How Trees Can Destroy Your Home's Sewer Line

June 08, 2016

You try to be vigilant and assure you avoid putting anything down the drain that would clog your pipes. You don’t place anything in the toilet besides toilet paper; you don’t put coffee grounds, meat, or fats down the kitchen sink; and you make sure to have strainers on all your drains. But have you covered all your bases in order to help stop an expensive sewer line repair?

Check outside because you may be forgetting the most destructive problem of all: tree roots.

Trees want nutrients and their roots are where they absorb nutrients through, so the point of the tree root is always “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 healthy, unbroken sewer lines alone. They usually only disturb leaking, broken, or damaged lines buried within the top two feet of the soil. When this takes place the initial damage not only gets worse, the tree roots can actually clog the sewer lines and reduce the water flow, causing overflows and possibly flooding your home or building.

But what can you do? Call a sewer line repair expert in Jackson.

A sewer line repair will most likely be easier (and cheaper) than a ruptured pipe, so if you suspect an issue with your sewer line, especially if you think tree roots are getting into the pipe, call Comfortech Service Experts as soon as possible.

Sewer line repair professionals at Comfortech will use a sewer inspection camera to verify whether or not the pipe has a tree root problem. Once the issue has been confirmed, our sewer line repair expert will discuss all of your options with you and help you decide the best way to move forward, whether that’s a trenchless sewer line replacement or just removing the tree roots.

Keep in mind, faster growing trees, such as ash, locust, or basswood, may cause more issues because they grow faster. Slower growing trees are a better choice, but they still need to be swapped out every eight to ten years to avoid their roots from becoming an issue. Also, make sure you plant trees away from your sewer lines, that way you can help prevent damage and stop those pesky (and often costly) sewer line repairs. If you’re not sure where your sewer lines are, ask Comfortech to flag the path of the sewer pipes.

So if you think your tree roots have invaded your sewer line or you have any plumbing needs at all, call Comfortech Service Experts in Jackson and we are happy to visit and see if you need a sewer line repair or do a seasonal plumbing maintenance to make sure your pipes are in working order.

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