A sewer camera that has been in a backed-up line is contaminated from the head to the last foot of rod that went in, and so are the reel, the operator’s gloves and whatever the rod was coiled onto. Cleaning it is a health matter and an equipment matter at once: sewage carries pathogens, and the grit and grease in it score lenses and attack seals. The general method is covered in how to clean and disinfect a sewer camera; this page is the step-by-step for the worst case, a raw sewage job, in the order that works.
Quick answer: wipe the rod as it is retrieved so sewage does not reach the drum; rinse the head, spring and rod with clean water at the site; disinfect with a product the maker allows, giving it the contact time on the label; rinse again; dry everything completely before the case closes; clean the reel, the counter wheel and the case separately; and dispose of gloves, rags and water where sewage belongs. Never scrub the lens with anything abrasive, never use solvents on seals or housings, and never put a wet reel in a closed case.
Before the head comes out
Have the kit ready: nitrile gloves, eye protection, a bucket of clean water, a second bucket for waste, rags or paper towel, a soft brush, the disinfectant, and a bag for contaminated waste. Lay a sheet or tarp where the reel will sit. The ten minutes this takes at the start saves the drum from being coated.
Step 1: wipe on retrieval
As the rod comes back, pass it through a wet rag held in a gloved hand just before the reel mouth, so most of the sewage comes off before the rod is wound onto the drum. Change the rag as it loads. This is the single most effective step; a drum that never gets contaminated is far easier to clean than one that did.
Step 2: rinse the head and spring
With the head out, rinse it and the spring in the clean bucket, working the soft brush around the LEDs, the lens edge and the coils of the spring where grit collects. Do not scrub the lens face; rinse it and wipe gently with a clean soft cloth. Lens scratches start here.
Step 3: rinse the rod
Pay the contaminated length back out onto the tarp and rinse it, then wipe with a clean wet rag. Look for grease that the rinse did not shift and remove it with a mild detergent solution; grease left on the rod will slip the counter wheel next time. Cleaning the push cable covers the rod in detail.
Step 4: disinfect
Use a disinfectant the manufacturer permits on the head, spring and rod; many allow a diluted household bleach solution or a quaternary ammonium product, and some specify. Apply by wipe or spray, keep the surface wet for the contact time on the product label, which is usually several minutes, then rinse with clean water so the residue does not attack seals or housings over time. Do not soak the head unless the maker says the connector is sealed for it.
Step 5: the reel, wheel and frame
Wipe the drum, frame and handle with the disinfectant solution. Clean the counter wheel and its housing with a brush; a wheel with grit in it miscounts and wears the rod. Rinse and wipe. Reel bearing and drum maintenance covers the moving parts.
Step 6: the monitor and case
The monitor should never have been in the sewage, but gloved hands have touched it. Wipe it with a cloth dampened in disinfectant, not sprayed, keeping liquid away from ports and seams. Wipe the case inside and out, especially the foam if the rod was returned to it dirty, and let it air.
Step 7: dry everything
Dry the head, spring and rod with clean cloths and leave them in the air until there is no moisture in the spring coils or the connector. Dry the reel. Only then close the case. A reel put away wet grows mould in the foam, corrodes the connector and fogs the lens. Storage covers what happens next.
Step 8: check the seals
Before the head goes back on or into storage, look at the O-rings for grit and cuts and clean the mating faces. Sewage grit under an O-ring is how water gets into a head on the next job. O-rings and seals covers the check and water inside the head the result of skipping it.
Step 9: waste and yourself
Rags, towels and gloves go in the bag and the bag goes in the bin; rinse water goes down a sanitary drain, not a storm drain or a lawn. Wash hands and forearms with soap, and wash the clothes that were at the cleanout separately.
What never to do
No abrasive pads, scouring powder or solvents on the lens or housings. No petroleum products on rubber seals. No pressure washer on the head or the connector. No undiluted bleach on metal parts. No wet reel in a closed case. No skipping the contact time; a wipe that is dry in thirty seconds has not disinfected.
Between customers
A reel cleaned this way after every sewage job is also a reel that is safe to take into the next customer’s house. Keep the disinfectant and gloves in the kit and treat every retrieval as potentially contaminated; the lines that look clean usually are not.
Common questions
What disinfectant is safe for a sewer camera?
Whatever the manufacturer permits, often a diluted bleach solution or a quaternary ammonium product. Rinse after the contact time so residue does not attack seals.
Can I pressure wash a sewer camera?
No. Pressure drives water past seals and into the head and connector. Rinse with a bucket and brush.
How long should the reel dry before storage?
Until there is no moisture in the spring coils or the connector, which is usually a few hours in the air. Never close the case on a damp reel.
Related guides
See sewer cameras for drain cleaning contractors, camera-assisted sewer cleaning, and inspecting before and after jetting.