Protecting Your Sewer Lines from Roots

Most homeowners pay no mind to their sewer lines until something goes horribly wrong. Sewer lines should receive annual inspections to make sure everything is in top shape because tree roots are constantly drawn to their abundance of water, oxygen and nutrients. Before your next visit from a Colorado Springs, CO plumber, check out these methods for sewer line protection.

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Locate the sewer lines

In order to protect the sewer lines, you have to locate them first. Knowing where they lie on your property makes it easier to pinpoint where tree roots are entering the pipes. Homeowners who locate their sewer lines are better equipped to understand which trees are causing the damage.

Every homeowner should find the location of their sewer pipes, even if there’s been no signs of damage like frequent clogs or slow-moving drains. The placement of pipes on a property determines landscaping features like where you can plant trees and which species work best. You can locate sewer lines by contacting the public works department in Colorado Springs, CO.

Plant slow-growing trees

All sewer lines break down at some point. However, you can delay this process by planting trees that grow more slowly than others. Such trees take much longer to send roots into the ground, which means the sewer lines will have an extended lifespan before they’re at risk for root damage.

When landscaping your property, make sure the trees are planted far enough away from sewer lines to minimize the likelihood of roots invading cracks in the pipes. Also, select trees with the smallest root ball possible so they take longer to grow.

Install barriers around the pipes

Of course, homeowners shouldn’t merely slow the process of root invasion—they should do what they can to stop it altogether. The best sewer line protection involves setting up either a physical or chemical barrier. Plumbers in Colorado Springs, CO can set up metal or wooden barriers around the pipes so roots can’t take advantage of their weak spots.

Another option is to treat the surrounding area with slow-release chemicals that inhibit root growth. Chemicals like copper sulfate and potassium hydroxide guard sewer lines by discouraging roots from growing close to the pipe’s exterior. Other methods are available to stunt the growth of roots already embedded in the sewer line.

Schedule an inspection

It’s important to keep in mind that all these methods for sewer line protection are no replacement for regular professional inspections. Plumbers have all the necessary tools such as camera probes to check for pipe damage when the problem is more serious than a simple drain clog. Annual inspections are the only way to detect signs of root invasion before they cost you thousands of dollars in repairs.

Preventative measures only work when Colorado Springs, CO homeowners implement them before tree roots overrun their sewer lines. In some cases, the pipe damage is so bad that homeowners will need an entire sewer line replacement. The plumbers at Affordable Rooter are up to the task. We can install brand-new pipes and recommend ways to protect them so root invasion never happens again.