How much does Vaporooter cost?

By now you know that Vaporooter delivers results that are unmatched by any other method of tree root control in sewer pipes and you want to try it but one question remains.

How much does it cost?

So, with  your sewer service diagram and a good knowledge of your  property, measure the length of sewer pipeline from top to bottom, including the branch lines, and add up the metres.

Measure branch lines that run to all plumbing fixtures like your WCs, toilets, showers, baths, basins, kitchen sinks and laundry tubs.

Confirm the size of the pipeline. Most domestic pipelines are either 100mm (4″) or 150mm (6″). The sewer service diagram will help you establish the pipe size. Water authorities and councils have larger pipelines and may vary in cost

No matter where you are in Australia, you can call us on 1800 637 600  for a cost estimate.

Vaporooter has a Guarantee! Homeowner advises.

Some companies offer a Guarantee on their product or service and it’s just a lot of talk with un-realistic conditions.

The Vaporooter Guarantee goes like this, “If you have a blocked drain caused by tree roots after an application of Vaporooter, we will clear your blocked drain for free”

Listen to Kari talk about that Guarantee.

“It’s a no brainer, I’d go Vaporooter!”

Council street trees and blocked sewer drains

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 at “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

Tree roots in your sewer pipes are like tree root cancer.

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 rejoining 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 is the decision you have to make. 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.

Should I keep using Vaporooter? We have been blockage free for a year!

That is a great question!

This 1.4 min video simply explains cost saving reasons to keep using Vaporooter!

It just makes sense. No matter where you are in Australia, if you have doubts about continuing your drain and pipe maintenance using Vaporooter, just ask us.

Freecall 1800 637 600

Tree roots grow through pipe joints to block your sewer.

Todays post is very simple!

In 98% of blocked drains caused by tree roots, the roots grow through the pipe joints to get into your sewer line.

They rarely enter the pipeline through the pipes themselves.

Older sewers made of terracotta or earthenware pipes usually 600-900mm (2-3foot) long, have sand cement joints and it’s through these joints that the roots grow.

Imagine this, a 40 metre or 120 foot sewer line, with bends, junctions and fittings will have at least 40 joints.

Each pipe joint is a potential point of entry for tree roots.

Once they grow into the pipeline seeking moisture and all those nutrients, they just keep growing!

During repairs or renovations to sewers, where new PVC pipeline sections have been inserted into the old earthenware lines and joined by sand cement or rubber adaptors, its only a matter of time before the tree roots grow into these pipe joints and cause a new tree root blockage.

What is a blocked drain?

A  drain is an outlet where water can be piped away from a plumbing fixture like a toilet or WC, a basin, bath or shower, a kitchen sink, laundry tubs or an external drain, known as a gully.

Stormwater drains can take discharge from roofing guttering and pits and grates installed to take runoff  water collected from hard surfaces.

A blocked drain is usually referred to when waste water accumulates around any of the drains and can not be evacuated.

Most drains run to either sewer or stormwater mains that are assets of Water authorities, municipal councils and the cities and towns across the country

Most blockages are generally caused by tree roots, grease, hair, sanitary products, dirt and debris or a multitude of foreign items including broken pipes.

Blocked drains are the responsibility of the property owners.

This series of blog posts will be aimed at blocked drain basics.

We will discuss who owns the drains, how to maintain them, what you should and should not put in your drains and what to look out for if your drains are about to block up.

We will look inside pipes, show you a drainoscopy or pipe survey so you know what it’s like in the network of pipes under your homes and buildings.

I encourage your feedback, so please ask questions and we will answer them promptly!

Applying Root Foam To Pipes And Drains

Root foam kills small root masses, inhibits future root growth and reinforces pipes. It’s low impact on the environment and reduced toxicity make root foam an ideal option for home and business owners plagued by tree roots blocking pipes.

This is one of those ‘don’t try this at home’ situations. Unless you’re a qualified plumber, DO NOT attempt to use jet rodding or root foam application machinery. The process is delicate and misuse of equipment or chemicals could lead to environmental damage or personal injury. Even certified plumbers are required to wear safety equipment during use. Such equipment could include; safety boots, boot proctors, gloves, safety glasses, safety vests and ear protection.

If your intruding tree roots are particularly dense or thick, your plumber may feed a mechanical root cutter or jet rodder down your pipe to clear out the debris before applying the foam.

On the other hand, the foam is sturdy enough to kill and flush out many smaller, looser root masses. In that case, your plumber may not have to use a mechanical root cutter.

To start the root foam process, your plumber uses a ‘Root Foamer System’ to mix the root foam chemicals with water to create a frothy mixture. The machine’s even mixing creates a uniform foam.  Consistent foam reduces the chance of harming plants by ensuring that no area receives a highly concentrated dose of herbicidal chemicals.

Your plumber will feed an application tube all the way down the pipe, turn on the feed from the foam mixer and then retract the foam tube. The foam will eject from the tube and evenly coat the inside of your plumbing as it gets pulled back through the pipes.

During the entire process, your expert plumber will constantly take measurements to ensure safe and effective chemical application.

Electric eels

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

These nifty machines are made of over 60 metres of wire cable that spins at over 500 revolutions a minute. A powerful electric eel 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 cables are long and cumbersome, so your plumber and the equipment can 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 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 to the pros.

Sanafoam Vaporooter II versus traditional methods of dealing with tree root blockages.

Tree root infiltration in sewage pipes can lead to 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, efficacy can be as high as 99 percentage.

While cutting of the tree roots solves the blockage problem, it does not prolong the life the pipes. Vaporooter can destroy even the small root cells which intrude into small cracks in 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 preventing them from getting out of hand.

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.