lives in the vehicle. This guide lists what should be in that box and what should be ordered when the reel is new, before it is needed.
Quick answer: carry two formatted SD cards, a spare battery or a power bank for the monitor, a set of O-rings for the head connector and the right grease, both skid sizes and a centring guide, a guide tube for the entry, a couple of cleanout caps and plugs in common sizes with thread sealant, spare fuses and the monitor’s charger and cables, electrical tape and marking paint, a tape measure and the manual. Order a spare camera head, a counter wheel if the design allows, and a sonde battery if the sonde has one, when the reel is bought, because they take weeks to arrive and the reel is useless without them.
Cards
Two spare cards of the right size, formatted in the monitor, in a labelled case. A card fails without warning and a card fills on a long job; either way the spare goes in and the inspection continues. Choosing and formatting cards covers which to buy.
Power
A charged spare battery if the monitor’s is removable; a power bank with the right cable if the monitor accepts one; the charger and a 12 V adapter either way. A flat monitor is the commonest reason a camera does not go in the pipe. Battery care covers keeping the spare healthy.
O-rings and grease
A set of the connector O-rings, in the maker’s sizes, and a tube of the lubricant the manual specifies. A cut ring found at the cleanout is a two-minute fix with spares and a cancelled job without. O-rings and seals covers the fitting.
Skids and guides
Both skid sizes the reel came with, a centring guide if one exists for the head, and the fasteners or clips that hold them. Skids are left in pipes and at previous jobs; a spare set means the lens stays off the floor. Guide springs and centring guides and guides and skids cover which to use.
Entry hardware
A short guide tube or a length of pipe and a 45 degree fitting to protect the rod at the cleanout lip, a couple of cleanout caps and plugs in 3 and 4 in with thread sealant and tape, because the old cap often does not survive removal, and the cleanout tools: a cap wrench, a large adjustable wrench, penetrating oil. Cleanout entry explains what each is for.
Fuses and cables
Where the monitor has a user-replaceable fuse, two spares. The video cable between reel and monitor if it is detachable, because a damaged connector pin is a dead picture. The AV cable if the monitor has an output and the truck has a screen.
Head and connector
A spare camera head is the most expensive spare and the one most worth having for anyone who inspects for a living: a flooded or scratched head is otherwise a reel out of service for the weeks a replacement takes to ship. Order it when the reel is new, confirm it is the right model for the connector, and keep it capped and dry. Replacing a head covers fitting it and reels with replaceable heads which reels allow it.
Counter wheel and sonde battery
Some reels sell the counter wheel as a part; it wears and slips and is cheap. Some sondes have their own battery; a spare means the locate happens. Both are ordered when the reel is bought, not when they fail. Counter checks and testing the sonde are how the need is found.
Marking and measuring
Marking paint and flags for the locate, a tape measure for checking the counter and for surface distances, electrical tape for marking a kink or a cable fault, a permanent marker for cards and cases. Marking a dig uses most of these.
Cleaning and hygiene
Not strictly spares, but in the same box: disinfectant, wipes, rags, gloves, bags, a soft brush for the head and a bottle brush for the mouth of the reel. Cleaning after a sewage job lists the rest.
The manual and serials
A copy of the manual and a card with the serial numbers, the maker’s support contact and the purchase date. A fault in the field is solved faster with the manual to hand, and a warranty call needs the numbers.
What not to carry
A second complete reel, unless the business is big enough; spares for parts that have never failed on that model; chemical drain cleaners, which have no place in a camera kit. Accessories not worth buying covers the rest.
Common questions
What spare parts should I keep for a sewer camera?
Cards, a battery or power bank, O-rings and grease, skids, a guide tube, cleanout caps, fuses and cables, tape and paint, and a spare head ordered in advance.
Should I buy a spare camera head?
If you inspect for a living, yes, when the reel is new. It is the part whose failure takes the reel out of service longest.
How many SD cards should I carry?
Two spares, formatted in the monitor, as well as the one in it.
Related guides
See setting up a van, downtime and repair turnaround, and total cost of ownership.