Blocked Drains, Tree Roots & A Root Risk Analysis
Protecting You Home With A Root Risk Analysis
A lot of the time, plumbing can be a reactive process. With most plumbing pipes hidden away, in walls, floors and the great outdoors... it can be hard to detect if your plumbing system might be in the midst of a battle. It's challenging for underground pipes to talk but if you listen carefully and enlist the assistance of a professional plumber, like Network Plumbing... future plumbing problems can be detected early and actioned early. Saving you time, money and heartache along the way.
Our plumbers are called in when sewer lines are backing up, stormwater drain pipes are overflowing or gurgling noises have become more frequent. Don't get us wrong, we love saving the plumbing day. You'll find us unblocking drains and replacing damaged pipes day in, day out but... what if there was a better way?
Network Plumbing have the solution, you know it. Our Root Risk Analysis lovingly referred to as RRA, empowers our clients to take control of their plumbing situations. Being able to foresee if and when tree roots are making their way into your plumbing services is the best asset you have at reducing damaged pipes and the knock-on effects tree roots can bring to your plumbing services, like blocked drains.
Protecting your home is a top priority. Often it's the biggest investment we make in our lives. It's where we spend time with family and friends. Being proactive with your plumbing and protecting your lifelong investment is easily done with our complementary plumbing service like a Root Risk Analysis.
Tree Roots, Block Drains... Why?
The most common cause of blocked drains, either sewer lines or storm water pipes are tree roots. Tree root growth can have a damaging effect on your plumbing services. Tree roots can break, crack or collapse your sewer pipes or stormwater drain pipes. Forcing a complete pipe replacement and all that it entails. Long downtime, excavation and increased costs. Tree roots in your plumbing services should be taken seriously.
Network Plumbing have identified 4 main reasons as to why, tree roots are drawn to your pipes and are the largest single cause of a blocked drain.
Underground
As most of our sewer pipes are buried underground, planting trees in close proximity to your sewer pipes... may result in those or surrounding plants finding their way into your plumbing systems. Pipes located underneath the ground do in many ways become fair game.
Source of Nutrients
Tree roots thrive in sewer pipes. The conditions create the perfect moist atmosphere for tree roots. Hot water, cool water and the nutrients inside your sewer drains naturally attract tree roots. The condensation that can build up around your sewer pipes can be likened to a beacon calling unto them.
Structural Integrity Of Your Plumbing Services
Do you know the age of your pipes? Are they earthenware pipes, durable PVC pipes or metal pipes? Each pipe material will present different risk factors. The offending tree roots, won't mind the type of material. If there is a way in, a tree root will find it. For example, rusting, cracked or misaligned pipes will be taken advantage of by tree roots.
Location Of Your Drainage System
Do you know the location of your sewer pipes or stormwater drains on your property? Are trees planted close by?
Did you know that tree roots can grow up to 2-3 times that of the radius of the tree's canopy... during dryer seasons this might even be up to 5 times that. Searching tree roots will travel. Knowing where your plumbing system is located will help you to identify potential risks. If you are considering your landscape and where to plant trees, also consider your plumbing service footprint. Plant trees at least 6 meters away from your service. This is a general rule of thumb. Avoid planting trees any closer than this.
Signs You Might Have Tree Roots In Your Sewer Pipes?
You guessed it, signs of a blocked drain will indicate if tree roots have entered your pipework. Why is this? As mentioned above, tree roots are one of the common causes of a blocked drain.
- Slow to drain sinks
- Strange toilet flushes
- Smell or odours coming from your drain
- Wet patches in your yard
- Cracked driveways or pavers
A blocked drain is inconvenient but can also present health risks as well. A tree root can completely block your sewer line. The roots can retain material that passes into a drainpipe including tissue grit and other dangerous waste. They will then obstruct the whole pipe and that can contaminate the sewage line, potentially flood your home, and pose health and property damage.
How Will A Root Risk Analysis Help?
Network Plumbing has taken the time to assess how we might best serve our clients. Prevention is better than a cure, by taking advantage of our complementary service of a Root Risk Analysis you'll be acting before blocked drains become a pain point.
Our plumber will use their CCTV drain camera to inspect your pipes, identify any current or potential areas that might be at risk. The Root Risk Analysis checklist will help you determine your risk factor.
- Drainage smells or odours
- Slow draining toilets or sinks
- Pipes that are over 20 years old
- Trees with prolific root growth
- Medium to large trees surrounding your property
If you can tick the box on any of these factors, reaching out to our trained professional plumber to assess your pipes will help to minimise any damage caused to your pipes.
The goal is to act before damage is caused by the tree root and therefore the blocked drain has gone too far. A tree root can take over an entire pipe, tree root damage can be significant. Clearing and acting to prevent tree roots from taking hold of your pipes will give you choices on a course of action when you're facing blocked drains. Sometimes when a pipe is so severely damaged the only solution may be a complete pipe replacement. Tree roots blocking are only one factor, the damage that can occur to your sewer line is another.
The Method To Remove Tree Roots
Tree root removal requires skilled plumbers. Removing tree roots sufficiently with the latest plumbing technology is a task Network Plumbing can handle. Our plumbers regularly and successfully clear tree roots from a stormwater drain to a sewer pipe throughout Sydney.
It entails much more than DIY fixes found on the internet. Myths like pouring weed killer down your pipes to kill roots is futile, by the time you've poured the weed killer, it's already making its way out to your main sewer line connection. This process is even worst when practised in your stormwater pipes, as your stormwater will not travel to a water treatment plant but out to a natural waterway instead.
Drain cleaning is more than flushing rock salt down your toilet in hope of drying out the tree roots blocking your drains. The quickest and cheapest method available isn't always the method that will lead to a permanent solution, just a temporary fix... if that?
Clearing roots once they have been located and identified can be undertaken in less than a few hours. Network Plumbing regularly employs the use of a high-pressure water Jetter.
Hydro jetting is a powerful and effective plumbing tool. Jet blasting can clear tree roots, dirt/sand, foreign objects and all matter of things that may have caused the blockage. All the roots will be cleared from your system. A hydro jet is environmentally friendly, not relying on the use of chemicals and in turn safeguarding our waterways.
My Drains Are Cleared, Now What?
Removing tree roots, great! Free-flowing pipes again, awesome job. You might think that's the end of the story. Fair enough, we've successfully cleared the roots from your pipe. Jet Blasting will clear your pipes no question about it. You can opt for annual jet blasting maintenance to stop any more roots from taking hold in your pipes in the future.
But... is that cleared pipe a damaged pipe? How did the tree root enter your pipes? Small cracks, misalignment, corroded pipes? Remove roots, tick. Solve the breach of how the tree roots entered your drains, we can also tick.
Pipe relining is also a service Network Plumbing are masters at. Pipe relining will prevent tree roots from entering your system again in the repaired section. Pipe relining is a permanent solution. Did we mention it's a no-dig solution? Pipe relining can save those cracked, broken pipes without creating trenches in your yard. To learn more about pipe relining call 9023 3232
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