Root Intrusion and what it means for you!
Many homeowners find out too late that a frequent issue that can occur within your sewer involves roots growing into sewer lines. These roots slowly begin to cause stoppages in your sewer system and ultimately damage your pipes. Once your pipes get the large roots, it leads to costly plumbing repairs.
Why are roots so common in pipe drains?
Roots love water and are attracted to the water that is flowing in your sewer pipes everyday. Roots grow extremely long distances from their source underground in search of water and other nutrients. Once they reach the area of water, roots will begin to grow into any cracks or loose joints in your sewer drains. Roots can easily grow to be the width of a thumb, but they do not start like that. Most roots start as small as hair and just like hair can penetrate even the smallest areas. The worst part about roots? Sometimes the roots do not even need a visible plant to grow, some plants can be removed but the roots may continue to grow.
When roots are left undisturbed, they continue growing within your pipes, filling them almost completely. You can imagine how hard it would be for even pure liquid to get through it, like a straining pot. Eventually, toilet paper, oil, grease, fats, grit, and any other debris that is sent through your sewer system can become trapped in these grown roots. This leads to serious stoppages and structural damage to your drains.
What are the signs?
The most apparent sign of root intrusion is slow flowing drains. If multiple drains in your home are not flowing properly, you may hear a gurgling noise coming from your toilets. This is indicative of the early stage of a stoppage with your main line drains.
You should contact Four Star Plumbing or another plumber immediately if you start to experience these issues. Also, the possibility of roots gets higher with the older the home, or the more established the landscaping.
It is important to know that given enough time, roots can be so large and clumped up the only recourse is removing the entire pipe and replacing it.
If the damage that you have is not severe, tree roots can be removed easily by snaking, or using Four Star Plumbing’s hydro jetting services. Hydro jetting services entail using high pressure water to essentially flush all roots & debris from the sewer line. We follow it up by using a camera to inspect the condition of the drains & report any additional findings.
