Tree Roots - Copper Sulfate

[UMC]

I had to have roto rooter out recently to drill out tree roots. A friend told me that copper sulfate can be used regularly to keep tree roots from growing in the pipes. Any of you have suggestions or experiences? Seems like a much cheaper alternative than a $150 service call.

[CAMAN]

Unless the tree roots are coming from the bottom of the pipe or you can somehow get it to the upper half of the pipe where they usually come in, roots will still form until they reach the water level AND you flush it with copper sulfate. And by then it is getting too late.

The only real way to keep from calling roto rooter is to fix the problem. Either cutting down the tree, or fix the pipe.

[UMC]

Had it happen about 2.5 years ago as well (lived in the house for a little over 5). Both times on a weekend, with people visiting - go figure...Extra inconvenience and a more expensive service call! Guess I'll just have to start having them drill it out every 18 months or something...

[mn_bowhunter]

Other thing to keep in mind is what you should or shouldn't be putting down the drain. Copper sulfate is nasty stuff. If you've got a septic system you could do more harm than good.

[westguy]

UMC - I have the same problem as you again and i've tried all the powders and chemicals with no results. Every 18 months they keep coming back. The last plumber told me I should have the pipes rerouted to the city drain? A cost of around 3000?? I think for now ill keep paying the 200 every year and half. I feel your frustration.

[frazwood]

I have some experience with this at our lake cabin.

The first year that we had the place, I called rotorooter and watched the guy do it... I figured that for $150-$200, I should at least get an education too.

Since then, I have gone to a rental place and rented a drain auger to do it myself when I needed to do it. The place that I went to rented it for $50 or so for four hours -- just enough time for me to pick it up, do the job, and get it back on time. It's inconvenient and gross, but probably more convenient than hiring Rotorooter (because you work on your schedule, not theirs) and definitely cheaper.

I have also tried the copper sulfate treatment and it has worked OK, not great. It has kept me from having to auger the drain. I applied it once in the spring (mid-April to mid-May) and once in the late summer (mid-August).

But, I am somewhat of an environmentalist and I worry about the impact of the copper sulfate. Last summer, I tried a foaming compound tree root killer that I found at a big box store. It made a mess in the basement (it foamed out the floor drain) but it seemed to work better. It's potentially not any better for the environment (before anyone comments about my environmentalist statement), but it definitely worked better. It was also about $20 a bottle versus $10 for the copper sulfate.

[huntnfish]

At my previous house we'd have to auger the drain every year until I made the rule of nothing but TP being flushed down the drain. After that I could get 2 years with no problems.After the first time I would just rent and do it myself. Like others stated, not a fun job but I've done a lot worse. The best augers to get were the ones with a transmission for in and out. A couple I used, I'd have to pull them back in by hand. Not fun when stuck.

[Powerstroke]

Sounds like you've gotten some pretty reasonable advice. I worked for a city sewer utility for several years. There are many reasons for root intrusion and very few interventions that actually work.

As far as copper sulphate, it does not work all that well for the reasons already listed, most importantly, roots come in from the top usually and unless they are reaching to the bottom of your pipe, you're not likely to effect them. That is where the foaming products tend to perform better. As far as the foaming products, it still is a yearly or twice yearly activity.

Rootsawing or augering out your own line is the most effective and economical way to keep your sewer running. Doing it yourself is cheapest with a rental unit, followed by a routine appointment with a good plumber. Waiting until you have a backup is the most expensive way.

If you hire someone to do the work, ask them to camera the line. If you saw the line year after year without looking in there to see the cause of the problem, you are wasting your money. Another important thing to learn is what the pipe is made out of. Sewer pipes can be anything from cast iron to compressed tar paper.Light roots rarely block a line. If you're getting heavy root intrusion, there is likely a broken joint or hole in the pipe that is allowing the heavier roots to form. If that is the case, then you will need to repair the sewer line anyway, so your yearly maintenance costs are mostly being wasted. Might as well spend the money for a permanent fix and forget about maintenence in the future.

There are two options for repairs, lining or open trench. Lining is a great options for a line that has a mostly healthy structure, but has a bad spot or bad joint. Much cheaper and will seal up the line from the inside.

If you have to dig up the line you can patch the bad spot or replace the entire line. That is up to you. Get a few quotes on that. My experience is that a high quality small business will do a better job and are easier to work with. The big name companies (roto-rooter/Ben franklin, etc) will charge you double to pay for a 6-man crew in fancy trucks and fancy uniforms.

[B-man715]

How many trees do you have over the sewer line and how big are they?

If there is only a couple smaller trees cut them suckers down and get rid of the stumps.

As mentioned, have the line televised, it may only be one bad joint the roots are entering. If that's the case, get a measurement from the tv tech and grab a shovel

If the line is less than 7' deep and your soil is easy to hand dig, you could have it fixed for free in a day.