Just Right Plumbing, Los Angeles, CA
Wants You to Know about Root Removal in LA
The incursion of roots into your drain pipes is a problem that can eventually force you to replace the pipes in your Los Angeles area home or business. Roots have the ability to enter your pipes from the smallest hairline cracks. They also thrive in the nutrient-rich and moist environment inside your pipes. Once even the smallest root is inside the pipe it can grow to a size large enough to block it or even crack the pipe or create other drainage problems. And with earthquakes there are lots of damaged pipes and drains in the LA area.
Root Removal can be expensive, so it’s best to keep them out of the pipes in the first place.
Once roots have begun to find their way through the gaps and openings in cracked or damaged pipes, you can physically remedy the situation by replacing or lining the pipes, and/or removing the tree that is sending the roots. Replacing the pipes may be the best option if the pipes are old and in danger of collapsing, but you can use one of two methods to line them if they are sound. You can either feed a seamless liner through the pipes, a procedure called slip-lining, or you can insert an inflatable liner. Lining pipes can cost more than replacing them, and is best considered when replacement or tree removal are impractical.
Although they are not preventative measures, several methods exist to mechanically remove tree roots that have grown in the sewers. Root removal specialists John Pipkin can cut roots with a “jetter machine” that clears most without fail or by using the traditional root auger and cutter method. He can also pull abrasive brushes and scrapers through the waste lines with engine-driven winches.
Chemical root removal kill roots but can also kill other plants and may present an environmental hazard. Copper Sulphate is one root-control treatment that many states consider safe for municipal waste but not septic systems, and homeowners and plumbers often treat roots by pouring it into a toilet. Its effectiveness is limited by the fact that it usually doesn’t stay in the pipes for very long.