There are a number of reasons that your plumbing system’s sewer line is buried beneath your property—for one, it’s more attractive this way! But the main reason for this is for safety and functionality. Unfortunately, this means that not only is your sewer line out of sight—and therefore hard to spot problems with—it is susceptible to damage from things such as tree roots searching for water.
When it comes to sewer line damage and clogs, tree roots are more common of a threat than you may realize, and the removal and repair of such a problem requires professional Winnetka, IL sewer line services. As you’d expect, tree roots crave water, so even the tiniest of leaks in your sewer line can attract them. Tree roots are not the only threat to your sewer pipe, but it’s certainly important to be aware of them.
The Full Impact of Tree Roots
Your sewer line might seem sturdy and impenetrable. For the most part, this is definitely the case. But if your sewer line is older, or made from less durable materials than modern pipes, then they will be susceptible to persistent roots. Generally speaking, the piping that is most often damaged by roots is clay tile or Orangeburg, but even PVC pipes can be impacted.
Once your pipes have been infiltrated and damaged by roots, two subsequent problems occur. First off, the impacted section of piping enables sewage to leak out into your yard. If this happens, you’ll likely notice standing water, spongy grass, and/or an unpleasant smell coming from your yard. Secondly, the roots can continue to grow up into the pipes as they absorb water, causing a partial or complete blockage of the sewer line.
Preventing Damage from Tree Roots
Perhaps the best way to repair a tree root problem is to avoid it in the first place. Our highly trained professional plumbers can help you find where your sewer line lies, so that you can plant trees a safe distance away. It’s important to know, too, what trees are most likely to put out roots that are more likely to damage your sewer line.
If you’re concerned about the age or condition of your sewer pipes, our staff can perform a video pipe inspection to take a close look at your plumbing and see if it is in fact susceptible to damage or deterioration, and take the proper steps from there—which may be to replace your pipes with more durable and root-resistant material.
What to Do if Roots Find Your Sewer Line
In addition to using video pipe inspection to ensure that tree roots are actually what you’re dealing with, our team has a number of other professional-grade tools that helps us resolve this problem for you. What we’ll most likely use are augers to break up the tree roots, and hydro jet equipment to blast away the remaining root blockage.
Further repair may be necessary if the tree roots have cracked your sewer line. Whatever your plumbing problem is, though, one thing is for certain—you can count on our staff to get the job done right the first time and get your system back in working order ASAP.
For expert plumbing service, installations, or maintenance contact Reliance Plumbing Sewer & Drainage, Inc. Our knowledgeable plumbers serve the North Shore and Northwest Chicago suburbs.