Roots can cause major havoc for a homeowner’s sewer pipes. You will know when you have this problem when the contents you flush start to come back up onto the bathroom floor. This can be one of the most expensive repairs for a homeowner. This problem usually occurs with older plumbing systems.
Sewer pipes contain water, nutrients and oxygen, all essential for trees to grow. Once the tree roots reach the pipes, they wiggle into the cracks and fissures and begin to stop the pipes from flowing properly. The growth of the tree roots act as a net, catching household fats, oils, hair, grease, grit, tissue paper and other solid waste. Thus, requiring a professional plumbing service to remove the roots.
There are four basic ways to remove the roots from the pipes.
Mechanically Cutting Tree Roots
This problem can be corrected in a variety of ways. One could use a mechanical auger, which has a rotating head that will cut the roots away. The sewer auger has a rotating spiral head with teeth that cut away the roots, but this does not completely solve the problem. The tree roots can grow back if the crack or fissure in the pipe is not properly sealed.
Chemical Tree Root Removal
Copper sulfate in both crystalline and foaming forms can help keep your sewer lines free of roots and prevent roots from growing back. This type of root removal is effective because the roots cannot get through the poison zone in the soil outside the pipes. Flushing ½ cup down your toilet on a monthly basis will help fix or prevent minor root problems. You must know that this is not an overnight solution. It could take a few weeks to kill the tree roots in the pipes and even the dead roots can still cause problems as they may take months to decompose. You may still need something to remove the dead roots.
Hydro Jetter
A hydro jetter can be used to correct the problem of slow or clogged sewer lines. A video inspection should be performed first to locate the exact location of the roots. Then a snake is sent in to tear up heavy roots. Once the snake has removed the heavier roots, a hydro jetter is used, by a professional plumber, to blast 4000psi of water into the pipes to remove blockages and buildup. This is one environmentally safe way to remove the tree roots.
Digging Up Tree Roots
Digging up roots is another option, however, this could cause more problems in the near future by stimulating more root growth. In order to know the exact location of the problem, you must use an investigating camera that will video the inside of the pipes. This may be expensive, but it would be worth it to exactly locate the problem.
