What to Do When Tree Roots Invade Your Sewer Lines

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You may have learned to love your maple tree like family, by watching it grow strong over the years. However, not only does the outside look strong, but the roots are strong as well and capable of doing damage when invading your sewer lines. Many homeowners find that their backed up sewer lines are a result of the root system of a large tree in their yards or front lawns.

This is a common occurrence, as the roots of a tree will look for nutrients and moisture found in a sewer line. If you suspect that roots from that maple tree have invaded your sewer lines or want to prevent this from happening in the future, the best choice is to call a professional to inspect the situation, and locate a problem or potential issue in time.

Sewer repair may be costly, including damage to your sewer lines, plumbing, water heater, and drain cleaning. However, if you have large trees in your property, a call may save you tons of money in the future. Trained professionals are able to locate sewage problems and by using specialized equipment such as transmitters to locate and trace the lines.

Plastic and concrete sewer lines are more difficult to trace because they are non-conductible materials, which do not send a signal. Because of this, fiberglass reels, and video monitoring equipment may be necessary. A professional plumbing company will be skilled in doing this type of work.

Many times, when damage is already done by tree roots, it may be necessary to excavate deep to fix the problem and repair the sewer. However, there are other ways in which to fix this problem. One way is by power rodding. Power rodding is used to solve problems such as drains backing up, slow draining fixtures, and clogs in the home or sewer system. Different equipment will be used for this job, depending on the length of the cable and where the clog is located.

Another way to do drain cleaning is by a method known as hydro jetting. This is done by using a high-pressure machine that will clean grease, debris, and sludge from sewer lines, and other drainage. This type of pressure will completely clean the lines. The equipment has spray heads capable of spraying in many angles and according to the size of the pipe. Most times, this is all that is needed to solve the problem.

Other types of treatments include the use of chemicals and methods to discourage the roots of the trees to return to the sewer lines in search of nutrients and water. However, the best method is prevention, and by calling a professional in time, you will be able to treat a potential issue in time, and save on costly repairs.