Sewer Pipe 'Rooting'
 

Does anyone actually do this anymore ? .

We called a place and they sent out two lazy guys who ran a snake to clean the blockage then a camera and tried hard to get permission to tear up the Concrete and lay a new house to street pipe because of roots in the pipe .

I know there are roots in the pipe, that's why roto - rotting was developed, duh .

? Are all plumbers this lazy now ? .

I remember the roto rooter guy spending hours chopping up the roots with the long tool back in the 1960's & 970;s, the Roto Rooter company used to have an annual contest to see who could extract the longest root.....

my dad had that problem,ending up ditch witch pipe to house,to junction at sewer.

Well yeah but, that's not my question ~ we're in a rental whilst the house one of our teenaged Foster boys burned us outof, is ever so slowly repaired so I just want the pipe rootered, that'll hold it a few years longer .

here we can rent that tool,has blades that cut,and a motor to power it.Rotor rooter use to do this,but got so expensive.I think if pipe is terra cotta,acid might burn thru roots

Depending on how broken up the pipe is they may not really be effective to cut out the roots.

12 years ago,our septic system would overflow.I got a guy to come out,and look,and give me a price $1200. He had a diving rod,and found where the water stopped.That night I dreamed of a root as big as my thigh plugging the terra cotta line.
I got the money and called him to repair,exactly where he said blockage was,a root,10 foot long in the pipe.Ended up adding 20 feet of new line,with a root wrap,so they can't grow in.

Pipe replacing can be expensive, but better in the long run. My house in PA, I had to have it replaced from the back of the house to the halfway under the street replaced. Luckily, most of it was covered under the house warranty, but it was a total of $13,000 to have done. They dug up my basement, and replaced it all the way out. It caused my neighbor to have to pay for part of it, since their line Y'd into mine...something that was done over 100 years ago when the homes were built. Their crap was coming into my basement. It was a big job, but it's done. The weight of the ground, sidewalk, and road crushed everything, and nothing went to the sewer like it should have.

Trees don't give up. If the tree(s) are not removed the problem will come back. And knowing where the roots are coming from is not necessarily easy. Cutting the roots out of the way is a temporary fix. You can get mileage out of that fix with the foaming salt products. Flush it down the toilet, then flush once more, twice if it's low flow. The extra flushing takes it to the area were the problem is, ideally. Reportedly kills roots and discourages regrowth for a time. Also rock salt can work. Cheaper but not as effective and can actually kill the tree. Don't take my word for it, search the products and come to your own conclusion.

http://www.superterry.com/kill-tree-roots-sewer-line/

The old terra cotta pipes are a source of large income for plumbers, have been for some time. Roots will find their way into the joints. The trench-less pipe systems can be effective but I gather there are cases you should not use it. The really deluxe way is indeed to dig it all up and put in new steel pipe.

Plastic is fine too.

Sewer Pipes & Roots
 

Thanx fellas ;

You're all correct, I don't want to $pend the lolly on a house that's not mine, knowhutimean ? :P .

As it turns out I did discover the foamy salts and used them so far so good .

Yes, we know _exactly_ where the roots are coming in thanx to the sewer pipe camera thing , as I said : once the roots are cut and gone, you have at least 12 months before they cause further problems, it take years to get really bad so once in a while the rooter guy is good .

Just not on my dime .

I wonder if I could rent the machine, I imagine it takes proper knowledge, not just blindly jamming it into a root ~ those who've ever cut roots know : they're dense and TOUGH, I'd hate to break the machine or have to stop partway though leaving chopped up root to collect and clog again .

No, fun this .

Salts that killed the bird of paradise plant would be fine, I talked to the next door neighbor and he's O.K. if whatever I do, kills the plant .

I $pent over $100 on Roebic foaming root killer and shut the water off for about six hours, I wanted longer but the Foster kids, grand daughter and her baby, roomier, etc., etc..... made long impossible .

Rooting is not that tough, there are a few tricks. One is to have a few pieces of scrap ABS or PVC, 1-1/2 or 2" dia. Maybe an 8"and a 12" for starters. The deluxe machines have a flexible containment thing that sticks out a couple of feet but most don't. You take off the cutting bit and slide it over. When that sucker is spinning, you need to have a means to push it forward into the pipe, and especially when you hit the root mass, to push it into and through it.

The first 8 feet or so you can usually just push it down but then I pull out about a foot and clamp it in place, then holding onto the ABS scrap a coax it further in. Eventually you have to go with less than that pulled out at a time, maybe 6 inches. Then there will be a small arc between the machine and the cleanout opening, you use the ABS to coax that arc into relative straightness, that will give some push on the business end. Eventually you hear a surge of water running. Ideally.

Strong gloves. Have several pair on hand. I usually put on the nitrile surgery type then put on the heavy duty items.

Not the nicest work but some of them cats make $100k plus. When fresh feces are coming up the washing machine drain, people pull out their checkbooks. I've done it maybe 10 or 12 times.

I imagine it is but lets say you're spending $5k on the dig up, wouldn't cost that much more to go with steel. Not sure if it's all that much better though.

I've never seen a steel sewer pipe. Iron yes...

I'd use the plastic. Joints are glued so there is no place for a root to gain access.

Good point, the glued joint I mean. Word I read is that the roots will be attracted to a tiny bit of moisture, even water vapor underground on a dry day. With well glued joints there would be none of that. The stuff is pretty strong, ABS I mean. Since it will be surrounded on all sides by a solid, likely to be very strong.

I have always been amazed with how roots work.

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