About Vaporooter Australia
VaporooterAustralia.com.au is the largest network of accredited Vaporooter specialists in Australia.
All our technicians have been fully trained in diagnosing and treating tree root blockages in pipes using Vaporooter.
Because we specialise in clearing tree root blockages, we perform more individual Vaporooter applications than any other company in Australia.
Call us now on 1800 637 600 for fast, friendly service.
About Vaporooter
Vaporooter has been solving tree root problems
in sewer pipes and drains around the world since 1967
For more than 50 years, Vaporooter has been the premier solution for removing tree roots found in sewer pipes and tree root re-growth that threatens pipes, drains, building foundations and the basic infrastructure of cities and towns as well as residential homes, commercial and industrial properties around the world.
Tree root removal from pipes and away from foundations can be a challenging and expensive task without Vaporooter to provide the ultimate in sewer root control.
When tree roots in sewer pipes impede the free flow of liquids, blockages and associated damage can be exceptionally expensive, disruptive and inconvenient. Vaporooter has proven to be an optimal solution for removing and keeping tree roots from sewer pipes and drains.
In 1967, the County of Sacramento, California sought a solution to a growing problem with tree roots in sewer pipes. Sewers were increasingly damaged from tree roots in pipes and the processes in place at the time could not keep up with the rapid movement of root re-growth. Cutting methods to remove tree roots were not a viable option since they were time-consuming as well as labour intensive.
A botanist, Oliver Leonard at the University of California-Davis (UC-Davis) was called upon by Sacramento city and county officials to determine why cutting efforts were falling short of halting the problem. In fact, it was determined that this process of sewer root control was actually creating a bigger problem than the one it was meant to alleviate.
To get a better understanding of the science behind tree roots in sewer lines, Leonard and his UC-Davis team excavated infected areas. By closely examining infected tree root sections, researchers documented and analysed the root growth patterns before the city implemented a plan to remove tree roots.
It was determined that cutting tree roots in pipes actually ensures the roots are exposed to a food source, causing them to grow back bigger and faster, thereby exacerbating the problem. Leonard revealed the importance of identifying an alternative solution to removing tree roots without cutting in order to achieve ultimate sewer root control.
A similar research team in Sacramento and other participating cities were also trying to understand the true nature of tree root growth and why they couldn’t effectively determine how to remove tree roots from sewer systems without cutting the roots themselves. Once it was identified that cutting only made the problem worse, the use of chemical treatments to remove tree roots was chosen as an alternative solution.
With further testing on elements to remove tree roots in pipes, researchers discovered the virtue of metam sodium. This unique chemical has been proven to be very efficient at removing tree roots because it is effective in treating the growth of the root, without hurting the plant or tree. In addition to safely removing tree roots in sewer lines, this compound dissipates quickly without leaving behind any harmful residue.
While the researchers discovered how to remove tree roots from pipes safely and effectively, they still wanted a way to prevent the tree root from growing back into the sewer lines. The answer came with the addition of dichlobenil, discovered by Fred Horne in 1968. This growth inhibitor helped to ensure tree roots in pipes would not return once treated with the initial chemical application.
Removing tree roots became easy when the herbicide metam sodium was added to the growth inhibitor dichlobenil. The resulting surfactant formulation created dense foam that could thoroughly cover the tree root and pipe surfaces. With the discovery of the effectiveness of this foam in removing tree roots in sewer pipes, Vaporooter was born.
Today, the patented Vaporooter demonstrates how to remove tree roots to protect the vital infrastructure of cities, towns as well as residential homes, commercial and industrial properties around the world.
Municipalities and councils take advantage of this technology to address problems caused by tree roots in pipes to ensure their taxpayers are not burdened with excessive repair and maintenance costs.
