Council street trees and blocked sewer drains

Many of our clients say that local council street trees are the cause of their blocked sewer pipes.

Beautiful specimens like the London plane tree, Hills weeping fig (ficus microcarpa. var.) and Paperbark (melaluca)  all have extensive tree root systems that thrive on the moisture and nutrients flowing through our household sewer pipes out to the sewer mains in the street.

The roots from the council trees are growing in through the pipe joints.

Some councils offer their ratepayers a drain cleaning service at “no cost” as an acceptance of responsibility for the damage caused by the council trees.

We all know there is no such thing as a free lunch………………….. or drain clean.

Ratepayers are obviously “paying” for this service through their quarterly levies and at some point these local councils will put rates up or put the responsibility of drain maintenance back on the ratepayers.

Many homeowners, upon finding out council trees are blocking their pipes, insist they will lobby the council to cut down these beautiful trees to stop their invasive roots from blocking the sewer pipes. I have seen council street trees cut down because they continue to block the sewer pipes of the nearby homes.

So who wins here? Beautiful tree lined streets are raped by a chainsaw gang.

Not to mention the dramatic de-valuation of the homes that have had the street trees removed.

In one comical instance, the beautiful (but invasive) tree that was removed by the chainsaws and 4 weeks after the stump grinder churned through, was replaced by a junior version the same species. Now call me crazy……

So, I’ve got another idea!

If you’re one of these ratepayers with drains affected by council trees, next time you get a blockage and the council plumber clears your blockage for free, look for your local Vaporooter applicator to do a Drainoscopy of your sewer pipes.

If it’s suitable, have him apply Vaporooter to your pipeline.

You will be amazed with the results.

Vaporooter Stops Tree Roots in Drains!

All ratepayers keep their council trees, the council saves your money,  you maintain the value of your home and still have a free flowing pipe system!

Win Win Win Win

Tree roots in your sewer pipes are like tree root cancer.

This is a shocking headline!

Tree roots in your sewer pipes are just like a tree root cancer. It will sneak up on you and block your drains if you leave it unchecked.

Sure, you can have some emergency plumbing surgery, removing the affected section and rejoining your pipes.

By now you know, if left unchecked, the tree root cancer will find another place to invade your drainage and in its own time will do just what it has always done… Block your pipes again!

Eventually, the tree roots will break your pipes and you will need major emergency plumbing surgery.

The only way to really stop tree roots in drains, is to have Vaporooter applied to your sewer pipes now and have it re-applied annually.

Here’s the thing – you have the choice…to stop tree roots in drains or continue to suffer with that silent tree root cancer threat.

Given the choice, which one would you prefer?

Deciding or NOT deciding is the decision you have to make. One will give you  peace of mind knowing that if you get a blocked drain caused by tree roots, you will have it cleared free of charge, the other well…keep your emergency plumber and bank manager on speed dial.

I should have used Vaporooter years ago!

“Why didn’t I do this years ago!”

This exclamation was recently made by an old client with an investment property where tree root blockages in the sewer occur 3-4 times a year.

The block of 6 flats in inner Sydney has been plagued by sewer blockages caused by tree roots. Every time the tenants of the ground floor flats experienced a blockage, they would advise their landlord who would then call an emergency plumber.

The plumber was not familiar with Vaporooter! Every time he was called to the property for a blockage, he would remove the only toilet in the flat to get access to the sewer pipes in order to clear the tree root blockage. Most of the time the toilet had to be removed with a hammer and chisel as it was cemented to the bathroom floor. The china toilet was often broken when it was taken out, needing to be replaced. An extra cost!

When the toilet was re-cemented back to the floor, it meant the tenants could not ”sit” on the toilet until the cement set; sometimes this took up to 24 hours. Very inconvenient for the tenant!

The owner, in his wisdom asked us to  help him.

When we visited the site the first thing we asked for was a sewer diagram so we could see where all the sewer pipes ran according to the sewer authority. He had never been asked for the sewer diagram!

Once seeing the diagram, we suggested a simple excavation outside his bathroom toilet to provide a new access point to the sewer pipes. This meant anytime there is a blockage it could be accessed from outside, rather than taking out the toilet. Instant cost saving!

Our technician then suggested a “Drainoscopy” or sewer survey using a high tech drain camera to show the condition of the sewer pipes from the inside.  This had never been done before.

Whilst we carried out the Drainoscopy, we found even though the pipes had been “cleared” just weeks before, they were still full of tree roots. So we cut out the roots with our high pressure water drain cleaner and re-surveyed the pipes until all the roots were gone.

The drainoscopy shows exactly where the roots are in the pipeline so they can be totally removed. It then shows the pipe condition.

Please remember, Vaporooter will NOT repair a broken pipe!

In this case the pipes were OK! The repeat blockage was caused by tree roots growing through the pipe joints. They had now been totally removed. This had never been done before either.

This pipeline is now ready to apply Vaporooter! We’ll be back in 6 weeks.

As our client observed all of these procedures, he was amazed at what he saw in his underground sewer pipes, it prompted him to exclaim, “Why didn’t I do this years ago!”

Will this blocked drain go away?

If you have a blocked drain it is highly unlikely that the blockage will simply go away.

Blockages caused by tree roots act like a strainer within your sewer pipes. Water and liquids will pass through the strainer but the poo and toilet paper and any other foreign material you flush down your sewer will get caught in the strainer.

Most busy family homes tend to have a blockage during morning or evening peak hour, or during the weekend or holidays when there are extra visitors in the house. That’s when there are multiple individuals using the shower, bath and toilet, the dishwasher and washing machine. It’s at this time that all that waste water can’t get through the “strainer” and the blockage occurs.

Some home owners will see the blockage and promise to call an emergency plumber “in the morning”.

But, when morning comes and they use their toilet and it flushes normally, many people believe that the blockage has miraculously fixed itself and they either ring their emergency plumber to call him off visiting or they just don’t ring a plumber at all.

What has happened is this; during the night, whilst everyone is sleeping, the dirty waste water has seeped through the tree root “strainer” in the blocked sewer pipes giving the appearance that the blocked drain has fixed itself. The new morning peak hour will cause the drain to be blocked again; only this time it will be even uglier.

So, get on the phone and contact your emergency plumber to clear your blockage promptly. Ask your plumber to do a drainoscopy on your sewer pipes. Its actually quite an interesting process and if its during the holidays all the family can see what is really going on in your blocked drains.

If the drainoscopy shows tree roots in pipes, ask your plumber about a drain maintenance program at the same time.

Remember, if you have a blocked drain caused by tree roots, The tide will go out overnight……but it will come back in the morning!

Peak hour!

Sewer snake is an Anaconda

Last week we removed this large tree root from a drain in Kingsford Sydney.

In fact, it was a tree root anaconda, measuring 6.3 metres long and it had completely blocked the pipeline. After removing the tree root from the pipeline and carrying out a “Drainoscopy” to determine that there was nothing else wrong, our client elected to have Vaporooter sewer root control applied to his pipeline.

He understands the Vaporooter Guarantee:

” If you have a blocked drain caused by tree roots after an application of Vaporooter, we will clear your blocked drain for free”

Now, will someone call a reptile handler and have this beast removed!

Nightmare Christmas…will this happen to you?

Christmas is fast approaching…

…and I’ll let you in on a little “trade secret”…

…that I guarantee will make me very unpopular with a lot of emergency plumbers!

You see, Christmas tends to be a busy time for emergency plumbers getting called out to deal with blocked drains caused by tree roots!

Why?  Well when you think about it, blocked drains almost always happen at the WORST POSSIBLE TIME!

For example, at holiday times when the whole family is at home…

…and when you’re in the middle of a big get together, BBQ or party.

And when it’s an EMERGENCY or “after hours” you know that fixing the problem can be very costly.

Now, of course, at the “Lone Drainer And Pronto” we  provide emergency and after hours service and we know how to Stop tree roots in drains.

And our customers are very happy indeed with our service.  For example, here’s what Georgia Cleary in Sydney has to say…

“Thank you again for all your assistance (at all hours-weekends and whenever was required) over the past 10 years. You have dealt with some very difficult plumbing problems and always found a solution, without fuss and fanfare. This has been greatly appreciated.”

But my business philosophy is that we’re here to help you with the best and most cost effective solution for your plumbing and drain problems.

And in the case of tree root blockages in your pipes and drains…

…that means Vaporooter.

Vaporooter is the proven and effective solution that stops tree root damage…

…and continues to protect pipes and drains so you can sleep peacefully at night.

And it’s dead easy to make sure that you’re not at risk of having your Christmas ruined by tree roots causing blocked drains or (even worse) clogged sewers.

Get your pipes and drains checked out with our CCTV survey…

…the Vaporooter “Drainoscopy”.

It’s inexpensive and if you call now we can arrange to carry out the survey quickly.

Simply call me on 1 800 637 600.

If you have trees on or near your property, then you’re at risk of tree roots penetrating your drains and pipes and causing a blockage.

Why risk having Christmas ruined by an ugly drain overflow or similar problem?

Call me on 1 800 637 600.

A tale of two drains

These 2 sewer drain  pipes with their lids removed are taking the discharge from neighbouring properties. They are surrounded by different species of large trees. Tree roots are growing into the sewer pipe through the pipe joints

The drain on the left belongs to a client who, after many years of tree root blockages to her sewer pipes, grew tired of the sewer overflow running through her home.

The pipeline runs underneath her marble tiled entrance and the suggestion to renew the pipeline would mean excavating the black and white tiled floor. Matching the tiles would be difficult!

The drain on the right is as we found it. We told the owner about Vaporooter!

The images below show the inside of each pipe.

Guess which drain has had Vaporooter?

Protecting Your Pipes And Drains From Tree Roots

If you’ve ever had to deal with tree root blocking your plumbing, you know that it’s an experience that no one would want to have twice. Drain back up leads to health hazards and removing tree root blockages can be costly.

Many home and business owners attempt to prevent future root intrusion through pipe maintenance and preventative measures.

Much of the root removal process includes measures that protect your plumbing from roots growing back into your pipes. Defensive measures include chemicals or chemical foam, such as Vaporooter,  that coats the inside of your plumbing with root killing herbicide.

Other methods of plumbing maintenance include routine pipe and joint replacement or a complete overhaul of your plumbing (known as relaying). This protective measure is considered undesirable because it’s a very expensive maintenance option.

Mechanical plumbing maintenance might include regular pulling or rodding, which clears root obstruction before it grows to completely block pipes. This sort of maintenance keeps tree roots and other obstruction at bay, but it’s not a complete protective measure.

Protecting you pipes could be as simple as regular chemical treatment of your plumbing system. Chemical powder, liquid or foam is applied to the pipe to reinforce plumbing and prohibit future tree root intrusion. However, many home and business owners are nervous about dumping chemicals down their plumbing.

The best preventive measures often include a combination of several maintenance techniques. For example, regular mechanical maintenance followed by chemical treatment is a popular way to support plumbing.

Even careful pipe maintenance may not be enough to keep tree roots out of your plumbing, epically if you have numerous tree roots growing near your underground pipes.

The best solution is one that’s discussed with, and executed by an experienced plumber. A good plumber will help you decide the management method that’s ideal for your plumbing needs, such as Vaporooter.

Tree Roots in Pipe And Drain Joints

So, how did the tree roots get into your plumbing in the first place?

Pipe Joints – Protect Them With Vaporooter

It’s possible that the three roots found their way in through a damaged pipe or a weak spot in your plumbing system. Most likely, they first infiltrated through pipe joints, which are one of the weakest points in the drainage system.

The joint is the part of the plumbing system that connects one pipe to another. Tree roots seeking food and moisture will travel along the outside of a sewer pipe until it finds a defective area that can be used to infiltrate the pipe.

Pipe joints are often made of one of three materials, rubber, cement or an unplasticized polymer material know as UPVC. Each kind of material has a different level of resistance to tree root intrusion.

Cement (or mortar) joints are not very stable, and lend to the exact ruptures and cracks that let tree roots right in.  Cement is unstable because it’s so rigid that any movement of the surrounding soil can cause it to fracture. Cement joints cannot be treated with root fighting chemicals because the chemicals can cause the cement to degrade. On the upside, if they don’t crack or degrade, cement joints offer good resistance to roots that would degrade other types of joints.

Rubber ring joints are both easy to install and flexible enough to withstand shifts in the surrounding soil. But, they are an easier material for the roots to penetrate. Rubber joint’s resistance to roots rests on factors such as the quality of the ring installation and chemical treatments to the material. For example, some manufactures treat the rubber rings with root fighting chemicals.

UPCV pipe joints are the plumbing joint superstars.  These plastic-like pipes offer huge resistance to root intrusion. They offer the same tree root resistance as undamaged cement joints and like rubber joints, they can be treated with resistant chemicals.

Tree Root Blockage Basics

You notice that your sinks are draining slowly so you call a plumber. After investigating the issue, the plumber tells you that you don’t have an ordinary drain blockage. He says that tree roots are growing in your pipes. Has this happened to you?

What does that mean? Well- here’s a little of why it happened, and what you can expect.

Tree roots growing into and subsequently blocking plumbing, causes many health and safety issues. The blocking of drainage pipes causes back-up that leads to unsanitary conditions. Even when the pipes aren’t completely blocked, the decay of dead roots can cause noxious gasses to infiltrate your home or business.

The tree root decay also threatens building substructures such as maintenance holes and concrete pipe cases. Finally, the area available to process household drainage is reduced as slime and fungus grow onto the decayed and stuck plant matter.

Roots growing into pipes aren’t a coincidence. Tree root systems seek out your pipes as the roots are attracted to pipes because of the moisture in the soil around the pipes.

There are several other factors that can contribute to potential tree root blockages. Regional rainfall, the types of plants and trees near the pipes, the type of soil and the quality of your pipes, all come into play.

No matter how dry your soil or how pervasive your roots, tree roots will probably not be able to penetrate the pipes if they are of good quality and undamaged. On the other hand, damaged or sub-par plumbing basically guarantees tree roots access to your pipes.

Mechanically cutting and removing the blocked portion of pipe is the routine solution to roots in plumbing. But, this method often results in damaged pipes that roots just grow right back into. That’s why many modern tree root specialists recommend preventive measures and alternative root removal techniques such as Vaporooter.