Damage Caused By Root Intrusion In Sewer Pipes

By Author: Nu Flow
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There are numerous reasons why you may experience a sewer blockage. It can be something as simple as a soft clog or grease build-up to complicated problems, including root intrusion and corrosion. Root intrusion is one of the most common reasons for sewer backups, but this doesn't mean it is a serious problem and it can be taken care of through regular maintenance and trenchless pipe repair methods.

Root intrusion is what it says it is. It is when roots work their way into your sewer system causing unwelcome sewer backups. Hair-like tendrils catch the waste, such as paper, making it hard for the sewer to flow freely from the home and through the sewer line. This causes the sewer to back up outside your garage, home, and in bad situations, your basement. Sewer lines are full of minerals that tree roots love, causing them to push their way through the pipe. The roots look for pinholes and cracks, forcing their way in and stopping the water flow within your system.

It is very common to find root invasion if you have terra cotta pipes. Terra cotta pipes were installed years ago and are installed in sections. The sections ...
... are joints where tree roots can easily get into the system, causing problems for home and business owners. This is the easiest for roots to enter, but they are not the only material that is susceptible to root intrusion. Cast iron is another material that corrodes over time, giving easy entry for tree roots.

There are some signs you may have noticed in your home that is a signs your sewer system has root intrusion. This can be gurgling from your toilet or sink drain to slow-flowing drains. When there are a lot of roots, the backup can be in your home or garage. If you ignore the problem, you could cause considerable damage to your pipes, causing your sewer line to completely collapse.

One of the signs of root intrusion includes slow drains. Your tub, toilet, and sink may take a long time to drain and are combined with gurgling noises. This means there may be a tree root in the sewer pipes. Sinkholes on your property are another telltale sign that there are roots in your sewer systems. Sinkholes can occur in advanced root intrusion situations and your property could be in serious jeopardy, including your foundations.

Collapsed pipes or broken pipes can also lead to toilet backups and overflows. Bad odors and fumes are one of the biggest signs that you may have root intrusion in your sewer system. The smell of sulfur or bad odors inside the home needs to be dealt with promptly.

There are a few things you can do as part of your home maintenance to reduce the risk of root intrusion. The first is to flush rock salt or copper sulfate down the toilet, slowing it to sit in the sewer. You will need to flush the toilet a few times until the material is all removed from the toilet bowl. Allow sitting in the pipe for up to twelve hours before using the toilet. These are poisonous chemicals that will dehydrate and kill the tree roots. This will not remove the roots from the line but can provide temporary relief while you find someone to come in and effectively remove the roots and repair any damage to the pipes.

If you are experiencing root intrusion, it's advisable to consider trenchless pipe rehabilitation. Which is inserting an epoxy into the existing pipe once it has been cleaned, forming a strong internal barrier that can reduce the risk of root intrusion moving forward.

About Us: Nu Flow is a leading drain and sewer line repair specialist company based in the United States. This well-established company was formed in 1998 and originally manufactured and installed patented trenchless drain and sewer lines for single-family homes throughout the country. Today they are a global company that developed a new method in 2000 similar to a stent used to open the arteries to the heart. Nu Flow offers their services using plumbing partners on a global scale offering a unique internal bladder to repair damaged drain and sewer lines in an effective, fast, and affordable manner. To find out more, visit their website at https://www.nuflow.com.