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Vaporooter FAQs

What is Vaporooter?

Vaporooter is a blend of ingredients to Stop Tree Roots in Drains.

It prevents tree roots from crushing, cracking or blocking your sewer pipes.

Is Vaporooter safe?

Yes,Vaporooter is 100% safe and effective. It has been safely and successfully used all around the world for over 40 years.

Will Vaporooter kill my trees?

No, Vaporooter only kills the tree roots it comes in contact with inside your pipes. Not trees and plants.

Does Vaporooter come with any kind of guarantee?

Yes, Vaporooter comes with a 12-Month Guarantee.

That means that if your drains have a blockage caused by tree roots within 12 months of being treated with Vaporooter, we will gladly clear the blockage for FREE! (Does not cover collapsed or broken pipes).

Are your staff qualified to apply Vaporooter?

Yes, all our technicians are fully trained and certified.

Are tree root blockages in drains and pipes a common problem?

Yes, up to 85% of residential plumbing emergencies are caused by tree roots  blocking drains and sewer pipes.

Who is most at risk of experiencing tree root damage to their pipes?

If your property, your neighbour’s property or the public land around your property has trees on it, you are at risk.

If you live on a tree-lined street with long-standing trees, you are at an even higher risk.

How much does Vaporooter cost?

Vaporooter protects your pipes and gives you complete peace of mind for less than $2.20 a day.

Wouldn’t it be cheaper to just fix the broken pipes when the need arises, because this problem may never happen to me?

As you sleep, your trees, the trees on the public land and your neighbours’ tree roots are making their way to your pipes.

The question is not if they will crush or damage your pipes, but WHEN.

Vaporooter as prevention is less expensive than repairs.

Following costly tree root damage to their pipes, property owners unanimously agree they would have preferred paying a fraction of the cost for a hassle and damage-free Vaporooter treatment.

How do I know if I have a blocked drain or pipe due to tree roots?

Here are some symptoms to look for:

  • Slow draining or build up of water (sometimes ankle deep) in your shower or bath.
  • The excessive rise or fall of the water level in your toilet. We call it syphoning and it comes with it’s own sound effect that sounds like “glug glug glug”.
  • You find toilet paper remnants or dirty water around your sewer surcharge overflow gully in your garden.
  • Swarms of sewer flies around your drains.
  • Smelly drains are a sure sign that your pipes are becoming blocked.
  • Dirty or smelly water leaking from retaining walls or garden beds that may conceal sewer pipes.
  • Waste water leaking from pipes around and under your home that don’t normally leak.

My drain is blocked by tree roots. Can I apply Vaporooter today?

No, you cannot have Vaporooter applied by a certified applicator today. There’s a simple process to ensure the problem is fixed properly.

The first priority is to have your drains cleared by your plumber, a trained Vaporooter expert!

He will cut out the tree root blockage with a drain cleaning machine, then survey the pipes. The survey will pinpoint where the tree roots are getting into the pipe. At the same time the Vaporooter expert will map your sewer to determine the most efficient access to the pipe line for the treatment in 6-8 weeks.

The action of cutting the roots makes the tree roots “sap” to heal their wounds. This is NOT the optimum time to apply Vaporooter.

We wait 6-8 weeks to allow the roots time to “relax” and re-shoot into the sewer line seeking moisture and nutrients. That is the optimum time to apply Vaporooter to your pipes to prevent further tree root growth.

Will Vaporooter destroy the roots in my sewer pipes that cause sewer blockages?

Yes Vaporooter has a herbicide that will destroy all roots it comes in contact with.

Will Vaporooter stop roots from growing back?

Yes with repeated annual applications tree roots will stop entering the pipe.

How does it do this?

Vaporooter has a root growth inhibitor Dichlobenil 50W. The foaming process carries the Dichlobenil through the pipes to the roots.

It attaches to the tree roots’ organic material and it sterilises the soil where the roots enter the pipe.

When the foam collapses, it leaves a Dichlobenil residue on the pipe and pipe joint surface that just make it unpleasant for the tree roots.

Will Vaporooter harm my plants and trees near the sewer pipe?

No Vaporooter is a non systemic herbicide.

That means it will only affect the root material it comes in contact with and only travel a very short distance up the root.

Is Vaporooter safe to use?

Yes Vaporooter is safe to use.

The main ingredients of Vaporooter are commonly used on food crops to control weed growth.

Why does Vaporooter foam up?

Roots typically enter the pipe at the sides and top of the sewer pipe.

The foam that looks like shaving cream, carries the Vaporooter ingredients to the roots at the top of the pipe where they enter.

The foam helps manage how long Vaporooter is in contact with the root mass.

Can we just pour it down the toilet and flush?

No. Vaporooter doesn’t work like that!

Vaporooter can’t be poured into the toilet like some caustic and copper sulphate products.

By the way, those products are carried downstream in the water at the bottom of the pipe and don’t come in contact with tree roots coming through the top of the pipe joints.

Can I apply Vaporooter myself?

No. Vaporooter is applied through a purpose built foaming machine by a licensed applicator.

Your applicator is trained to ensure the pipes are completely filled with the foam and make thorough contact with the tree roots.

Can I use my plumbing while the application process is being done?

If you’re desperate to use your plumbing, Yes.

Ideally the applicator would prefer you didn’t, just in case what you flush down your sewer spills out onto the work area.

The foaming process holds the Vaporooter in place and the waste water flows under the foam.

How long does it take to apply Vaporooter?

Depending on the circumstance of your particular project, the application process can take less than two hours but depends largely on the length of the pipes.

How long does Vaporooter take to work?

Vaporooter begins destroying the roots immediately.

The roots in the pipe, in the pipe wall and just outside the pipe die, rot and drop off into the flow. This allows ground pressure to assist closing the cracks and gaps in the pipe caused by the root growth.

Why do we have to wait 6 to 8 weeks after clearing a blockage before treating the pipes with Vaporooter?

When tree roots are cut to clear a blockage, the cutting process hurts the roots. The roots respond immediately by “bleeding” a sap that assists their healing and regrowth.

To understand that, envisage pruning a rose bush or a frangipani tree.

Scientific studies show this “bleeding” retards the intake of any chemical for several weeks.

When the “bleeding” stops, nutrients start travelling down through the root system, promoting new growth.

After 6-8 weeks, most trees have produced fine white root stems that absorb the Vaporooter herbicide more efficiently, thus maximising the effectiveness of the treatment.

If I have to treat the line annually with Vaporooter why don’t I just wait for the pipe to block and then call a plumber?

Once tree roots have entered your sewer line you unfortunately have an ongoing problem. Usually sewer blockages will occur when the plumbing system is being heavily used, when there are a lot of people at home like school holidays, Christmas and Grand Final day. This can result in the inconvenience and a costly call out fee for an emergency plumber.

If I have to treat the line annually with Vaporooter why don’t I just have a plumber come on a regular basis to keep the pipe flowing?

The process of clearing a sewer pipe, particularly with heavy duty drain cleaning equipment is an abrasive action on your sewer pipes.

While essential to clear a blockage, this process can deteriorate the condition of the pipe when ripping and cutting the roots.

Each time the plumber clears a tree root blockage in your sewer, the plant responds by growing thicker and stronger, just like pruning a hedge.

This thicker growth opens the cracks and pipe joints where the roots enter the pipe. That in turn allows more sewerage to leak out and contaminate your soil and attracts more roots into the sewer pipe to enjoy the warm and nutrient rich environment your sewer offers.

Regular tree root cutting reduces the time period between each blockage.

Will Vaporooter stop the tree roots smashing the pipes?

Yes Vaporooter will destroy the roots in the pipe and in the pipe wall.

The Vaporooter treatment makes it unpleasant for the tree roots to grow back through the pipe joints or cracks and defects in the pipe. This will allow ground pressure to assist in closing the cracks and maintaining the condition of your sewer pipes.

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