How Tree Roots Can Get Into Your Pipes and Ruin Your Plumbing

Have you ever heard that sunflowers turn their leaves to face the sun? This helps their ability to photosynthesize more efficiently. Plants have a very intuitive way of operating, oftentimes more so than we think at first glance. In a similar way, trees, bushes, plants, and flowers use their root systems to seek out water. It’s because of this that might find your home’s plumbing system wrecked by an intrusive tree root.

What’s Clogging My Sewer Line?

First thing’s first, you need to figure out what exactly is clogging your pipes. Different materials call for different solutions, so this first step is incredibly important.

One of the easiest ways to determine what the blockage is coming from is by sending a mini video camera down into the pipe to explore. From here, you’ll be able to determine what is causing the clog.

How to Eliminate Roots from Your Plumbing

Once you’ve determined that it’s a tree root that’s infiltrated your plumbing, there are a few options to consider.

  1. Option one is digging up the entire pipe and replacing it with a new plastic pipe. They’re nearly impenetrable so you won’t need to worry about invasive roots again. The downside to this option is that it will require tearing up your lawn to get to these pipes, and is a bit more of an extensive process.

  2. Option two is treating the line with a poison formulated to kill nearby tree roots. This won’t solve your problem for good, but it will make sure you don’t have to deal with it again for a while.

  3. Option three is using a method called pipelining. This method seals all of the cracks and holes in the pipe with a layer of epoxy.

If you suspect that tree roots are causing blockages in your plumbing, or you’re experiencing any other kinds of trouble, contact our plumbing experts today. Either give us a call at (334) 231-6980, or visit our website to see how we can help!

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