Tips to prevent roots from growing inside your sewer line
What happens when tree roots grow in a sewer line?
Believe it or not, roots clogging or destroying sewer lines is a common issue. 50% of all sewer blockages are likely to be caused by root growth. Roots will grow toward your sewer pipes since they are holding water, oxygen, and some of the nutrients that plants crave. If there is a leak in the pipe, the roots will make their way inside of it, clogging the pipe and preventing water flow. This root growth causes a slow but steady potential issue if it is not prevented before damage can take place.
Here are the steps you need to prevent roots from growing in your sewer line:
- Know your sewer line
- Prevent roots from growing in your sewer line
- Get your sewer line regularly inspected
- Talk to a professional
We will go over these tips for preventing root damage and how to know if root damage has already taken place in your sewer line.
Know your sewer line
Knowing your sewer line is a key step in preventing root damage, or allowing yourself to cancel out root damage as a problem if your sewer is currently having issues. If you know where your sewer line is, you will be able to see where you should be initially planting trees or digging in the first place. This directly prevents roots from growing in your sewer lines and can prevent you from spending thousands of dollars in repair.
If you don’t know where your sewer line is, you can contact a professional to check where you should be preventing trees from growing and where your problems could be occurring. This will also be helpful for you to narrow down where the issue is happening in your yard if your sewer line is backing up. You will also see if you need to have trees or large plants removed from certain areas that could cause issues with your sewer line in the future.
Prevent roots from growing in your sewer line
There are some steps that you can take to prevent roots from growing in your sewer lines. One of the most effective ways to do this is to create a barrier between the trees and your pipes. There are different options that are available to you so that you can do this, such as slow-release chemicals or burying metal or wood barriers near the pipes.
These slow-release chemicals are placed near the sewer pipes outside to stop the growth of roots near your sewer pipes to prevent any damage from taking place. The metal or wood barriers near the pipes will also prevent damage by keeping the growing roots away in the first place. Another way to prevent root damage from occurring in your yard is to plant any trees at least 10 feet away from the sewer line. Or you can choose to plant “sewer-safe” trees in your yard such as: cypress, flowering dogwood, or paperbark maple.
If you have roots already growing in your sewer line, there is a way that you can begin to dissolve them. You can purchase products at box stores, or local home and garden stores, that can be poured down the drain to dissolve roots that are growing in the pipes. This can be done without causing any damage to the trees or plants themselves. Make sure that you talk to a professional about this first so that you know if you are taking the best course of action for your situation.
Get your sewer line regularly inspected
Once you know where your sewer lines are, keep up with checking them and noticing any changes that are happening in your home. If you have the slightest hint of an issue, or you notice that a tree is slightly too close to your sewer lines, call a professional to come out and see if any of the roots have started to invade your pipes.
You could wait to get your inspection until you notice direct signs of sewer damage, but by doing it now, it could be a huge money saver if you are able to catch the issue early.
Talk to a professional – Like Watters Plumbing
As mentioned before, you will want to talk to a professional if you are noticing any trees too close to your sewer lines, or if you are hesitant on where trees or other large plants are located. Contact a professional immediately if your home is showing signs of slow emptying drains, sinkholes, blocked pipes, or bad odors. These are all strong indications that you have roots that are growing and causing damage to your pipes.
If you are noticing trees or large plants growing near your sewer lines, or are looking for ways to prevent it going forward, call us! At Watters Plumbing we’re always here to help with 24/7 emergency service in the Fox Cities and beyond, inspections, and efficient problem solving. Let us know how we can be of service!
Call Us:
Toll Free: (877) 443-4132
24-Hour Emergency Service: (920) 204-7517