How Trees Can Destroy Your Home's Sewer Line

June 08, 2016

You try to be cautious and ensure you keep from putting anything down the drain that would plug your pipes. You don’t flush anything besides toilet paper; you don’t put eggshells, bones, or grease down the kitchen sink; and you make sure to have strainers on all your drains. But have you thought of everything in order to prevent an expensive sewer line repair?

Look outside because you may be ignoring the most damaging problem of all: tree roots.

Trees want nutrients and their roots are where they absorb nutrients through, so the tip of the tree root is constantly “seeking” and “reaching toward” a source of moisture and nutrients and they are drawn to a leaking sewer line that needs repair.

Typically, tree roots will leave strong, undamaged sewer lines alone. They usually only disturb leaking, broken, or damaged lines buried within the top two feet of the ground. When this happens the initial damage does not only get worse, the tree roots can seriously clog the sewer lines and decrease the water flow, resulting in overflows and potentially flooding your home or building.

But what can you do? Call a sewer line repair expert in Fort Myers.

A sewer line repair will usually be easier (and cost less) than a ruptured pipe, so if you think there is a problem with your sewer line, especially if you feel that tree roots are growing into the pipe, call Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning right away.

Sewer line repair experts at Service Experts will use a sewer inspection camera to decide whether or not the sewer line has a tree root worry. Once the problem has been confirmed, our sewer line repair expert will go over all of your options with you and help you decide the best way to proceed, whether that’s a trenchless sewer line replacement or just getting rid of the tree roots.

Remember, faster growing trees, such as cottonwood, locust, or sycamore, may cause more trouble because they grow more rapidly. Slower growing trees are a better alternative, but they still need to be replaced every six to ten years to avoid their roots from damaging the sewer lines. Also, always plant trees far from your sewer lines, that way you can help stop damage and prevent those pesky (and often costly) sewer line repairs. If you’re not sure where your sewer lines are, ask Service Experts to flag the path of the sewer pipes.

So if you think your tree roots have invaded your sewer line or you have any plumbing problems at all, call Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning in Fort Myers and we are happy to come out and see if you need a sewer line repair or do a total plumbing maintenance to make sure your pipes are good to go.

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