Express Plumbing Heating & Air Blog
Mature trees add beauty and shade to landscapes, but their roots can cause extensive damage to sewer pipes. Roots grow into the pipes because they like it there. Sewer pipes contain water, nutrients, and oxygen. The essential elements for trees to grow. Tree roots growing inside sewer pipes are one of the most expensive sewer maintenance items experienced by our customers. Roots from trees growing on private property and on parkways throughout the service area are responsible for many sanitary sewer service backups.
Each homeowner is responsible for maintaining their sewer laterals. The pipe that connects the sewer pipes in the house to the main sewer pipe, which is usually in a street. Homeowners usually don’t have any clues to potential problems in their laterals until it’s too late. This is usually because the problem is out of sight.
Slowly flowing drains are a sign that your system is having problems with roots. Homeowners will notice the first signs of a slow-flowing drainage system by hearing gurgling noises from their toilet bowls. The pressure of the root growth may break the pipe and it could result in the total collapse of the pipe. Make sure to take action if you suspect there are roots in your line. A complete blockage is a possibility.
Here are some tips on how to clear the roots from your lines:
Hydro Jet:
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- Hydro jet cleaning releases high pressurized water into the pipeline, blasting away dirt, roots, and grease build-up, and brings your pipe to like-new status. Using the hydro jet not only restores flow but scours the inside of your pipe. Results in a long-lasting cleaning. Express Plumbing Heating & Air will perform a video inspection of the sewer line before and after the use of the hydro jet.
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Use a chemical root removal solution:
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- The challenge in removing roots from a pipe is that it is often difficult to do without damaging the pipes or other plants in the vicinity. Root-X is a foaming mix of chemicals that is designed to kill only the roots it comes into contact with. Then leaves an herbicidal residue to prevent regrowth for at least a year.
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Repair or Replace:
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- If not caught in time, tree roots can break or collapse the pipes. If this happens, Express Plumbing Heating & Air can give you a free estimate on replacing or repairing your broken mainline. This is done by digging up the surrounding area to take out the old pipe and lay a new one. Or, if possible, we can spot the repair that is damaged.
