Farmers and gardeners in Phoenix and elsewhere often bury lines and pipes to irrigate crops and plants from the root level.
It works great! But eventually, over a period of time, the roots will destroy the hoses because they contain water obviously but less obviously oxygen and nutrients.
Scale this up and you get trees and sewer pipes.
Over time, roots can insinuate themselves into the tiniest crack or break almost anything, and sewer pipes are no exception.
Warm water in pipes lets off vapor – most people call it sweating – and that attracts the roots. Roots can find the seam in a pipe or a crack and a very thin root can get in, which can over time grow into a thick mat which can ultimately destroy back up your system. This can eventually even destroy your line, forcing replacement.
In most places, the homeowner is responsible for maintaining the lines on his or her property, so you’re going to have to pay and no matter where you live, it won’t be cheap.
You can prevent this by not planting trees within 10 feet or so of your lines and by choosing slow-growing trees.
If you suspect roots in your pipes have become a problem, contact our office in Phoenix. We can inspect your pipes and if possible clear them.
This will involve removing the roots with augers, root saws and high-pressure flushes.
In other places on our blog, we’ve shown you things you can do to solve basic plumbing problems by yourself.
This is not one of those.
Rooting should only be done by an experienced professional. Aside from the tools you’ll need, if you don’t know what you are doing you can damage your line.
Call us in Phoenix today. We’ll be happy to advise you and help you if our rooting expertise is needed.
