In the field of modern pipeline inspection, sewer cameras, drain cameras, and plumbing cameras have become indispensable diagnostic tools. Their ability to record visual data onto SD cards allows plumbing professionals to document inspections, share reports with clients, and maintain records for future reference. However, like all digital devices, sewer cameras can face technical challenges—among the most frustrating is when the SD card fails to function properly.

Whether you're experiencing error messages, unreadable footage, or recording failures, this blog will walk you through the common causes and comprehensive solutions for SD card malfunctions in sewer camera systems.

1. Understanding the Role of SD Cards in Sewer Camera Systems

Most modern sewer line camera systems are equipped with onboard DVR (digital video recorder) modules that save captured footage onto removable SD or TF cards. These cards store hours of high-resolution video recordings, snapshots, and metadata like timestamps and inspection locations.

When an SD card malfunctions, the integrity of your inspection data is compromised, which could delay your project, frustrate clients, or lead to missed diagnoses. That’s why understanding and resolving SD card issues is crucial for reliable drain inspection performance.

2. Common Symptoms of SD Card Malfunction

If your sewer or drain inspection camera is facing SD card-related issues, you may notice one or more of the following symptoms:

• The plumbing camera fails to recognize the SD card, “No SD card detected” or “Insert SD card” error displays on the screen
• The recorded video is incomplete, and some parts are missing
• The recorded video is available on the pipeline camera, but it is gone when saved on the computer

 These issues may arise suddenly or gradually over time, depending on how the camera and SD card are handled.

3. Three Common SD Card Issues and How to Fix Them

🔴Problem 1: “No SD Card Detected” or “Insert SD Card” Error

When the plumbing camera is powered on, the display screen shows an error like "No SD card detected" or "Insert SD card", even though a card is properly inserted into the slot.

Possible Causes:

• Faulty SD card
• Dust, corrosion, or poor contact in the card slot

✅Solution Steps:

• Turn off the plumbing camera completely.
• Remove the SD card, wait 10 seconds, and reinsert it after powering the device back on(Please insert it in the correct direction).
• Please format the SD card on the computer and check if it works.
• Check SD Card Type, use the original SD card, or buy one of the three brands of memory cards: Samsung, SanDisk, or Kioxia, for testing.
• If the SD card still fails to work properly, the SD card or the SD card circuit board may be damaged. Please contact our customer service email for further consultation and judgment.

🔴Problem 2: Incomplete or Missing Segments in Recorded Video

The sewer camera records footage, but when playing it back, certain sections are missing, incomplete, or fail to save correctly. This may happen during long inspections or when video files are large.

 Possible Causes:

• Insufficient available storage
• Power interruption during recording, file corruption from abrupt shutdown
• Overheating or unstable camera performance

✅Solution Steps:

• Check available space before each job, verify that the SD card has ample free space (at least 25% of total capacity recommended, most of our Sanyipace sewer cameras support a maximum memory of 128GB).
• Avoid interrupting power: Do not turn off or unplug the drain camera during recording. Let the plumbing camera finish writing files before removing the SD card.
• Check for overheating: Long sessions in hot environments can overheat internal components, which may cause recording errors. Allow the sewer camera to cool down if it feels hot during operation.
• Reformat the card regularly: Corrupted file tables can result in partial file loss. Reformatting the SD card every few weeks helps maintain integrity.

🔴Problem 3: Video Appears on the Plumbing Camera but Disappears on the Computer

After recording footage, the video plays normally on the plumbing camera. However, when the SD card is inserted into a computer, the video files are missing, unreadable, or appear as 0KB in size.

Possible Causes:

• SD Card not safely removed, or data not written completely
• Unsupported video codec or file format
• The card reader does not work properly, and the video on the SD card cannot be saved to the computer normally.

✅Solution Steps:

• Eject the SD card correctly—make sure all videos and pictures have been successfully recorded and saved before removing it from the sewer camera.
• Since the video format recorded by the Sanyipace sewer camera is AVI, please use a compatible player (such as Windows Media Player) to view the footage, or convert the AVI files to MP4 if needed.
• Please use a card reader that can work properly (make sure that the video or picture has been successfully recorded and saved when the SD card is in the sewer camera)

Final Thoughts

An unrecognized SD card, incomplete footage, or missing videos can compromise the reliability of your sewer camera system and impact the success of your plumbing inspections. Fortunately, most SD card issues can be resolved through careful formatting, compatible card usage, regular maintenance, and smart handling practices.

If you’re also experiencing display problems like a blank or blue screen, check out our guide: Is your plumbing camera going blue and no signal? — It may be related to your SD card or connection issues.

For best results, always:

• Use manufacturer-recommended SD cards.
• Check that there is enough SD card memory before starting a large job.
• Format the SD card regularly (confirm the content you need has been saved to the computer before doing this step).

By taking these simple but effective measures, you’ll ensure that your plumbing camera records and stores footage consistently, keeping your work efficient, professional, and reliable.