How do you know if you have roots or a mechanical failure in your sewer drainage system?

Most homeowners love the aesthetic appeal of trees and plants in the yard, but it’s important to understand if trees or shrubs can cause harm to your drainage system before you plant. One of the most common problems of a drainage system clog are roots in the drain line. 

Trees are attracted to the drainage system because that’s where water and nutrients reside. Over time, these roots can grow slowly and fill your plumbing system. So, what do you do? 

Some signs of problematic drain lines due to roots are slow-draining toilets, sinks or showers in the home, sinkholes in the yard, or bad odors emanating from the drain. Often, a professional drain service company can assist with diagnosing the cause of the problem. 

If you suspect you have roots, a broken drain line or separation in the line, or otherwise slow-draining line, the best solution is to call a professional company such as Clear Choice Drain Solutions to evaluate the line. A camera inspection is the best place to start to determine if there is a problem and, if so, what is causing the problem and what the steps are to resolve the issue. 

If it is determined that roots are in your sewer system, some of the most common recommendations are: 

1. Power Cable or Snake – Using a professional, commercial-grade cable machine to break up the roots can be used to remove smaller roots. Depending on the amount and size of roots in the line, this might not be an option.
2. Hydro-Jetting – Using high pressure water jetting to cut through roots is often a very effective way to open up clogged drains; however, this is typically only a temporary solution because the roots are continuously invasive once they find access to your plumbing system. 
3. Picote Machine – A Picote Machine is similar to a standard cable machine, but more effective on large root balls, hard clogs, and descaling rotted metal pipe. 
4. Trenchless Pipelining – The permanent solution to address sewer drain problems with roots, breaks or separations is to reline the drain pipe. This patented solution uses the old, host pipe to transform into a brand new pipe that looks like PVC on the inside. Best of all, it’s seamless and there’s no or very little digging! In most cases, you’re up and running the same day without the need to excavate and replace your drain line. Roots can’t invade again and the pipe will last over 50 years. 

To learn more about any of these options or to schedule an evaluation, please visit www.ccdrains.com or call us at 781-521-9306.