Monthly Archive for August, 2010

Electric Snakes

Published on August 20, 2010 in Blocked Drains, Clogged Drain, Root Infiltration and Tree Roots. 1 Comment 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 Blocked Drains, Clogged Drain, Root Infiltration and Tree Roots. 1 Comment Tags: , , , .
  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 Blocked Drains, Clogged Drain, Root Infiltration and Tree Roots. 2 Comments Tags: , .

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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