Do you have trouble with tree roots growing in your sewer pipes? This is a very common problem that most people face, so let’s take a look now at what you can do if you’re experiencing this common blockage.
Trees not only beautify our surroundings, but they also serve as windbreakers and provide shade. On the other hand, trees and specifically their roots can wreak havoc within your plumbing system by clogging up your sewer line and causing your blocked drains to clog increasing further damage underground.
You might think that all the wastewater that evacuates from your home via the sewer line is toxic to plants. When faced with such a situation, many property owners will settle on DIY methods of removing the roots and unclogging the sewer line.
If you find yourself with a tree root clogged sewer line, you might ask yourself whether tree root killer is the answer for roots in sewer pipes.
How Tree Roots Find Their Way Into Sewer Line
The truth of the matter is, trees thrive on sewer water. The water is rich in the dissolved biological matter, which acts as nutrients.
And since the water swirls a lot as it moves in the sewer line, it well oxygenated. Moreover, the sewer effluent has plenty of water.
In a sense, the sewer water has everything the tree needs to thrive. As such, at any opportunity, tree roots will grow through any leaking spaces in the sewer line and clog it.
When the sewer line has a crack or the joints are leaking, the water that escapes the sewer line wet the soil. This will also attract tree roots, which traverses the ground up to moisten the soil. Eventually, the tree roots find their way into the sewer line through the cracks.
The tree roots continue to grow until they form a mesh-like structure that is better capable of trapping moisture and nutrients. At this point, they clog your sewer line entirely. This is when you will begin to notice that water does not flow efficiently down the drains. Left unchecked, the root structure will crack open the sewer line.
The Different Types Of Root Killers And How Each Type Works
Using Rock Salt – Salts in the form of rock salt, sodium chloride and copper sulphate are poisonous to tree roots. To use the salt, you need to pour about half a kilo of salt into a bucket of water and flush it down the toilet leading to the blocked line.
Repeat the process again to flush a total of about one kilo of salt down the drain. The next step is to avoid running water into the sewer line for 8 to 12 hours. During this time the salts will draw water from the tree roots and poison the roots until they die.
Roaming Root Killer – This type of product is a foaming substance that contains herbicide. The herbicide kills the root and prevents their regrowth.
The Effectiveness Of Root Killers
Root removal solutions are not the most effective solution as the roots will still grow after some time. It might take a couple of years, but if the cracks still exist, tree roots will find their way inside the pipe once again.
Additionally, when using root killers, you run the risk of killing the tree ultimately, which might create other hazards such as falling branches.
Contact us for help clearing your drains
Root killers are only a stop-gap solution to tree roots clogging your sewer line. Eventually, you need to unearth the sewer lines and repair the lines. You can only use root killer products for so long until you need to call on a water pipe leak service to repair or replace your sewer pipes.
If you suspect tree roots are growing in your drain pipes, give us a call or send through an online enquiry, we are ready to assist at Austest Pipeline Solutions. We provide a range of burst pipe detection services around Melbourne and surrounding areas.