The sewer line may not be a part of your home plumbing you think about much. It’s definitely a part you hope you don’t have to have an “up close and personal” encounter with—because that means something is seriously wrong and your home may become unhygienic.
But it’s helpful as a homeowner to know about the negative impact roots have in sewer lines and when it’s necessary to call a professional local plumber to inspect and fix the problem. The most common danger to a sewer line that can end up clogging or breaking the pipe is from trees.
How Do Tree Roots Damage Sewer Lines?
Trees are a danger for pipelines in a way similar to how icebergs are dangerous to ships. It’s not what you see above that’s the problem, it’s what lies below. Tree roots in sewer lines can post a huge threat to your yard and home.
The core of the problem is that tree roots grow toward areas of moisture and high nutrients. This means the roots will naturally grow downward toward a buried sewer line. Roots are nothing if not persistent. They may grow slowly, but they can create enough force to eventually cause a pipeline to break apart.
If you find tree roots in the sewer line near your home, they likely accessed it through one of the joints on the pipe. At this stage. it is too early to notice any symptoms.
In the second stage, the roots start to grow thicker and branch out because they have access to the proteins and other nutrients inside the sewer line—it’s basically powerful fertilizer for the tree roots. The tree roots in the sewer line will eventually start to catch onto larger pieces of waste such as toilet paper that will create clogs. This is the point when you’ll start to notice issues in the house, such as slow drains or strange odors from the drains.
The third stage is where the pipeline is in critical danger due to the roots in the sewer line. The rapid root growth will eventually build up enough pressure to cause a sewer line breakage.
Solving the tree root problem
To ensure tree troots don’t grow in the sewer lines, you can take preventive measures against this problem when landscaping your property by planing trees far away from the sewer pipeline. But if you didn’t have control over this in the first place, you can call on our plumbers to solve tree root infiltration.
The sooner you call when you notice symptoms, the less difficult and extensive the repairs will be. For minor root infiltration, we can use hydro-jetting and trenchless repair methods. If the integrity of the sewer line has been fully compromised, we may recommend a larger solution such as a full trenchless sewer line replacement. Our trenchless technology will take care of these jobs quickly and with less disruption.
Reliable Plumbing Repair & Install Services
We sewer line repair services to help restore the water flow in the pipes of your home. We also offer other plumbing services such as gas line repair, water heater repair, and water line installation. Do you need assistance choosing an air conditioner or heat pump size? Our team also provides HVAC repair and installation services for air conditioners and heat pumps. Our team provides plumbing and HVAC repair services in areas such as West Chester, Broomall, Coatesville, and Conshohocken.