If your property has trees on it or even a few houses away, the chances are good that tree roots will eventually get into your sewer, line. The tree roots intrude not only because they’re in search of the water that is carried within the sewer, but also to take up the nutrients that are in the sewage. Here are three important things that you need to know about tree roots in your home’s sewer line and how plumbing contractors in Richmond, VA, deal with them.
They Grow Quickly
Tree roots grow quickly. Once they can break through a seam or offset in a sewer pipe, they can grow into the sewer with ease. In just one to two years, they can fully obstruct the sewer pipe. Some signs of this include slow drains and a backup of wastewater into your home through the main drain or its emergency outlet.
They Are Tough
Many vendors sell chemicals that are supposed to go down your main drain and halt the growth of the tree roots already in your sewer. These chemicals do not work well. Jetting of water may help if there is only a small amount of root growth in the sewer. In most cases, plumbing contractors in Richmond, VA, use cutting blades on cables to cut off the roots that are growing in the sewer and push them out to the main municipal sewer line. They then install a pipe liner with resin.
They Come Back
Tree roots tend to come back year after year. Even if you cut down the tree, the roots may continue to grow for a while. The roots will grow for a longer period if the tree stump remains. It is important to get rid of the tree stump and contact plumbing contractors in Richmond, VA, if you continue having root problems.