Sewer lines are frequently clogged, cracked or broken not from inside sources from your home or business, but from external forces like tree and bush roots. We know how to identify where the problem is and have the equipment to dig up and fix the problem quickly for you.
One of the main culprits when it comes to sewer line stoppages are tree and shrub roots. If left to grow unfettered, these roots grow thick enough to create a complete block in the lines and will eventually break open the pipes.
Roots are drawn to oxygen and water. So the moment a root senses any moisture, it gravitates to it.
Root systems are made up of a number of parts including larger, permanent roots that stabilize the plant or tree and hair roots that search out and provide water and nutrients. Depending on the size of the tree, root systems can reach 100 or more feet.
Say a tree was planted above the sewer line after it was installed. As the tree grows, the root ball will grow around and envelope the pipe. Eventually the pressure from the root ball, and I’m talking a five to 10 foot root ball, will break the pipe.
Cut Roots Out of Sewer Line
A sewer machine is used to cut the roots out of a sewer line. The machine is attached to a cable with a special root cutting attachment at the end.
The cable is fed into the line and spins while the root cutting blades cut the roots. Depending on the amount of growth, the remaining debris might need to be flushed out of the system.
While this is a viable approach, it is a temporary one. You still have cracks or breaks in the line which means the roots will just find their way back into your sewer system.
In very rare circumstances, the roots are so built up in the system that even a sewer machine can’t cut them out. In cases like this, the pipe has to be exposed, cut out, and replaced. Again it’s rare but is sometimes necessary.
