Archive for the 'Pipe Damage' Category

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A tale of two drains

Published on October 26, 2011 in Blocked Drains, Cost Benefits, Environmentally Friendly, General, Pipe Damage and Tree Roots. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

 These 2 sewer drain  pipes with their lids removed are taking the discharge from neighbouring properties. They are surrounded by different species of large trees. Tree roots are growing into the sewer pipe through the pipe joints

The drain on the left belongs to a client who, after many years of tree root blockages to her sewer pipes, grew tired of the sewer overflow running through her home.

The pipeline runs underneath her marble tiled entrance and the suggestion to renew the pipeline would mean excavating the black and white tiled floor. Matching the tiles would be difficult!

The drain on the right is as we found it. We told the owner about Vaporooter!

The images below show the inside of each pipe.

Guess which drain has had Vaporooter?

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Protecting Your Pipes And Drains From Tree Roots

Published on February 16, 2011 in Blocked Drains, Clogged Drain, Pipe Damage, Root Infiltration and Tree Roots. 1 Comment Tags: , , .

If you’ve ever had to deal with tree root blocking your plumbing, you know that it’s an experience that no one would want to have twice. Drain back up leads to health hazards and removing tree root blockages can be costly.

Many home and business owners attempt to prevent future root intrusion through pipe maintenance and preventative measures.

Much of the root removal process includes measures that protect your plumbing from roots growing back into your pipes. Defensive measures include chemicals or chemical foam that coats the inside of your plumbing with root killing herbicide such as Vaporooter.

Other methods of plumbing maintenance include routine pipe and joint replacement or a complete overhaul of your plumbing (known as relaying). This protective measure is considered undesirable because it’s a very expensive maintenance option.

Mechanical plumbing maintenance might include regular pulling or rodding, which clears root obstruction before it grows to completely block pipes. This sort of maintenance keeps tree roots and other obstruction at bay, but it’s not a complete protective measure.

Protecting you pipes could be as simple as regular chemical treatment of your plumbing system. Chemical powder, liquid or foam is applied to the pipe to reinforce plumbing and prohibit future tree root intrusion. However, many home and business owners are nervous about dumping chemicals down their plumbing.

The best preventive measures often include a combination of several maintenance techniques. For example, regular mechanical maintenance followed by chemical treatment is a popular way to support plumbing.

Even careful pipe maintenance may not be enough to keep tree roots out of your plumbing, epically if you have numerous tree roots growing near your underground pipes.

The best solution is one that’s discussed with, and executed by an experienced plumber. A good plumber will help you decide the management method that’s ideal for your plumbing needs, such as Vaporooter.

Vaporooter Is Safe And Guaranteed To Stop Tree Roots From Damaging Your Pipes And Drains

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Tree Roots in Pipe And Drain Joints

Published on February 7, 2011 in Blocked Drains, Clogged Drain, Pipe Damage, Root Infiltration and Tree Roots. 4 Comments Tags: , , , .

So, how did the tree roots get into your plumbing in the first place?

Pipe Joints - Protect Them With Vaporooter

It’s possible that the three roots found their way in through a damaged pipe or a weak spot in your plumbing system. Most likely, they first infiltrated through pipe joints, which are one of the weakest spots in the drainage system.

The joint is the part of the plumbing system that connects one pipe to another. Tree roots seeking food and moisture will travel along a pipe until it finds a defective area that can be used to infiltrate the pipe.

Pipe joints are often made of one of three materials, rubber, cement or an unplasticized polymer material know as UPVC. Each kind of material has a different level of resistance to tree root intrusion.

Cement (or mortar) joints are not very stable, and lend to the exact ruptures and cracks that let tree roots right in.  Cement is unstable because it’s so rigid that any movement of the surrounding soil can cause it to fracture. Cement joints cannot be treated with root fighting chemicals because the chemicals can cause the cement to degrade. On the upside, if they don’t crack or degrade, cement joints offer good resistance to roots that would degrade other types of joints.

Rubber ring joints are both easy to install and flexible enough to withstand shifts in the surrounding soil. But, they are an easier material for the roots to penetrate. Rubber joint’s resistance to roots rests on factors such as the quality of the ring installation and chemical treatments to the material. For example, some manufactures treat the rubber rings with root fighting chemicals.

UPCV pipe joints are the plumbing joint superstars.  These plastic-like pipes offer huge resistance to root intrusion. They offer the same tree root resistance as undamaged cement joints and they can be treated with resistant chemicals like rubber joints.

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Tree Root Removal From Pipes Without Using Chemicals

Published on December 17, 2010 in Blocked Drains, Clogged Drain, Cost Benefits, Pipe Damage, Root Infiltration and Tree Roots. 3 Comments Tags: , , , .

There are two surefire ways to remove tree roots from pipes and protect plumbing from further tree root intrusion. One: dig up the pipes, cut out the section that hold the roots, and replace the plumbing with new, root resistant pipes. And two: completely remove all plants that could grow into plumbing.

Unfortunately, these options are all but infeasible to the average home or business owner. This system of tree root removal is expensive, and in some cases, impossible.

On top of those drawbacks, cutting the roots can actually make the trees (and roots) grow faster. Add to that the fact that replacing sections of pipes weakens plumbing, which raises the chance that tree roots will find their way back into pipes. This method of removal could make the situation ten times worse!

Some plumbers recommend this removal method for emergency situations only.

Alternative methods might be just as ineffective. Pipes can be relined with cement or mortar, which seals the pipes and kills invasive roots. But, cement often cracks when the surrounding ground shifts. The compromised pipes are a welcome mat for nearby tree root systems.

Other, interesting, non-chemical solutions exist. One method creates a new pipe inside existing plumbing, rerouting water through the new pipe and killing the roots that live in the pipes. Plumbers feed a cloth-like, collapsed pipe down the plumbing system and then fill the pipe with cold water. The cold water expands the pipe and activates chemicals that harden the cloth. Voila! A new pipe inside your old pipe.

Another method does the exact opposite. A new PVC liner is placed around the existing damaged pipe. Cutting off root access to the old pipes and forming a new plumbing system.

Inside and outer pipe replacement is often more cost effective than substitution of pipe sections, but their are many chemical alternatives that are cheaper, easier and longer lasting, including Vaporooter.

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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. 2 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, Root Infiltration and Tree Roots. 1 Comment 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 General, Pipe Damage and Root Infiltration. 1 Comment 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.

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 Vaporooter 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 Vaporooter 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 Roots in Pipes with Vaporooter

Published on May 17, 2010 in Clogged Drain, General, Pipe Damage, Root Infiltration and Tree Roots. 2 Comments 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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Q&A about Sanafoam Vaporooter II

Published on March 22, 2010 in Clogged Drain, Environmentally Friendly, General, Pipe Damage and Root Infiltration. 1 Comment Tags: .

How does Sanafoam Vaporooter II work?

Sanafoam Vaporooter II is a foaming mixture of herbicides which stops and prevents drain line stoppages produced by tree root penetration of pipes. This technology tackles the problems caused by live root infestation by attacking the roots inside the pipe.

The foam containing the combination of Metham Sodium (herbicide) and Dichlobenil (growth inhibiting agent) is introduced in the sewage pipe, so that it can have direct contact with the intrusive roots. The treatment softens and kills the live roots, leaving them to naturally disintegrate within the next six months.

If the pipe blockage is in a very advanced stage and requires the cutting of the roots, a period of at least six weeks should be left between the cutting and the Vaporooter treatment, so that roots have time to regrow. If the Vaporooter is applied according to instructions, its root growth inhibitor effect is valid for up to three years.

How can tree roots destroy pipes?

The root cells, which can be microscopic in their first stages of development, look for warmth and humidity so that they can mature. In their search, they discover drain lines, which they can penetrate through extremely small openings and gradually grow inside them.

As the roots mature inside the pipes, they create blockages. One of the least efficient methods of unblocking the pipes is cutting down the roots, which actually leads to a more forceful regrowth.

How can Sanafoam Vaporooter II help save time and money?

Sanafoam Vaporooter II eradicates the roots, while inhibiting their future growth. Because Vaporooter both fixes and prevents, the costs and time spent to unblock the drain lines, make sure the live roots do not grow again and even to replace the lines, are considerably reduced.

Is Sanafoam Vaporooter II environment-friendly?

The Sanafoam Vaporooter II technology does not affect trees and plants surrounding the sewer pipe – only the roots inside or in the very near vicinity of the pipe. The trees and shrubs above the pipe, for example, are not damaged by the treatment.

Plus, the low level of toxicity, as well as the non-acidic and the biodegradable features of the Sanafoam Vaporooter II make it environment-friendly. Being registered with APVMA is a proof of the non-toxicity of the products, as this body evaluates the effect of chemicals on the environment.

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