How Trees Can Destroy Your Home's Sewer Line

June 08, 2016

You try to be vigilant and ensure you don’t put anything down the drain that would clog your pipes. You don’t place anything in the toilet but toilet paper; you don’t put eggshells, meat, or fats down the garbage disposal; and you make sure to have strainers on all your drains. But have you done absolutely everything in order to help stop an expensive sewer line repair?

Look outside because you may be missing the most detrimental problem of all: tree roots.

Trees desire nutrients and their roots are how they get it, so the end of the tree root is continuously “searching for” and “reaching for” a source of moisture and nutrients and they are very attracted to a leaking sewer line that requires repair.

Most of time, tree roots will leave strong, undamaged sewer lines alone. They usually only invade leaking, cracked, or damaged lines buried within the top 24 inches of the soil. When this happens the original damage not only becomes worse, the tree roots can totally clog the sewer lines and lower the water flow, leaving you with overflows and possibly flooding your home or building.

So what do you do? Call a sewer line repair professional in Hillsborough.

A sewer line repair will most likely be easier (and less expensive) than a completely broken pipe, so if you suspect an issue with your sewer line, especially if you feel that tree roots are making their way into the pipe, call Fras-Air/General Service Experts right away.

Sewer line repair experts at Fras-Air/General will use a sewer inspection camera to confirm whether or not the pipe has a tree root worry. Once the issue has been confirmed, our sewer line repair expert will go over all of your options with you and help you determine the best way to move forward, whether that’s a trenchless sewer line replacement or just cutting out the tree roots.

Keep in mind, faster growing trees, such as poplar, locust, or basswood, may cause more issues because they grow more quickly. Slower growing trees are a better choice, but they still need to be removed and another tree replanted every eight to ten years to avoid their roots from damaging the sewer lines. Also, always plant trees far from your sewer lines, that way you can help avoid damage and avoid those pesky (and sometimes costly) sewer line repairs. If you’re not sure where your sewer lines are, ask Fras-Air/General to flag the path of the sewer pipes.

So if you think your tree roots have come in contact with your sewer line or you have any plumbing needs at all, call Fras-Air/General Service Experts in Hillsborough and we are happy to come to your home and see if you need a sewer line repair or do a full plumbing maintenance to make sure your pipes are in working order.

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