All About Pipe Guides
What are Pipe Guides?
One way to quickly improve visibility during a diagnostic inspection is to use pipe guides. Pipe guides are designed to help center the camera in pipes of various sizes and keep the camera raised above sludge in the bottom of the pipe. By bringing the camera closer to the center of the pipe, pipe guides improve picture quality, allowing the camera to see more evenly in all directions and keeping the camera lens clear during inspections. Additionally, pipe guides can allow the camera to push through the pipe more easily.
Pipe guides can easily be installed, adjusted, and removed.
Benefits of Pipe Guides
- If the camera is underwater in the line, a pipe guide can help raise the camera out of the water
- In a larger pipe, pipe guides provide more even illumination, providing a better view of the top of the pipe
- Pipe guides can help you pass through an offset more easily
- Pipe guides keep your camera raised above the bottom of the pipe, reducing wear and tear while improving pushability
Without Pipe Guide
With Pipe Guide
Types of Pipe Guides
RIDGID SeeSnake diagnostic cameras may be used with different pipe guides to suit the needs of the inspection.
Star Guides:Â Star guides support the camera head through the use of vanes extending from the outer ring. Star guides are held in place with two C-rings.
Ball Guides:Â Ball guides are designed to slip onto the spring and lock into place without the use of other tools. Placing a ball guide on the spring behind the camera helps tilt the camera head upward so that the top of the pipe may be viewed.
Camera Head Guide: For smaller pipes, tubes, or voids, the Camera Head Pipe Guide can be used to push the camera through stubborn fittings.
Roller Dolly: The roller dolly can be used when inspecting pipes that are 1.4 m [4.5 ft] or larger with the SeeSnake Standard camera reel. The roller dolly is useful for long straight inspections such as in city service lines.
Every SeeSnake camera system ships with a complete set of pipe guides appropriately sized for the camera, and pipe guide kits are available separately. Contact your local RIDGID rep for more information. Installation instructions can be found at SeeSnake Support at support.seesnake.com/pipe-guides/.