Paul Abrams: 513-762-6434
(July 11, 2008 – Cincinnati, Ohio)-- The driest, hottest season of the year is when plumbers often report an increase in home flooding. Although it sounds impossible, it’s true. Sewer lines are very susceptible to back-ups in periods of drought, often resulting in localized household floods, which cost homeowners thousands of dollars in repairs. Most sewer lines back-up because tree roots amass in the sewer pipes preventing quick drainage. Tree roots are most active during seasonal drought periods. “When trees get thirsty they send out tiny feeder roots in search of moisture,” said Larry Rothman, a master plumber for Roto-Rooter. “The roots can work their way into underground pipes and cause a backup into the house.”
Root growth generally extends outward up to two or three times the height of a tree, but can extend as far as seven times the height of the tree during drought periods. Large, mature trees may have thousands of feet of root system searching in all directions for moisture. Unfortunately for homeowners, the roots follow water vapor trails along the path of least resistance, which usually leads them into the sewer pipes beneath America’s front yards.
Tree roots are remarkably adept at working their way into poorly sealed pipeline joints. Once inside, they completely fill the pipe with multiple hair-like root masses at each point of entry. The root masses act like a net and soon become clogged with toilet tissue, grease and other debris flowing from homes toward city sewer mains, resulting in reduced flow and slow drains. A complete blockage will eventually occur if the roots aren’t removed or impeded. Once this happens, households can experience water damage from overflowing toilets, sinks and especially from appliances, such as washing machines and dishwashers, which work on automatic cycles. “The water has to go somewhere and if it can’t go down the drain, it’ll flow out of the appliance or fixture and on to the floor,” said Rothman.
If left unchecked, roots inside pipes continue to grow and expand, putting pressure on cracks or pipe joints. The increased pressure often breaks the pipe and may result in a total collapse, requiring repair or replacement of the sewer pipe. Unfortunately, for homeowners, they are responsible for the cost of repairing a broken sewer pipe beneath their yards. Cities and municipalities are only responsible for the sewer mains beneath streets, which homes are connected to.
Older homes with clay tile pipe are more likely to experience this kind of damage. The newer PVC pipe with its tightly fitted joints is still susceptible to root intrusion, but to a lesser extent than older pipes made from cast iron, concrete or clay.
A plumber or drain cleaning service can effectively clear pipes of root masses and other clogs using powerful cutting blades on the end of a rotating cable (a Roto-Rooter machine). This equipment will actually pull out the root masses when the cable is withdrawn from the pipe. The largest root ever recovered from a pipe by Roto-Rooter was 201 feet long and weighed 1,500 pounds! The recovery took ten hours to complete at Soquel, California in 1997.
Roto-Rooter recommends that homeowners follow these tips during hot summer months to avoid household flooding caused by seasonal drought root growth:
· Pay attention to slow household drains.
· If drains are running slowly, maintain a watchful eye when the washing machine or dishwasher is running in order to minimize risk of localized flooding.
· Treat slow drains with over-the-counter clog-clearing products. If drainage doesn’t show significant improvement, you have a more serious clog and may have roots clogging your sewer main.
· Hire a plumber or drain cleaning company to mechanically clean your pipes and sewer line.
· Regularly treat your pipes with a root-killing product, which can be flushed down a sink or commode.
· Root killing chemicals take up to nine months to eliminate heavy root clogs. These products are most effective as an inhibitor for re-growth following a professional mechanical cleaning.
· Many plumbers can inspect your sewer main using an in-line fiber-optic video camera. This service is a cost-effective way of determining whether your pipes have been seriously damaged by root intrusion.
Roto-Rooter was established in 1935 and today is the largest provider of plumbing and drain cleaning services in the United States and Canada. Roto-Rooter operates businesses in 110 company-owned territories and more than 500 franchise territories, serving approximately 90 percent of the U.S. population. For more information about Roto-Rooter and to see a complete list of recent news releases, visit our on-line pressroom at www.rotorooter.com.
If you would like to follow a local Roto-Rooter technician on the job as he deals with root-infested sewer pipes, contact Paul Abrams at 513-762-6434 or paul.abrams@rrsc.com
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