5 Signs Of Tree Roots In Pipes - And What To Do Next
Have you ever seen what tree roots in pipes look like from the inside? When using your plumbing system every day, the signs and symptoms of this alarming phenomenon can be obvious:
- Slow-emptying drains
- Gurgling noises
- Backed-up or blocked toilet
- Foul drain smells
- Low water pressure.
Inside those affected pipes, though, the dense, tangled mess of a million thriving tree roots all happily lapping up the moist, dark, humid environment can be mind-blowing. Before that mass of tree roots in pipes tears your plumbing open or brings the flow to a complete standstill, it's normally just a minor headache. Ignore it for too long, though, and you won't just have a trickle from the tap or a backed-up toilet - you'll have a proper plumbing emergency!
But before your ankles are under water, it can be hard to get people to take a tree root incursion seriously. In fact, some people doubt that tree roots big enough to cause a problem can really get in your pipes anyway!
In the real world, though, tree roots in drain and pipe systems are actually the leading cause of serious pipe/drain problems. All it takes is a basically invisible crack or the tiniest gap in a join for an almost-microscopic, fine, hair-like tree root to find its way to a tasty water & nutrient source - where it then begins to grow, prosper and thrive. Ultimately, your daily activities may soon grind to a soaking wet standstill.
So what should you specifically be watching out for? We've narrowed it down to 6 classic signs:
1. Slow drains
Your pipes are designed to get waste away from your place, so the bigger the obstacle in its path, the slower that waste is going to drain.
2. Gurgling toilet
That gurgling sound from your toilet is a mass of water trying desperately, and succeeding occasionally, to flow through your pipe system.
3. Backed-up sewer
Once a blockage is bad enough, the waste will have nowhere to go except back and out the other end - inside your home.
4. Stinky puddles
As outlined earlier, those tree roots get in via a crack or join in an underground pipe. Once the pipe starts to get seriously damaged, the water & waste has nowhere to go except into the surrounding soil - eventually creating a stinking puddle at your feet. Leave that to fester long enough and it may become a proper sink-hole.
5. Stinky plumbing
If it's just a general foul drain smell that's getting worse, it's quite likely that professional tree root removal, pipe repairs and perhaps even re-laying is necessary.
The next step: How to clear roots from drain pipes
Do you require professional tree root removal from your plumbing system? It's a pretty impossible task for the DIY upstart, as a plunger or hand-held auger is going to be useless - and most plumbing work needs to be carried out by a licensed pro anyway. An experienced, fully-qualified blocked drain plumber may:
- Cut the roots mechanically: In some cases, a powerful motorised auger may be able to hack away at the blockage.
- Inspect your pipes: With the latest CCTV drain camera inspection technology, plumbers are better equipped than ever to pinpoint exactly the affected problem areas - no matter where it is.
- Kill the roots chemically: There is a range of products that can even be bought on the commercial market to attack tree roots, but these should be used extremely carefully in a plumbing system.
- Blast the roots with water: We're talking hot and ultra-high pressure water fired deep into your drains with a sophisticated modern water jetter.
- Re-line your pipes: Once the roots are gotten rid of, plumbers can work wonders these days with innovative resin technology that can completely repair a broken pipe without digging up a single speck of dirt.
Are your drains 'In Deep' with tree roots?
Are you 'in deep' with a tree root incursion? Don't stress, because In Deep Plumbing can help! Whether you need to use our 24/7 emergency plumbing service for a really messy problem or you just need a friendly and reliable Gold Coast plumber to show up exactly when they promise, that's us! Our pipe & drain specialists carry all the best and latest products, parts and highly specialised equipment, so get the job done for a great upfront price this week by calling In Deep Plumbing.
