Electric Snakes

Published on August 20, 2010 in Blocked Drains, Clogged Drain, Root Infiltration and Tree Roots. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Electric snakes are tools used by plumbers to clear pipes of debris, but if your problem is roots growing into pipes, snaking is a very temporary solution. Electric snakes are used to buy time until a longer-lasting technique can be used to clear the pipe.

These nifty machines are made of over 60 meters of tubing. The tubing spins at over 500 revolutions a minute. A powerful electric snake is enough to clear regular debris and small, thin root blockages. You’re going to need something stronger for dense root blockages.

Plumbers may still use an electric snake on a dense blockage, with the hopes that it will clear enough of the pipe to make it usable in the short-term. On top of their provisionality, electric snakes pose many other problems.

The tubes are long, cumbersome, space will have to made to fit the equipment into your snakes will be covered in grease and grime. They can make a huge mess in your home if you happen to get careless plumbers. Even the most courteous plumbing experts can still unwittingly leave some muck for you to clean up.

Experts warn against renting or buying an electric snakes and using them to routinely clear pipes. The tube spins so fast that it can be dangerous if you’re not trained in the proper use. Like most complicated devices, the use of electric snakes is best left up to the pros.

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5 Ways to Clear Tree Roots from Pipes

Published on August 17, 2010 in Root Infiltration and Tree Roots. 0 Comments
  1. Rodding: Plumbers stick a ratchet (a bar with teeth) down your pipe to break up the root block. Then they send another bar down to cut and clear the debris.
  2. Jetting: Plumbers will use a hose with a special nozzle to direct a powerful jet of water at the block. With jetting, there is a big risk that the jet won’t be able to break up the blockage, time and money might have to spent on a more hard-hitting solution.
  3. Root Cutting: This process uses the same high-pressure water as jetting, but in this case the water is more directed, and is used to cut the roots before flushing them out. Cutting the roots usually encourages new root growth. They could grow back faster and stronger.
  4. Chemicals: This treatment is a heavy chemical foam that contains herbicides. How a chemical treatment works depends on how bad the root block is. Less dense root masses can be forced out by the pressure of the foam as it travels down the pipe. More dense masses will have to be jetted first. The foam seals cracks in the pipes cause by the roots, and the herbicides hinder further root growth. You’ll have to treat pipes near root systems at least once a year. Vaporooter is the leading product to get this done.
  5. Dig out and Repair: This method requires excavation of the pipes and roots. Although fairly permanent, its often only used in extreme situations, such as the total collapse of a main drainage pipe. The costs can be quite high when you have to dig to remove tree roots.

Source: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/33520788/INVESTIGATION-OF-SEWER-BLOCKAGES-DUE-TO-TREE-ROOTS-Graham-Thomson-/


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The First Signs of a Tree Root Blockage

Published on August 10, 2010 in Clogged Drain and Root Infiltration. 0 Comments

The first sign of a tree root blockage is a slow drain.  Simple right? But, this won’t be an average slow drain that can be cured with a plunger or a drain cleaning solution. The blockage may be accompanied by a gurgling sound from within the drain, which can be heard when no water is running.

A quick visual diagnosis will let you know if a tree root block is possible. Any trees that are within 60 meters of the building, or within ten meters of any know pipes, have root systems that might penetrate a line.

Tree roots are more likely to grow into your lines during winter and other cold months. That’s because tree roots have to travel farther for moisture during these months. Older pipes, especially those laid before the 1980s can be made of materials that are easy for pipes to infiltrate.

Some plumbers use high-tech cameras to determine whether a blockage is common, or caused by a tree root system. They attach a camera to a drain snake, and run it down the affected pipe.

Tech savvy blockage experts use this camera to explore every aspect of a blocked pipe.   They’ll take a video, diagnose the problem, and then suggest the best course of action.

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Clogged Drain or Tree Root Damage? Time for Vaporooter

Published on June 14, 2010 in Clogged Drain, General, Pipe Damage and Root Infiltration. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Vaporooter is the perfect solution to remove tree roots in sewer pipes. When used in repeated applications to remove tree roots from sewer lines, Vaporooter approaches the level of 100 percent effective in tree root control. No process to remove tree roots in pipes and away from foundations has proven to be nearly as effective or efficient.

Vaporooter is delivered in a foam application to prevent tree roots damage. The foam ensures that the combination of herbicides, Metham Sodium (herbicide), and Dichlobenil (growth inhibiting agent) reaches every root surface within the pipes to kill the root and prevent regrowth of the root cells. This effectively addresses the tree root problem within the pipe and eliminates roots in drains.

The use of a foam application also controls the amount of time the herbicide combination is in contact with a tree root. Vaporooter only affects the tree root problem in pipes and does not affect trees or shrubs that are above the ground as it is not absorbed by the tree. No method to remove roots in pipes has proven to deliver the same safe and effective process as Vaporooter.

As a chemical compound, Vaporooter must be applied by a Mini Foamer machine by a licensed applicator. By following this process to address a clogged drain, it helps to ensure the Vaporooter foam safely and truly penetrates the root to remove the roots in sewer pipes.

The machine generates the foam and pumps it to remove tree roots. The technician is trained to ensure this process delivers foam completely throughout the pipe to penetrate roots in drains and prevent their growth. The herbicides in the Vaporooter will penetrate the roots in drains and burst the root, causing it to die and decay. Grease and slime are stripped away from the clogged drain to allow for deep penetration to prevent the tree root problem.

Removing tree roots from a clogged drain must first be done with an auger to clean out the root mass and make way for the proper method to treat roots in drains. Vaporooter should be applied within 6 to 8 weeks of new implementations or fresh root cuts to prevent continued tree root damage. When this process to remove tree roots from pipes is done annually, it can effectively prevent future tree root damage.

No one should have to be at the mercy of an invasive tree root problem on their property. Removing tree roots in sewer pipes and away from foundation walls can easily be achieved with Vaporooter. We can show you how to remove roots in pipes with our licensed applicator and proven Vaporooter method. You no longer have to pay for tree root damage.

Don’t wait for your tree roots to become a problem that costs significant resources to repair. Call a Vaporooter profeassional today to assess your tree root problem and eliminate your clogged drain. They can show you how to remove roots in pipes before they cause a clog and backup your system. Sewer root control is proven and effective with Vaporooter!

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Need to Safely Remove Roots in Pipes? Turn to Vaporooter

Published on June 7, 2010 in General, Pipe Damage and Root Infiltration. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Vaporooter has been the premier solution to remove tree roots found in pipes for more than 40 years. As tree root problem growth threatens building foundations and the basic infrastructure of cities and towns, municipalities needed a way to mediate tree root damage. Roots in sewer pipes and penetrating foundations can cause challenging and expensive problems without Vaporooter to provide the ultimate in sewer root control.

This go-to solution delivers a proven product for any tree root problem as it keeps the infrastructure of cities and towns up and running. When tree roots in sewer pipes impede the free flow of liquids, the backup and associated damage demands an optimal solution for roots in drains.

In 1967, the County of Sacramento, California sought a solution to the growing tree root problem. Sewer lines were increasingly damaged and clogged drains were backing up into buildings. The current process to remove tree roots from pipes could not keep up with the rapid movement of root growth. Cutting methods to remove tree roots were also time-consuming and labor intensive.

Botanist Oliver Leonard at the University of California-Davis (UC-Davis) was enlisted by Sacramento city and county officials to determine why cutting roots to eliminate tree root damage were falling short of eliminating the problem. To get a better understanding of the science behind tree roots in sewer lines, Leonard and his UC-Davis team excavated infected areas.

By closely examining sections of infected tree roots, researchers could document and analyse the root growth patterns. It was determined that cutting to remove roots in pipes ensures the roots are exposed to nutrition, causing them to grow back bigger and faster, thereby exacerbating the problem.

With continued testing on methods to remove tree roots in pipes, researchers discovered the virtue of metam sodium. This unique chemical has been proven to be very efficient in the process of removing roots in pipes as it treats the growth of the root, without hurting the plant itself. In addition to effectively preventing tree root damage, this compound dissipates quickly without leaving behind any harmful residue.

Researchers had discovered how to remove tree roots from pipes safely and effectively, yet they still wanted a way to prevent the root from growing back into the lines. The answer came with the addition of dichlobenil, discovered by Fred Horne in 1968. This growth inhibitor helps to ensure a tree root problem in pipes would not return once treated with the chemical application.

The removal of roots in sewer pipes became easy when the herbicide metam sodium was added to the growth inhibitor dichlobenil as roots in drains could be covered with a foam application. The resulting surfactant formulation created dense foam that could thoroughly cover the tree root and pipe surfaces.

The discovery of the effectiveness of this foam in the process to remove tree roots from sewer pipes and keep them root free for years, Vaporooter was born. The patented Vaporooter today demonstrates how to remove roots in pipes and ensuring the free flow of waste fluids through the pipe line.

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Tree Root Damage Prevented with Vaporooter

Published on May 31, 2010 in Cost Benfits, General, Pipe Damage and Root Infiltration. 0 Comments Tags: , .

No one wants to have to deal with tree roots in sewer pipes and in the process of trying to address the problem when it occurs, tree root damage can be a common problem. To achieve effective removal of roots in drains and address a tree root problem, nothing has been proven to be nearly as effective as Vaporooter.

The Vaporooter foam is designed to remove roots in pipes without causing damage to the environment or surrounding plant life. The chemical combination in Vaporooter is protected and monitored by the EPA and must be applied by a trained and certified Vaporooter technician. When properly applied on an annual basis, you can safely and effectively remove tree roots from a clogged drain.

Vaporooter delivers other advantages as well, including continuous protection. The application only needs to take place once a year to address an ongoing tree root problem. This method to remove tree roots from sewer lines is an effective way to prevent roots from penetrating pipes in the future while also preventing tree root damage.

Vaporooter is also cost effective. For less than $1.50 per day, you can prevent roots in drains from growing back after they have been removed. This process for addressing a clogged drain ensures you can remove roots in pipes without tearing out landscaping or the pipe itself. No digging is required and your tree root problem can become a thing of the past.

The process for using Vaporooter and the chemicals it delivers to remove tree roots from sewer lines while preventing tree root damage to other pipes and foundations has been proven to be 100 percent safe and effective. While it is important that the Vaprooter be handled only by a trained and certified technician, its application will not cause harm.

When compared with costly repairs to pipelines, foundations and landscaped areas, the application of Vaporooter is significantly less expansive to remove roots in pipes. A clogged drain can seem like a simple blocked pipe, but in reality, tree root damage can cost a fortune. When Vaporooter is properly used on an annual basis to treat roots in sewer lines, homeowners and municipalities avoid costly repairs.

The proven method in the use of Vaporooter to remove roots in pipes and prevent tree root damage is readily available throughout the world. Municipalities in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have relied on Vaprooter to remove tree roots from sewer pipes and prevent untold damage to sewer lines and building foundations. No other method to remove roots in pipes has been proven to be as effective, safe or efficient as Vaporooter.

Vaporooter should be applied to tree roots in sewer lines every year to ensure root regrowth does not occur. This process to remove tree roots in sewer lines is necessary as ongoing maintenance as once tree roots have found a nutrient source, they will continue to seek that source. You cannot control the habits of the tree, but you can prevent tree roots in sewer pipes with Vaporooter.

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Remove Tree Roots with Vaporooter

Published on May 24, 2010 in General and Root Infiltration. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

It is important to remove tree roots from sewer pipes in order to ensure the free flow of liquids throughout the system. Unfortunately, sewer pipes are a draw for tree roots as they will grow toward moisture through a continuous process that occurs at the end of the root.

Roots in sewer pipes are the result of roots growing one cell at a time at the end of the root. This process allows the root to penetrate extremely small openings in the pursuit of nourishment, leading to roots in drains. Once a tree root problem occurs, it can divide hundreds of times to form an enormous mass of tender root ends.

Vaporooter emerged onto the scene more than 40 years ago as municipalities needed to address clogged drain issues and to develop a process to remove tree roots. Vaporooter is a chemical compound protected by the EPA, therefore it must be applied by a Mini Foamer machine by a licensed applicator to ensure it safely and truly penetrates roots in sewer pipes.

The machine generates the foam and pumps it to deliver optimal sewer root control and remove roots in pipes. The applicator is trained to ensure this process to remove roots in pipes delivers foam completely throughout the clogged drain to ensure good contact with all tree roots. This helps to deliver safe and effective control of roots in sewer pipes without tree root damage.

Vaporooter should be used within six to eight weeks of installing the sewer system for new implementations to avoid a clogged drain later.  If you want to avoid roots in sewer pipes later, learn how to remove tree roots with Vaporooter. If this process is done annually, it can prevent the cracking damage caused by live tree roots in sewer lines.

When the herbicides present in the Vaporooter penetrate the tree roots in drains, it bursts the root, causing it to die and decay. The herbicide combination enables grease and slime to be stripped away from tree roots in sewer pipes to allow for deep penetration in the root mass to inhibit root cell division and growth for up to three years.

The Vaporooter is truly the most effective method to remove tree roots from sewer pipes. To avoid tree root demand, you must first remove the roots from a clogged drain with an auger to clean out the root mass. Sewer root control is inhibited if Vaporooter is immediately applied unless your Vaporooter applicator can overcome the obstacle of “bleeding sap”.

When a tree root is cut during the initial treatment to remove roots in pipes, the tree roots respond very quickly by “bleeding” a sap that assists healing and regrowth. Think of it as the tree’s survival method. The bleeding sap can block the absorption of the Vaporooter foam for a number of days. If application is done six to eight weeks after the roots are cut, the Vaporooter foam is efficiently maximized in the application.

Vaporooter should be applied to tree roots in sewer lines every year to to address your tree root problem. This process to remove tree roots in sewer lines is necessary as ongoing maintenance as once tree roots have found a nutrient source, they will continue to seek that source. You cannot control the habits of the tree, but you can prevent tree roots in pipes with Vaporooter.

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Remove Roots in Pipes with Vaporooter

Published on May 17, 2010 in Clogged Drain, General, Pipe Damage and Root Infiltration. 1 Comment Tags: , .

As much as trees contribute to the value of property, the health of citizens and the basic aesthetics of the environment, their roots can be extremely intrusive. When this intrusion happens in sewer lines, the tree roots in sewer pipes cause extensive damage. Implementing a process to remove tree roots from a clogged drain is essential in order to ensure the free flow of the waste water collection system.

A tree root problem can result from continuing growth. A root will grow toward moisture through a continuous process. Tree root damage caused by roots in drains is the result of roots that grow one cell at a time, enabling the root to penetrate extremely small openings in the pursuit of nourishment.

Once the root has entered a pipe, tree root damage escalates. A clogged drain caused by roots in sewer pipes is a much more formidable adversary than a basic clog. Once tree root damage occurs and the pipe is penetrated, the root can divide hundreds of times to form an enormous mass of tender root ends.

It is important to remove roots in pipes before a devastating backup can occur. The mass of roots within a clogged drain usually collects a thick coating of grease, causing it to become heavy and hang in the water. This hanging creates grit settlement and shoaling. As debris and sewage solids continue to build in the clogged drain, it piles on the root mass until a blockage occurs.

A common solution is to use an auger on the roots in sewer pipes to remove tree roots from the sewer lines. This process to address a tree root problem can actually allow the tree roots to grow back bigger and stronger before, thereby exacerbating the tree root problem. A better solution that is not only easier to apply, but also ensures roots in drains cannot continue to be a problem is the Vaporooter solution.

Vaporooter is the perfect solution to remove tree roots from sewer lines as it is safe to use and does not hurt trees or other plants above ground. The use of Vaporooter approaches the level of 100 percent effective in the process to remove roots in pipes. In fact, when used in annual applications, Vaporooter has proven to be the safest and most effective process to remove tree roots from sewer lines.

Delivered in a foam application by a certified technician, Vaporooter ensures that your tree root problem is no longer a problem. The foam ensures that the combination of herbicides, Metham Sodium (herbicide), and Dichlobenil (growth inhibiting agent),   reaches every root to address an ongoing tree root problem. The roots in sewer pipes will no longer grow in the pipes to ensure pipes that allow for the free and clear flow of fluids.

The use of a foam application also controls the amount of time the herbicide combination is in contact with a tree root to remove roots in pipes. No method that approaches how to remove tree roots has failed to deliver the same safe and effective process as Vaporooter.

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Sanafoam Vaporooter II versus traditional methods of dealing with root infiltration

Published on May 10, 2010 in Clogged Drain, Cost Benfits, Environmentally Friendly, General and Root Infiltration. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Tree root infiltration in the sewage pipes can lead to the blockage of and overflow in the draining system, the destruction of the system itself and even the replacing and relining of the pipes. The traditional methods of dealing with this problem involve short-term fixing, not long-term solutions and prevention.

The most widespread traditional method of dealing with a live root invasion problem is the cutting of the root. Although this may seem like a good immediate response, the long term result is disastrous. The cutting leads to rejuvenation and strengthening of the root, which becomes an even more forceful enemy of the pipes. Plus, some types of roots, like the ones that grow along the length of the pipe, are very difficult to cut due to their shape and position.

The modern efficient alternative is the Sanafoam Vaporooter, a combination of herbicides that leads to the weakening and later killing of the unwanted roots. The effect of the herbicides can be as long as three years, if proper retreatment is applied. Unlike the cutting of the root, which offers immediate response, the clearing of the pipes with the Vaporooter can take up to six months, as the natural decay of the killed roots cannot happen overnight. If the treatment is reapplied after six months, the efficacy percentage can be as high as 99.

While the cutting of the roots solves the blockage problem, it does not prolong the life the pipes. Vaporooter can destroy even the small root cells which have used small cracks to get inside the pipe. By removing these elements, the pipe cracks can close up under the ground weight.

Because cutting the tree only momentarily solves the problem and does not prevent further problems from forming, root invasions are dealt with only when they become an emergency. Urgent interventions, which may even involve the replacing of the pipes, are very costly and time-consuming. Vaporooter, however, is much more efficient cost and time-wise, because it solves and prevents root invasion problems, controlling them at all times and not letting them get out of hand.

The treatment is Vaporooter is environment-friendly, as it only affects the roots inside the pipe, in the pipe wall and very close to the pipe. As it is biodegradable and non-acidic, it does not bother the trees and plants above the pipe. Cutting the roots, however, as they lead to even stronger roots, may create severe blockages which require pipe replacing, a possibly invasive method for the surrounding vegetation.

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The scientific research history of the Vaporooter

Published on May 3, 2010 in Clogged Drain, Environmentally Friendly, General and Root Infiltration. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

The infiltration of the tree roots in the sewage pipes has been a very destructive, time and money consuming issue for many decades. Traditional methods of clearing the pipes, including root cutting, usually led to costly emergency interventions that sometimes even included replacing or relining the pipes. As the blockages and overflows of the drain pipes recur regularly and the tree cutting solution is effective only in the short run and destructive in the long run, more efficient methods and technologies were needed.

The research in this direction started in 1966, when herbicide treatment was first taken into consideration as a solution for tree root infiltration. The research led at The University of California directed trials with 17 herbicides between 1967 and 1971.

The most effective combination of herbicides, which is currently used in Sanafoam Vaporooter II, was discovered in 1971, and consists of Metham Sodium and Dichlobenil. Although this mixture did soften and kill the invasive tree roots, the method of application was faulty. Initially, plugging the line was the way to introduce the herbicide mix into the problem area – an invasive and inefficient method.

The currently used method was only discovered in 1972 by Fred Horne, who suggested the foaming method, which allows maximum exposure of the root to the herbicide, thus maximum efficacy. Although the method is most aggressive with the invasive roots, it does not affect the surrounding or above-situated plants and roots. Actually, the method and ingredient recipe make a great match, which does not have negative side effects or secondary victims. The biodegradable and non-acid features of the Vaporooter make it environment-friendly.

Plus, the Vaporooter method does leave room for natural processes. After killing the roots, it allows these to naturally decay throughout a period of six months. Due to the natural decay, the clearing of the pipes is not immediate and a retreatment is recommended. Treating and retreating your pipes with the foam gives a long-term solution to a difficult problem. Vaporooter solves the tree root invasion problem, prevents future infiltrations, blockages and overflows and prolongs the life of the drain pipes.

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