What to Do If Roots Grow Into Your Plumbing

If water is slow to drain from your sink, shower or toilet and you notice a foul odor or gurgling sound, you wonder what the problem could be. When plunging doesn’t change the issue, you may have roots growing into your plumbing system.

Understand why this occurs and what you can do to address the issue.

Why Roots Grow Into Pipes

The sewer pipes passing to and from your property contain water and oxygen. The material or joints can crack, especially with older pipes, releasing vapors in the process. Tree roots sense this and start to grow toward and into the pipe.

Roots continue to gather in this area to absorb the nutrients, which eventually slows how water passes through. Sewage may also back up or the pipe breaks, causing a sinkhole.

Certain conditions increase your home’s risk for roots growing into the plumbing:

• The pipes are at least 20 years old. At this point, the material starts to weaken.
• Your home has at least one tree or shrub on the property.
• The sewer pipes passing to your home are made of concrete, clay or Orangeburg.
• Your property was built during or before the 1980s and never updated.

Signs of Roots Growing In Your Plumbing

Beyond slow draining water and gurgling sounds, other signs of roots in your plumbing include:

• Bubbles as you flush the toilet or water flows down the drain
• A clog that never goes away
• A sinkhole on your property
• Soft or damp areas of your yard, where the grass grows differently
• A strange, foul odor inside your home or outdoors

How to Address Roots In Your Plumbing

You’re advised to work with a professional to address this issue, rather than attempting to clear the pipes on your own. To determine if tree roots are in fact the problem, a plumber will inspect the sewer pipes with a camera.

From here, multiple methods can be used to get rid of the growth:

• Chemical: Rock salt and copper sulfate help deprive the roots of moisture and kill those currently in your plumbing.
• Root Killer: A foaming product with dichlobenil as the active ingredient helps remove the roots currently growing into your pipes.
• Hydro Jet: This pump-based mechanism helps ensure the chemical or root killer added to your pipes gets to the location of growth and increases its effectiveness.
• Replacing the Pipes: More often than not, pipes at the location of root growth are beyond repair and may contain multiple cracks or weakened areas. Based on location, the sewer line and pipes in your home may be replaced with copper, steel or plastic to better resist corrosion and tree roots.

Along with updating your plumbing, revisit the landscaping around your home. Consider having trees and shrubs within 50 feet of a sewer line cut down or replanted in another location.
 
If you notice any of the above signs, contact MJ Fahy & Sons to have our plumbers assess your property. Schedule an appointment today.