Question:
In the fall every year, our sewer usually needs to be cleaned out of tree roots at a cost on average
of $600.00, worse yet, it always seems to be under emergency conditions and I’m often paying
premium overtime rates! Now I’m trying to be proactive. Is there something we can do now, to
avoid those same ungodly costs happening over and over again?
- Anna P
Answer:
Good Morning Anna,
There is actually something we can do for this! We have a product in our shop that we use in which we can kill those tree roots! This program consists of us coming out annually, and filling the sewer with an herbicide. The herbicide will not kill the tree, however, it will kill the roots up to 3 feet outside of the pipe. The roots inside the pipe, over a period of eight weeks, will get brittle, break off and flow down the flow line of the sewer and wash away! In the event the sewer is plugged and needs to be rodded, we strongly suggest to have this performed within the first hour after rodding, or wait for eight weeks, and then have this performed. A tree is very similar to a human in that when you have a cut, let’s say, on your finger, your body will pump blood through the wound to clean it and then form a scab covering over the wound to protect it. The product we use is a mild herbicide so as to not kill the tree, and it will not penetrate that covering on the tree roots until 8 weeks later when the scab becomes bark. It’s a foam herbicide and will fill the whole void of the pipe and treat all walls in the pipe. It will stay in the pipe for months. Upon flushing or using the sewer, the water will run below the foam and not wash out the product. Then the foam will fall and cover the bottom of the pipe and continue to treat the roots on the bottom. Yes! This is a great time to do this and at a third of the cost of what you have been paying. Please give us a call and we can come out and get you started on this program.
- Wes Rosenberg, Owner/Master Plumber