The first sign of a tree root blockage is a slow drain. Simple right? But, this won’t be an average slow drain that can be cured with a plunger or a drain cleaning solution. The blockage may be accompanied by a gurgling sound from within the drain, which can be heard when no water is running.
A quick visual diagnosis will let you know if there is a tree root blockage. Any trees that are within 60 meters of the building, or within ten meters of any known pipes, have root systems that might penetrate a line.
Tree roots are more likely to grow into your lines during winter and other cold months. That’s because tree roots have to travel farther for moisture during these months. Older pipes, especially those laid before the 1980s, can be made of materials that are easy for tree roots to infiltrate.
Some plumbers use high-tech cameras to determine whether a blockage is common, or caused by a tree root system. A camera is attached to a drain snake and run down the affected pipe so that the tech savvy blockage experts can use this camera to explore every aspect of a blocked pipe. They’ll take a video, diagnose the problem, and then suggest the best course of action.
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