Here in Tacoma, WA, home to your friends at Harts Services, we’ve come to associate the arrival of fall with some potentially messy plumbing issues caused by good old Mother Nature.
We’re talking about tree roots infiltrating pipes and causing sewer system backups.
Roots are amazing things. Their mission to keep trees alive leads them to grow and travel in search of water, and they don’t let anything stand in their way. Roots can grow as big as seven times the height of a tree, and they’ll blast through the joints — or the sides — of underground pipes to access moisture and nutrients they need to feed that tree.
As you can imagine, this happens quite a bit in the summer when the weather is dry. Then, when fall brings heavy rain, roots blocking drainage pipes can cause water and sewage to back up into homes throughout the region. The problem only gets worse over time, as the tangled web of roots catches toilet paper, hair, and other debris to create a denser clog.
What can you do to prevent this? Before we talk about a potential remedy, watch this quick video to identify a few of the warning signs of tree root infiltration.
Now that you know how to spot a potential tree root situation before it wreaks havoc on your home, here’s our advice for addressing the issue: Call Harts Services for a full video inspection of your sewer system!
Our team of experts will visit your property and perform a professional video inspection, running a camera down your sewer lines to get a clear picture of what’s going on down there. Whatever blockages we spot, whether it’s tree roots, corrosion, or sediment buildup, we can decide whether high-pressure hydro-jetting will fix the issue or if other repairs are needed.
If tree roots have completely broken through the lines, we can replace your sewer piping. Swapping older, clay tile pipes out for PVC, which is harder for roots to penetrate, could be a suitable option to prevent issues in the future. We will be able to give you a professional recommendation based on the results of our video camera inspection.
Don’t let tree roots mess up your life this fall! For more information about how tree roots can affect your sewer system, or schedule a video camera inspection anywhere in the Tacoma area, contact our experts by filling out a contact form on our website.
