How To Remove Tree Roots from Drains
>Sanafoam Vaporooter was created in the late 1960′s and has been a major contributor in big cities and small across North America to maintain their sewer systems.
In 2010, whilst attending the Pumper and Cleaner Expo in Louisville Kentecky, I worked and trained with Hunter Dance one of the key Vaporooter personnel.
Watch this short youtube video and listen as Hunter tells some of the history of Vaporooter.
Many of our clients say that local council street trees are the cause of their blocked sewer pipes.
Beautiful specimens like the London plane tree, Hills weeping fig (ficus microcarpa. var.) and Paperbark (melaluca) all have extensive tree root systems that thrive on the moisture and nutrients flowing through our household sewer pipes out to the sewer mains in the street.
The roots from the council trees are growing in through the pipe joints.
Some councils offer their ratepayers a drain cleaning service for “no cost” as an acceptance of responsibility for the damage caused by the council trees.
We all know there is no such thing as a free lunch………………….. or drain clean.
Ratepayers are obviously “paying” for this service through their quarterly levies and at some point these local councils will put rates up or put the responsibility of drain maintenance back on the ratepayers.
Many homeowners, upon finding out council trees are blocking their pipes, insist they will lobby the council to cut down these beautiful trees to stop their invasive roots from blocking the sewer pipes. I have seen council street trees cut down because they continue to block the sewer pipes of the nearby homes.
So who wins here? Beautiful tree lined streets are raped by a chainsaw gang.
Not to mention the dramatic de-valuation of the homes that have had the street trees removed.
In one comical instance, the beautiful (but invasive) tree that was removed by the chainsaws and 4 weeks after the stump grinder churned through was replaced by a junior version the same species. Now call me crazy……
So, I’ve got another idea!
If you’re one of these ratepayers with drains affected by council trees, next time you get a blockage and the council plumber clears your blockage for free, look for your local Vaporooter applicator to do a Drainoscopy of your sewer pipes.
If it’s suitable, have him apply Vaporooter to your pipeline.
You will be amazed with the results.
Vaporooter Stops Tree Roots in Drains!
All ratepayers keep their council trees, the council saves your money, you maintain the value of your home and still have a free flowing pipe system!
Win Win Win Win
This is a shocking headline!
Tree roots in your sewer pipes are just like a tree root cancer.
It will sneak up on you and block your drains if you leave it unchecked.
Sure, you can have some emergency plumbing surgery, removing the affected section and rejoin your pipes.
By now you know, if left unchecked, the tree root cancer will find another place to invade your drainage and in its own time will do just what it has always done.
Block your pipes again!
Eventually, the tree roots will break your pipes and you will need major emergency plumbing surgery.
The only way to really stop tree roots in drains, is to have Vaporooter applied to your sewer pipes now and have it re-applied annually.
Here’s the thing – you have the choice…to stop tree roots in drains or continue to suffer with that silent tree root cancer threat.
Given the choice, which one would you prefer?
Deciding or NOT deciding are both decisions.
One will give you peace of mind knowing that if you get a blocked drain caused by tree roots, you will have it cleared free of charge,
the other well…keep your emergency plumber and bank manager on speed dial.
If you’re a regular visitor to this blog, you’ve heard of a Drainoscopy!
So what is a drainoscopy?
A drainoscopy is when our technicians survey the inside of your drains with our high-tech specialised camera equipment.
The drainoscopy equipment is inserted into your drains through a suitable opening. Having a drainage diagram on hand will help us find that suitable opening.
Via the connected cable, the camera sends pictures from the camera head to a screen set-up near our technicians chosen site.
Most property owners can’t believe what they see in their pipes and sewer. We encourage them to look over our technicians shoulder whilst he carries out their drainoscopy.
If you can’t be on-site when we are doing your drainoscopy, dont worry.
We can record your drainoscopy and send you a link via email so you can see it anyway!
Click here to see a “typical” drainoscopy!
That is a great question!
This 1.4 min video simply explains cost saving reasons to stay on Vaporooter!
It just makes sense. No matter where you are in Australia, if you have doubts about staying on Vaporooter, just ask us.
Freecall 1800 637 600
“Why didn’t I do this years ago!”
This exclamation was recently made by an old client who has an investment property with tree root blockages in the sewer 3-4 times a year.
The block of 6 flats in inner Sydney has been plagued by sewer blockages caused by tree roots. Every time the ground floor flats had a blockage, the tenants would advise their landlord who would then call an emergency plumber.
The plumber was not familiar with Vaporooter! Every time he visited the property for a blockage, he would remove the only toilet in the flat to get access to the sewer pipes to clear the tree root blockage. Mostly the toilet had to be removed with a hammer and chisel as it was cemented to the bathroom floor. The china toilet was often broken when it was taken out, needing renewal. An extra cost!
When the toilet was re-cemented back to the floor, it meant the tenants could not ”sit” on the toilet until the cement set, sometimes taking upto 24 hours. Very inconvenient for the tenant!
The owner, in his wisdom asked us to help him.
When we visited the site the first thing we asked for was a sewer diagram so we could see where all the sewer pipes ran according to the sewer authority. He had never been asked for the sewer diagram!
Once seeing the diagram, we suggested a simple excavation outside his bathroom toilet and provide a new access point to the sewer pipes. This meant anytime there is a blockage it could be accessed from outside, rather than taking out the toilet. Instant cost saving!
Our technician then suggested a “Drainoscopy” or sewer survey using a high tech drain camera to show the condition of the sewer pipes from the inside. This had never been done before.
Whilst we carried out the Drainoscopy, we found even though the pipes had been “cleared” just weeks before, they were still full of tree roots. So we cut out the roots with our high pressure water drain cleaner and re-surveyed the pipes until all the roots were gone.
The drainoscopy shows exactly where the roots are in the pipeline so they can be totally removed. It then shows the pipe condition.
Please remember, Vaporooter will NOT repair a broken pipe!
In this case the pipes were OK! The repeat blockage was caused by tree roots growing through the pipe joints. They had now been totally removed. This had never been done before.
This pipeline is now Ready to apply Vaporooter! We’ll be back in 6 weeks.
As our client observed all of these procedures, he was amazed at what he saw in his underground sewer pipes, it prompted him to exclaim, “Why didn’t I do this years ago!”
As our summer rolls on and the easter break approaches and we get together with our family and friends, keep an eye out for some of those vital symptoms that indicate you have a slow or blocked drain.
Make it a holiday break to remember for the right reasons, rather than needing to call an emergency plumber to rescue you and your family from a sewer blockage.
Keep an eye out for;
The excessive rise or fall of the water level in your toilet. We call it syphoning, and it comes with a Glug Glug Glug
Slow draining water or ankle deep water in the shower or bath.
Swarms of small flies or sewer flies around smelly drains
Your kitchen sink, waste disposal unit or dishwasher are slow to drain.
Toilet paper or dirty water around your sewer surcharge gully in the garden or yard.
Dirty water leaking from a retaining wall or garden bed that conceals sewer pipes.
These are signs of a blockage, and your pipes are trying to tell you, that all isn’t well.
When the extra guests arrive you will know because the additional load on your sewer pipes will bring any blockage to a head.
So have a look around you home for the symptoms of a blocked drain and please don’t ignore them.
If you are not sure, contact your friendly plumber for help and some drain maintenance advice.
If you have a blocked drain it is very very unlikely that the blockage will simply go away.
Blockages caused by tree roots act like a strainer within your sewer pipes. Water and liquids will pass through the strainer but the poo and toilet paper and any other foreign material you flush down your sewer will get caught in the strainer.
Most busy family homes appear to have a blockage during morning or evening peak hour or during the weekend or holidays when there are extra visitors in the house.
That’s when there are multiple users of the shower, bath and the toilet, dishwasher and washing machine. It’s at this time that all that waste water can’t get through the “strainer” and the blockage appears.
Some home owners will see the blockage and promise to call an emergency plumber “in the morning”.
But, when morning comes and they use their toilet and it flushes normally, many people believe that the blockage has miraculously fixed itself and they either ring their emergency plumber to call him off visiting or they just don’t ring a plumber at all.
What has happened is this!
During the night, whilst everyone is sleeping, the dirty waste water has seeped through the tree root “strainer” in the blocked sewer pipes giving the appearance that the blocked drain has fixed itself. The new morning peak hour will bring the blocked drain back again only this time it will be even uglier.
So get on the phone and contact your emergency plumber to clear your blockage promptly. Ask your plumber to do a drainoscopy on your sewer pipes. Its actually quite an interesting process and if its during the holidays all the family can see what is really going on in your blocked drains.
If the drainoscopy shows tree roots in pipes, ask your plumber about a drain maintenance program at the same time.
Remember, if you have a blocked drain caused by tree roots, The tide will go out overnight……but it will come back in the morning!
Peak hour
Todays post is a simple one.
Amazingly, 83% of all blocked drains in Australia are caused by tree roots!
Cooking fats, oils and grease, human and pet hair, sanitary products, facial tissues and napkins used instead of toilet paper, dental floss and broken or collapsed pipes make up the other 17% of blocked drains.
If you have repeat repeat repeat problems with your sewer pipes caused by tree roots then, this simple instruction found in the “head” or toilet of an ocean racing yacht, makes a lot of sense to me. I’m sure the yacht owners won’t mind if you put a similiar sign in your troubled bathroom.
Blockages and problems with drains occur no matter what type of building you live in.
Most single or multiple level houses have their own drainage systems taking the discharge from all the plumbing fixtures within the property. The owner of this property is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of their pipes upto the point where his pipes join the council main.
Rows of terrace houses in inner city suburbs and semi-detached homes often drain into a “common sewer line”. These terrace rows can have upto 20 homes or more, draining into 1 common line. Depending on the fall of the land, this common sewer line may pass across the front or rear of the row and then spill into a Boundary trap, before discharging into the Water authority’s main sewer line.
Generally, the common sewer line should be maintained by and costs associated with works or repairs on this common sewer line should be borne by all parties on that common sewer line.
If blockages, repairs or pipe renewals are confined to the pipes and drains that take the discharge from any one particular house on the common sewer line, then those costs should be borne by that individual.
Any property owners connected to a common sewer line should be aware, that should a blockage occur in the common line, downstream of where he connects to the line, the sewer may surcharge or overflow in his yard or garden if it is the lowest open drain in the line.
This can be quite unpleasant if someone else’s sewer is coming up in your yard or even worse, your home!
When blockages occur, we recommend that all owners connected to a common sewer line communicate and co-operate with all other parties on this line .
Strata home unit blocks and Townhouses will have their own drainage lines that generally drain to a Boundary trap and then on to the Water Authority or Council sewer mains.
The responsibility for the maintenance and repairs of these drains is generally directed by a Strata Title Manager and sometimes a Real Estate Property Manager
Commercial properties, Industrial Estates and Schools genarally all have there own drainage lines that generally drain to a Boundary trap and then on to the Water Authority or Council sewer mains.
