Tree roots in sewer line - remedies???

I have a house in town which was built in 1975. In 1986 the plastic waterline got brittle and I had to replace it. The waterline was near the sewer line. I remember some 29 years ago that the PVC plastic sewer line got cracked on top by the backhoe bucket. It didn't cut a hole, just a crack or split. The backhoe guy I had hired saddled a half piece of PVC plastic the same size as the sewer line over it and said it would never be a problem. Now the sewer line is easily in the weep line of a 33 year old soft maple tree. I am pretty positive roots have gotten in. It seems like I have had some success keeping it operating with some "main line sewer cleaners", but the problem always comes back eventually. Might be a month or might be six months. I can dig it up, but was just wondering if there was an easier remedy that might work. How does salt work??? Copper sulfate??? Had a plumber run the "power sewer cutter" down it in January. Problem is back. Thanks for your ideas.

The permanent fix would be to dig it up and replace the line.

Snaking, treating, anything else is just a temporary fix. The "anti root" products are designed for lateral lines, which must be open to work, and for temporary root discouragement until the problem can be repaired, or in the event it is impractical to repair.

Knowing where it is is important. Digging is really the only solution that doesn't repeatedly poison the waste water. Jim

Roebic K-77 Root Killer
32 oz bottle
Flush one third of a bottle down a toilet every 6 to 12 months.
Safe for all plumbing and does not harm the septic
Visit w w w . roebic . com

chop down tree, then chop roots out of line

(quoted from post at 22:41:31 07/24/15) Roebic K-77 Root Killer
32 oz bottle
Flush one third of a bottle down a toilet every 6 to 12 months.
Safe for all plumbing and does not harm the septic
Visit w w w . roebic . com

Click to expand...

Copper Sulfate in the Spring and Fall of the year - doesn't 'kill' the septic OR the tree. 8)

(quoted from post at 19:37:43 07/24/15) I have a house in town which was built in 1975. In 1986 the plastic waterline got brittle and I had to replace it. The waterline was near the sewer line. I remember some 29 years ago that the PVC plastic sewer line got cracked on top by the backhoe bucket. It didn't cut a hole, just a crack or split. The backhoe guy I had hired saddled a half piece of PVC plastic the same size as the sewer line over it and said it would never be a problem. Now the sewer line is easily in the weep line of a 33 year old soft maple tree. I am pretty positive roots have gotten in. It seems like I have had some success keeping it operating with some "main line sewer cleaners", but the problem always comes back eventually. Might be a month or might be six months. I can dig it up, but was just wondering if there was an easier remedy that might work. How does salt

work??? Copper sulfate??? Had a plumber run the "power

sewer cutter" down it in January. Problem is back. Thanks for

your ideas.

Click to expand...

Salt works - kills the roots and, everything else it touches. We flush it down toilet every month or so just before we go to bed. That allows it to sit in pipes for several hours.
Good luck.

PVC drain pipe comes in different gauges. It sounds like you have the thin wall pipe. We had the thin wall pipe at our house which was crushed from just driving the tractor in the yard. Then it got tree roots in the pipe and was no longer draining. Once we replaced the pipe with the thicker pipe we no longer have a problem.

I had the same problem and after I had a power snake to clear the roots, I used Root Kill to kill any roots. Hal

Hi Andy, I had the same problem as you with my drain line, only my house was built in 1951, and they used 24 inch long clay tile pipe. There were some trees growing directly over the drain line and just like you, I had to clean it out over and over again, and again. I used the root killer, rooted it until it got so bad that the water was coming to the surface when I would flush the pipe with one of those pulsed nozzles on a hose. I finally had to dig it up. The roots had gotten in to the bell end of the clay pipe, and actually broke the pipe off. I got a piece of schedule 40 pvc pipe, and some neoprene boots to connect the 2 pipes together, along with some stainless steel clamps. This is the only thing to do, like someone else said putting root killer down the line is only temporary. However I do just put some down from time to time to make sure there are no more problems. The root killer has to sit in the drain line and if the drain line is working it doesn't do a thing, I am probably wasting my money now, but who knows. Just my 2 cents worth, but digging it up is about the only real way to fix it.....

Hi, I used to work in utilities industry for 30 yrs. It was
against code to put water line in same trench as sewer
line. The reason: you may have a small leak in each line
over time.not a large problem but if there is a fire and
the fire pumpe r hooks up to hydrant causing negative
pressure in water main it could suck contamination
into whole water system. That would be a problem.
The only good way to fix your root problem is to
replace the sewr line.period!. Ed will

Phil gave the best advice, replace line with schedule 40 PVC, glue all connections, sloped 1/8 inch to the foot Clamp ends to existing pipe that can not be replaced as Phil stated. Problem solved, and you can sleep well. another 2 cent's worth

Cu So4 (Copper Sulphate) works best introduced after the septic tank.....so say the directions on the container available at HD for about 8 bucks a bottle of root killer. Around here the pipe in your drain field has to have openings to allow the water exit points along the field. Thin wall PVC comes with pre drilled holes just for that purpose. Open invitation to trees, especially Willow. Any Willows within 100' of your lines need to go. On vehicle damage, bury it deeper or stay off the field is my advice and what I adhere to.

The maple roots get so fine they clog it just like hair. Best way is cut out the bad section and use rubber boots that slide onto the pipe. As far as backhoe operators ; they are lazy and rather than get off the machine and go to a supply house and get things to fix a break they sit on their butt and put dirt back over the problem. That's how they roll. I had this for years in my last home . After rooting they always grew back until I replaced the line.

A deep pass with a single shank V-Ripper between the tree and the drain every few years.